INTRODUCTION

TO
ACTUATORS
 ACTUATORS
• An actuator is a pneumatic, hydraulic, or electrically
powered device which supplies force and motion to
open or close a valve.
• The actuator accepts a signal from the control system
and in response, moves the valve to a fully-open or
fully-closed position, or a more open or a more closed
position.
 WAYS OF PROVIDING ACTUATION

There are several ways of providing this actuation.

These include:
• Pneumatic.

• Electric.

• Hydraulic.
• Manual (Hand wheel).
 Pneumatic Actuators - Operation
• Pneumatically operated control valve
actuators are the most popular type in use but
electric, hydraulic, and manual actuators are
also widely used.
• The spring-and-diaphragm pneumatic actuator
is most commonly specified due to its
dependability and simplicity of design.
PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS - OPERATION

Pneumatic actuators are commonly used to actuate

control valves and are available in two main forms;

• Piston actuators

• Diaphragm actuators
 PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS
Piston Actuators
• Piston actuators are generally used where the
stroke of a diaphragm actuator would be too
short or the thrust is too small.
• The compressed air is applied to a solid piston
contained within a solid cylinder.
• Piston actuators can be single acting or double
acting and can withstand higher input
pressures.
PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS
Piston Actuators
PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS
Piston Actuators
 PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS
Diaphragm Actuators

• Diaphragm actuators have compressed air applied

to a flexible membrane called the diaphragm.
• These types of actuators are single acting, in that
air is only supplied to one side of the diaphragm
and they can be either direct acting (spring-to-
retract) or reverse acting (spring-to-extent).
PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS
Diaphragm Actuators
 ELECTRIC ACTUATORS
• Electrical actuators are motor driven devices
that utilizes an electric input signal to generate
a motor shaft rotation.
• This rotation is in turn translated by the unit
linkage into a linear motion, which drives the
valve stem and plug assembly for flow
modulation.
ELECTRIC ACTUATORS

Electric Actuator for Sliding-Stem Valve

 MANUAL ACTUATORS
• Manual actuators are useful where automatic
control is not required, but where ease of operation
and good manual control is still necessary
• They are often used to actuate the bypass valve in a
three-valve bypass loop around control valves for
manual control of the process during maintenance
or shut down of the automatic system.
• Manual actuators are available in various sizes for
both globe-style and rotary valves.
MANUAL ACTUATORS
 HYDRAULIC ACTUATORS
• Hydraulic actuators use fluid displacement to
move a piston in a cylinder positioning the
valve as needed for 0 – 100% fluid flow.
• Hydraulic actuators come in many designs,
piston types are most common.
• It consists of a cylinder, piston, spring,
hydraulic supply and returns line, and stem
A TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF AN ACTUATOR
SHOWING THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS
 DIRECTION OF ACTUATION
• Reverse acting
• Direct acting

• Reverse-acting: the increasing air pressure

pushes the diaphragm up and retracts the
actuator stem.
• Direct-acting: the increasing air pressure pushes
the diaphragm down and extends the actuator
stem.
DIRECTION OF ACTUATION
CONTROL
VALVES
 CONTROL VALVES
• A Control valve is a valve used to
control fluid flow by varying the size
of the flow passage as directed by a
signal from a controller (Actuator).
 CONTROL VALVES
• Whilst a wide variety of valve types exist, this document will
concentrate on those which are most widely used in the
automatic control of steam and other industrial fluids.

• These include valve types which have linear and rotary spindle
movement.

• Linear types include globe valves and slide valves.

 CONTROL VALVES
• Rotary types include ball valves, butterfly valves.

• The first choice to be made is between two-port and three-port valves.

• Two-port valves 'throttle' (restrict) the fluid passing through them.

• Three-port valves can be used to 'mix' or 'divert' liquid passing

through them.
Different types of control valves (LINEAR)

• Two-port valves
• Globe valves
Different types of control valves
(LINEAR)
 Different types of control valves

There are three basic types of three-port valve:

• Piston valve type.

• Globe plug type.

• Rotating shoe type.

Globe type three-port valves (also called 'lift
and lay')
Rotating shoe three-port valve
 Rotary type valves
• Ball valves
 Rotary type valves
• Butterfly valves
 Valve Flow characteristics

• All control valves have an inherent flow characteristic that

defines the relationship between 'valve opening' and flow rate

under constant pressure conditions.

• Please note that 'valve opening' in this context refers to the

relative position of the valve plug to its closed position against

the valve seat. It does not refer to the orifice pass area.
 Valve Flow characteristics
• The orifice pass area is sometimes called the 'valve throat' and is
the narrowest point between the valve plug and seat through
which the fluid passes at any time.

• For any valve, however it is characterised, the relationship between

flow rate and orifice pass area is always directly proportional.
 Valve Flow characteristics
• However, different valve characteristics will give
different 'valve openings' for the same pass area.
• The orifice pass areas will be the same.
• The physical shape of the plug and seat
arrangement, sometimes referred to as the valve
'trim', causes the difference in valve opening
between these valves. Typical trim shapes for
spindle operated globe valves are compared
Valve Flow characteristics
Typical Components of a Valve Body
THE END