Experiment No.

Aim: - To study different types of pneumatic valves.

Theory: - Different types of pneumatic valves are discussed below.

Pilot Operated Valves - Like other pressure relief valves (PRV), pilot operated relief valves (PORV)
are used for emergency relief during overpressure events (e.g., a tank gets too hot and the expanding fluid
increases the pressure to dangerous levels). The difference between PORV and conventional PRV is that
pilot valves use system pressure to seal the valve. A PRV typically uses a spring to hold the disc or piston
on seat. The essential parts of a PORV are a pilot valve (or control pilot), a main valve, a pitot tube, the
dome, a disc or piston, and a seat. The volume above the piston is called the dome. PORV are also called
pilot-operated safety valve (POSV), pilot-operated pressure relief valve (POPRV), or pilot-operated
safety relief valve (POSRV), depending on the manufacturer and the application. Technically POPRV is
the most generic term, but PORV is often used generically (as in this article) even though it should refer
to valves in liquid service.

Mode of Functioning
The pressure is supplied from the upstream side (the system being protected) to the dome often by a small
pitot tube. The downstream side is the pipe or open air where the PORV directs its exhaust. The outlet
pipe is typically larger than the inlet. The upstream pressure tries to push the piston open but it is opposed
by that same pressure because the pressure is routed around to the dome above the piston. The area of the
piston on which fluid force is acting is larger in the dome than it is on the upstream side; the result is a
larger FORCE on the dome side than the upstream side. This produces a net sealing force. The pressure
from the pilot tube to the dome is routed through the actual control pilot valve. There are many designs
but the control pilot is essentially a conventional PRV with the special job of controlling pressure to the
main valve dome. The pressure at which the control pilot relieves at is the functional set pressure of the
PORV. When the pilot valve reaches set pressure it opens and releases the pressure from the dome. The
piston is then free to open and the main valve exhausts the system fluid. The control pilot opens either to
the main valve exhaust pipe or to atmosphere.
Non-Return Valves - A check valve, clack valve, non-return valve or one-way valve is a valve that
normally allows fluid (liquid or gas) to flow through it in only one direction.

Symbol

Check valves are two-port valves, meaning they have two openings in the body, one for fluid ( liquid or
gas) to enter and the other for fluid (liquid or gas) to leave. There are various types of check valves used
in a wide variety of applications. Check valves are often part of common household items. Although they
are available in a wide range of sizes and costs, check valves generally are very small, simple, or
inexpensive. Check valves work automatically and most are not controlled by a person or any external
control; accordingly, most do not have any valve handle or stem. The bodies (external shells) of most
check valves are made of plastic or metal. An important concept in check valves is the cracking pressure
which is the minimum upstream pressure at which the valve will operate. Typically the check valve is
designed for and can therefore be specified for a specific cracking pressure. Heart valves are essentially
inlet and outlet check valves for the heart ventricles, since the ventricles act as pumps.

Types of Check Valves

1. A ball check valve is a check valve in which the closing member, the movable part to block the
flow, is a spherical ball. In some ball check valves, the ball is spring-loaded to help keep it shut.
For those designs without a spring, reverse flow is required to move the ball toward the seat and
create a seal. The interior surface of the main seats of ball check valves are more or less
conically-tapered to guide the ball into the seat and form a positive seal when stopping reverse
flow. Ball check valves are often very small, simple, and cheap.
2. A diaphragm check valve uses a flexing rubber diaphragm positioned to create a normally-
closed valve. Pressure on the upstream side must be greater than the pressure on the downstream
side by a certain amount, known as the pressure differential, for the check valve to open allowing
flow. Once positive pressure stops, the diaphragm automatically flexes back to its original closed
position.
3. A swing check valve or tilting disc check valve is check valve in which the disc, the movable
part to block the flow, swings on a hinge, either onto the seat to block reverse flow or off the seat
to allow forward flow. The seat opening cross-section may be perpendicular to the centerline
between the two ports or at an angle. The flapper valve in a flush-toilet mechanism is an example
of this type of valve. Tank pressure holding it closed is overcome by manual lift of the flapper. It
then remains open until the tank drains and the flapper falls due to gravity.
4. A stop-check valve is a check valve with override control to stop flow regardless of flow
direction or pressure. In addition to closing in response to backflow or insufficient forward
pressure (normal check-valve behavior), it can also be deliberately shut by an external
mechanism, thereby preventing any flow regardless of forward pressure.
5. A pneumatic non-return valve. Multiple check valves can be connected in series. For example,
a double check valve is often used as a backflow prevention device to keep potentially
contaminated water from siphoning back into municipal water supply lines. There are also double
ball check valves in which there are two ball/seat combinations sequentially in the same body to
ensure positive leak-tight shutoff when blocking reverse flow; and piston check valves, wafer
 check valves, and ball-and-cone check valves.
Time Delay Valve - Time-delay valves perform such functions as delaying the reversal of systems or
the transmission of signals (time-dependent control systems). There is usually an upper limit to time
delay.
The time-delay valve is a component that incorporates a one-way flow control valve, a reservoir and a
3/2-way valve. The directional control valve determines the particular function of the time-delay valve:

Symbol

If the 3/2-way valve is normally closed, as shown on the valve symbol, the component is used for delayed
signal transmission. If there is flow from 1 to 2 in the normal position, the valve delays the signal switch-
off.