Advantages of a Solenoid Valve

Solenoid valves offer several significant benefits, particularly in terms of safety and efficiency. 

– Low Power Consumption: They require minimal energy to operate.

– Remote Operation and Automation: These valves can be operated remotely, making them ideal for automated systems.

– Cost-Effective Replaceable Parts: They feature inexpensive parts that are easy to replace.

– Temperature Versatility: Solenoid valves can function effectively at both low and high temperatures.

– Flexible Installation: They can be installed in either horizontal or vertical positions.

– Compatibility with Various Equipment: They can be integrated with different machinery and applications.

Example of a Solenoid Valve: Automated Sprinklers

One common application for home automation is the installation of an Automotive Lift Repair Orlando automated in-ground sprinkler system. This can be achieved using a simple timer or integrated into a smart home system for more advanced control. The timer or smart home system primarily manages multiple solenoid valves within the sprinkler setup. 

When the system is off, brass irrigation valves prevent water from flowing through the sprinkler. Activating the valves allows water to flow, effectively watering your lawn, garden, or outdoor plants. Different solenoid valves within the irrigation system can be individually activated to supply water to specific zones.

How Automotive Lift Repair Orlando 2-Way Valves Function

A two-way normally closed solenoid valve consists of two connected pipe fittings: the inlet, referred to as the cavity port, and the outlet, known as the body orifice port. 

The valve operates based on electrical current flowing through the solenoid. When energized, the plunger lifts, allowing liquid or gas to flow from the cavity port through the body orifice port. When power is turned off, the orifice closes, stopping the flow.

Essentially, when power is off, the Automotive Lift Repair Orlando plunger rests downward, sealing against the orifice to close the valve. Pressurized gas or liquid enters through the cavity port into the valve cavity. When electricity flows through the coil, a magnetic field is generated, moving the plunger upward and opening the orifice to allow flow.

Normally Open Solenoid Valves

In a normally open solenoid valve, the coil surrounds the armature. A spring pushes the plunger upward, keeping the valve open until the solenoid coil receives electrical current. 

When current passes through the solenoid coil, an electromagnetic field is created. This field pushes the plunger downward, closing the valve and stopping the flow of fluid or gas. When the electric current is turned off, the spring pushes the plunger back up, reopening the valve.

Normally Closed Solenoid Valves

In a normally closed solenoid valve, the default position is closed, blocking the flow of media. In this resting state, no current flows through the wires, and the movable core or armature rests at the base of the valve, preventing fluid or gas movement.

The solenoid surrounds the armature, located at the center of the electromagnetic field, with the plunger and spring positioned within the armature. The spring keeps the plunger down, maintaining the closed state.

When electricity flows through the coil, it generates an electromagnetic field that moves the plunger upwards, opening the valve and allowing gas or liquid to flow through. When the electric current is turned off, the magnetic field dissipates, and the spring returns the plunger to its original position, closing the valve and halting the flow of gases or liquids. Thus, a normally closed solenoid valve remains closed until an electric current activates it to open.

Valves: An Overview

Valves come in various shapes and sizes and serve as essential mechanical components in a wide range of equipment, machinery, and processes. They can be fully opened or closed, or positioned in between, to regulate the flow, availability, and pressure of gases and liquids. This blog will focus specifically on solenoid-operated valves, commonly known as solenoid valves, and how they facilitate numerous industrial automation functions.

Method of Solenoid Actuation

The device that physically moves a valve is called the Automotive Lift Repair Orlando actuator. Manual valves require human operation, typically through a handle, to open and close. In contrast, automatic valves utilize electro-mechanical systems for actuation, allowing for remote control by operators or control systems, thereby expanding their functional capabilities.

One method of actuation employs electro-mechanical solenoids to directly or indirectly operate valves. A basic solenoid consists of an electrical winding, or coil, surrounding a movable metal core or piston, which is often spring-loaded. When a control voltage—typically 12Vdc, 24Vdc, 24Vac, or 120Vac for industrial applications—is applied, the coil becomes an electromagnet, moving the core.

Process Valves

For smaller process valves, typically up to 2 inches in pipe diameter, a solenoid can generate enough force to operate the valve directly. These compact solenoid process valves are highly effective for controlling the on/off flow of pressurized gases or liquids in machines or equipment.

For instance, consider a machine designed to convey parts for washing. Solenoid process valves can be employed to apply compressed air to a cylinder that extends to hold the part and to supply water to a nozzle directed at the part for cleaning.

Automotive Lift Repair Orlando Control Valves

But what about larger valves? A common approach to actuating both small and large valves is through pneumatic control. Small solenoid control valves can apply compressed air (or any compressed gas) to operate a pneumatic mechanism, which, in turn, opens and closes a larger valve. 

Automotive Lift Repair Orlando Control valves can be standalone components, but when high densities of solenoid control valves are needed in a specific area, they are often available as modular assemblies, allowing multiple solenoids to be combined onto a single manifold.

Solenoid manifolds are more compact than individual valves and reduce the plumbing requirements, simplifying installation and maintenance. While each solenoid can be traditionally hardwired, newer intelligent manifolds can utilize industrial communication protocols, allowing programmable logic controllers to manage many solenoids via a single network connection.

Sizing Automotive Lift Repair Orlando Solenoid Valves

When selecting solenoid valves for specific applications, designers need to consider several factors:

– Electrical Compatibility: The voltage and current draw of the solenoid must align with what is provided by the hardwired or PLC-based controls.

– Service Type: Process valves are installed in piping to control various media (air, oil, inert gas, water, etc.), while control valves typically operate other valves and equipment pneumatically using compressed gas, usually air.