CHAPTER 13:

Solenoid and
Motor-Operated
Valves
James Christian Estrera
EMCM_1Q1
OBJECTIVES:
Describe the purpose and operation of two-way
solenoid valves.

Describe the operation of four-way solenoid

valves.

Connect and troubleshoot solenoid valves.

Read and draw symbols for solenoid valves.

Discuss the operation of motor-operated valves.

What is valve?
Valves are employed throughout
industry to control the flow of both
liquids and gases. Many valves are
manually operated by turning a
handle, but in industrial applications,
electrically operated valves
are generally used. Electrically
operated valves can be placed near
the equipment they operate, which
helps to minimize the amount of
piping required.
Solenoid Valves
Solenoid valves contain two distinct parts, the
electrical part and the valve part. The electrical
part consists of a coil of wire that supplies an
electromagnetic field that operates the plunger
or core.

When the solenoid coil is energized, the plunger is

drawn into the coil, opening or closing the valve.
Solenoid valves can be opened or closed when de-
energized. If the valve is normally closed, it opens
when the solenoid is energized. The plunger
returns to its normal position when the solenoid
is de-energized.
Two-Way Solenoid
Valves
used to control the flow of liquids or gases.
They cannot control the rate of flow. Two-
way valves have an inlet and an outlet
connected directly to the pipeline. The inlet and
outlet should not be reversed, because the
valve is designed so that the pressure of the
inlet liquid or gas is used to help maintain. The
valve contains a wedge-shaped disc that seats
against a wedge-shaped seat. The inlet
pressure forces the disc against the seat to
help provide a more secure seal. If the valve is
reversed, the inlet pressure tries to force the
disc up against the spring. If the pressure is
great enough, it can cause the valve to leak.
Four-Way Solenoid
Valves
generally used to control the air supplied to
double-acting cylinders. When the valve is de-
energized, one side of the cylinder is open to
atmospheric pressure, and the other side is
supplied by line pressure. When the solenoid coil
is energized, the valve permits the high-pressure
side to exhaust to the atmosphere and the side
that was previously open to the atmosphere to be
supplied by line pressure. The piston inside the
cylinder moves back and forth in accord with the
solenoid being energized or de-energized. The
speed of the piston’s movement is determined by
the amount of air pressure, the surface area of
the piston, and the amount of force the load
places
against the piston.
Motor
Operated Valves
Motor-operated valves (MOVs) are used
extensively in industries where the control of
liquids or gases is required. Pipeline
companies and the petrol-chemical
industry are just two examples of these
types of industries. Motor-operated valves
are valves that employ an electric motor to
open or close the valve here are generally
two sections to the control system for MOVs,
local and remote. The local controls are
housed with the valve at the field location,
and the remote controls are housed in a
control room some distance away.
 The control system is basically a
forward/reverse control with the
addition of a special limit switch that
detects when the valve is open or closed
Figure 13–5
and a torque switch that can be used to
ensure that the valve is tightly seated
(Figure 13–5). It is common practice to use
the limit switch (Figure 13–6) to
determine when the valve is completely
open and the torque switch (Figure 13–7)
Figure 13–6
to determine when the valve is closed.

Figure 13–7
 The schematic for an MOV is
shown in Figure 13–8. The
schematic is drawn to assume
that the valve is in the open
position, and all limit switches
are drawn to reflect this
condition.