Hydraulic Control Valves
INTRODUCTION
• Fluid power is controlled primarily through
the use of control devices called valves
• A valve is a device that receives an external
signal (mechanical, fluid pilot signal,
electrical or electronics) to release, stop or
redirect the fluid that flows through it.
• There are three basic types of valves:
a) Direction control valves
b) Pressure control valves
c) Flow control valves
Direction Control Valve
• The function of a DCV is to control the
direction of fluid flow in any hydraulic
system.
• This control of the fluid path is accomplished
by check valves, shuttle valves, and two-way,
three way, and four-way directional control
valves.
Types of direction control valves:
• Check Valve, pilot-operated check valve,
three-way valve, four-way valves, shuttle
valves
a) Check valves
• The simplest type of direction control valve
is a check valve.
…..
• The simplest DCV is a
check valve.
• The purpose of check
valve is to permit free
flow in one direction and
prevent any flow in the
opposite direction.
• It is a two-way valve
because it contains two
ports.
Examples of check valve
Ball type check valve Poppet check valve
b) Three-way valves (3/2 DCV)
This valve is used to operate single acting cylinders.
It has three ports namely, Pump port or inlet port “P”,
Cylinder port “A” and Tank port or exhaust port “T”.
• There is connection from • …
port-P to port-A. The tank
port or exhaust port, that
is, port-T is closed.
• There is connection from
port-A to port-T. Inlet port
port-P is closed.
c) Four-way valves
• shows a four-way valve design and operation.
• Has four ports (from functional point of view)
and four internal passages
• It can actuate a double acting cylinder
• Rotary or sliding
10
SCHEMATIC DRAWINGS
a) Two spool positions inside a four-way
valve
b) Four-way DCV controlling flow
directions to and from a double-
acting cylinder
Fig. Four-way DCV operation
e) Shuttle valve
• A shuttle valve allows …
two alternate flow
sources to be connected
in a one-branch circuit.
• The valve has two inlets
P1 and P2 and one outlet
A. Outlet A receives flow
from an inlet that is at a
higher pressure.
Pressure Control Valve
A pressure control valve is used to reduce the
amount of pressure in a hydraulic system.
Simple Pressure Relief Valves
• The most widely used type of pressure control
valve is the pressure relief valve, since it is found
in practically every hydraulic system.
• It is normally a closed valve whose function is to
limit the pressure to a specified maximum value
by diverting pump flow back to the tank.
• ..figs\fig4.8.pptx
Flow Control Valve (FCV)
• Primary function:
controlling rate of flow,
velocity control of cylinders,
speed control of hydraulic motors
a) Needle Valve
• Needle valves are adjustable valves that will allow
the change of flow rate.
• Usually a tapered needle is used to control the
flow rate by adjusting a screw.figs\fig 3..pptx
• By including a check valve, the flow can be
restricted in one direction and can freely flow in the
other direction
The flow area (A) in a needle valve can be varied.
Control is achieved by varying the flow area.
p
Q Cv
SG
Q = volume flow rate (l/m)
Cv = capacity coefficient (lpm/√kPa)
Δp = pressure drop across the valve (kPa)
SG = specific gravity
Example
• A flow control valve experience a pressure drop of
687 kPa for a flow rate of 94.8 Lpm. The fluid is
hydraulic oil with a specific gravity of 0.9.
Determine the capacity coefficient.
b) Orifice as a flow meter or Flow Control Device
• An orifice (a disk with a hole through which fluid
flows) installed in a pipe. Such a device can be
used as a flow meter by measuring the pressure
drop across the orifice. It is also used to control the
flow rate.
For a given orifice, there is a unique relationship
between pressure drop (p ) and flow rate ( Q ).
Q 0.0851CA p
SG
Q flow-rate (lpm)
C = flow coefficient (C=0.80 for sharp-edged orifice
and 0.60 for square-edged orifice)
A = area of orifice opening (mm2)
Δp = pressure drop across the orifice (kPa)
SG = specific gravity of flowing fluid
Hydraulic Actuators
INTRODUCTION
• Hydraulic cylinders and motors form the
hydraulic circuit component called the
actuators.
• Hydraulic actuators are devices used to
convert pressure energy of the fluid into
mechanical energy to perform linear or
rotary motions.
• Depending on the type of actuation, hydraulic
actuators are classified as follows
Hydraulic cylinders (linear actuators) extend and
retract a piston rod to exert a force on an external
load along a straight line path.
Hydraulic motors (rotary actuators) rotate a shaft
to provide a torque to drive the load along a rotary
path. The rotation could be limited or continuous
Types of Hydraulic cylinder
Single acting cylinder design is the simplest type of
hydraulic cylinder, easy to maintain
• It can exert a force only in the extending direction.
Retraction is accomplished by gravity or spring.
….
• A double acting cylinder alternates cycles of
pressurized fluid to both sides of the piston and
creates extend and retract forces to move the
piston rod.
There are two types of double-acting cylinders:
• Double-acting cylinder with a piston rod on one
side.
• Double-acting cylinder with a piston rod on both
sides.
Graphical symbols of different linear actuators
Reading Assignment
Telescopic Cylinder and Tandem cylinder
Hydraulic motors (rotary actuators)
Fig.9.1 Control of single acting hydraulic cylinder
Fig.6.2 Control of double acting hydraulic cylinder
