ACTUATORS

INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the various types of valve actuators currently available to
operate the valves previously covered in this book. There are numerous advantages and disadvantages and
actuator manufacturer performance data should be referred to in order to assist in the final decision.
A manually operated valve is one that has to be operated by plant per- sonnel, who supply the energy
necessary to open, close, or position the closing element of the valve. For a variety of reasons listed below,
manual operation may not be an option and an alternative method of valve oper- ation is required. This can
be achieved by adding a supplementary piece of equipment called an actuator (Figure 8-1) to the valve.
This accessory can, with the energy supplied, operate the valve either by the pressing of a button, or
automatically through process systems.
The decision for actuating a valve will be made because of one or more of the following reasons:

 Control of the process system

 Inaccessibility or remote valve location
 Emergency shutdown/fail-safe requirements
 Excessive valve
 operating torque
 Safety

Figure Three-Phase Electric Actuator. (Courtesy of Rotork, UK)

 TYPES OF ACTUATORS

The methods of valve actuation fall into one of the following categories:

1. Linear
2. Part-turn
3. Multi-turn

Each of the above can be powered by one of the following power sources:
1. Hydraulic
2. Electric
3. Pneumatic

When choosing the type of actuator the engineer must consider the following factors:
1. The actuator must deliver enough torque to move and seat the valve with the minimum power
supply available and also maintain the
2. required position (open, closed, or intermediate) under the worst flow conditions that the valve might
experience.
3. The actuator must be capable of completing the travel, that is, 90◦, 180◦, and multi-turn at the
required speed.
4. The actuator must include a device that prevents excessive forces being applied to the valve under
adverse power supply conditions.
 VALVE OPERATING FORCES
Linear Valves
These are valves that open and close in a reciprocating manner (i.e., up and down). This can be done
with a rotary action on a screwed stem with an electric actuator or directly to a rod, via a cylinder and a
pneumatic or hydraulic actuator.
With this type of valve, the actuator has to provide a thrust to overcome surface friction caused between
the actuator gland and the valve stem or rod that enters the body.
Gate valves (solid and flexible wedge). These valves shut off the flow by the gate traveling across the
bore of the valve. When closing, this will create a throttling effect, causing an increase in the differential
pres- sure across the gate. This effect forces the gate onto the downstream seat and the actuator requires
additional thrust in order to overcome this friction.
Parallel slide valves. Similar considerations are required for parallel slide valves, however no additional
allowance has to be made for seating as shut-off is achieved by the additional pressure forcing the gate
onto the seat.
Globe valves. There are two types of globe valves, the screw down stop and the control valve. The screw
down stop type is generally installed so that the process flow is under the disc and therefore resists
closing. The globe valve relies on metal-to-metal contact to effect a tight shut-off; it is usual for a high
additional thrust allowance to achieve satisfactory sealing between the disc and the seat.
The forces to operate a control valve require more thought, and consid- eration has to be made for the
shape of the closing plug, the flow rate, and the differential pressure.
Diaphragm and pinch valves. The lining material used for this type of valve will vary in stiffness and this
has to be considered when calculating the forces required to “pinch” the valve into the closed position.
Care must also be taken not to oversize the actuator and therefore deliver too much thrust and rupture
the sealing internal membrane.
Part-Turn Valves—90°
Most part-turn valves only have to travel 90◦ to open or close and have
an advantage over multi-turn valves in that because of the smaller dis- tances involved they can be opened
or closed using relatively low power consumption.
Ball valves. For ball valves the coefficient of friction between the metal ball and the soft seat or the metal
ball and the metal seat has to be considered. Also the effects of the process temperature, pressure, fluid
velocity, and viscosity are important factors.
All reputable valve manufacturers supply torque curves, which will illus- trate the maximum breakout
torque required to initially open the valve from a closed position. This will vary for the numerous types of
soft seating materials available, for example PTFE, PEEK, etc. and metal/metal.
Butterfly valves. The velocity of the flow through the valve body has a significant effect on the torque
requirements, owing to the hydrodynamic forces generated by the aerofoil type cross section of the valve
closure plate. In many cases, actuators for butterfly valves are fitted with self- locking devices, because
the closure plate will have a tendency to move because of the reaction forces of the flow through the
valve.
Plug valves. Plug valves come in either lubricated or non-lubricated types and the actuator selection will
have an effect on the torque requirements to open and close the valve. The design of the plug valve is not
pressure- assisted sealing and therefore there is very little difference between the torque requirements
between opening and closing the valve. A parallel plug will require less operational torque than a plug with
a tapered design.
Conclusion
As mentioned before most valve manufacturers will supply the maximum torque requirements to
operate their valves under “normal”
service conditions. Additional torque will be required in special cases such as dry gas, slurry, high velocity,
high or low temperature, and infre- quent use. The manufacturer will also be in a position to specify the
media consumption for a full stroke in both directions to open and close.
 PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS
Pneumatic actuators are probably the most common type of actuator, because of their cheap and
readily available power source, which is com- pressed air. Not only are they generally less expensive than
electric or hydraulic alternatives, but they are also less complex in design and so are easier to maintain.
Pneumatic actuators are particularly suited to part-turn valves with their limited stroke requirements,
however they can also be used for linear clos- ing valves. Pneumatic power is relatively easy to store and it
is suitable for use when power sources are of a limited capacity or simply not available. Pneumatic
actuators can be used on valves of most sizes.
Pneumatic Power Supplies

Pneumatic supply is generally compressed dry air, but designs are also available for natural gas.
Compressor and accumulator design is a consideration when designing a network of pneumatically
operated actu- ators to achieve an efficient system. Valve operating times are also a significant factor
when determining the pneumatic capacity of the supply and the size of the tubing.
Types of Pneumatic Actuators
There are three basic types of pneumatic actuators, given below.
Diaphragm types. Diaphragm actuators are usually designed for linear motion, although it is possible to
have rotary motion designs. Pneumatic actuators are usually attached to the body of the valve by means
of a threaded yoke, which can be fitted with a pointer to indicate the position of the valve.
A flexible plate diaphragm is held between two separate casings that are bolted together to form two
airtight chambers. There are two independent
air supplies to the chambers through which compressed air either can be introduced or can escape. As air
is introduced into one chamber, this causes the diaphragm to flex and this motion either extends or retracts
the actuator stem, which is attached to the closure element. The more air that is supplied the greater the
movement of the stem.
In the single-acting design a spring is introduced to the opposite air chamber to assist the return of the
diaphragm when the air pressure is lessened. This spring also acts as a fail-safe mechanism allowing the
valve to return to an open or a closed position, when there is a power failure.
Direct acting is where the air pressure introduced forces the diaphragm and the attached valve stem
down to the required location. Air failure will cause the stem to be retracted out of the valve body and
open the valve, and make sure it remains open.
Reverse acting is where the air pressure introduced forces the diaphragm and attached valve stem up to
the required position. Any loss of air pressure will allow the stem to move to the extended position and
close the valve. The valve will remain closed until the air supply is reintroduced.
Direct acting for rotary valves is where the air pressure introduced forces the diaphragm and attached
valve stem down and, according to its orientation, the valve will be either opened or closed.
Diaphragm valves are relatively cheap, of a basic construction, and easy to maintain. They are very well-
suited for low thrust requirements in the lower-pressure piping classes.
 Disadvantages of the diaphragm actuators of the linear design are that they can create height problems
on smaller valves in restricted locations and on larger sized valves casings can become excessive in weight.
Piston type. Although not initially the first choice of pneumatic design, the piston actuator is becoming
more commonly used as process con- trol becomes more sophisticated. This design consists of a cylinder
that contains a sliding piston, which is sealed with elastomer O-rings. The actuator cylinder is attached to
the valve by a cast yoke that allows for sufficient room on the stem to accommodate positioners and
other accessories.
Piston actuators are usually double acting with an air supply to both chambers and a positioner to take
the signal and supply or bleed air from the desired air chambers. Pistons generate a linear force that
either can be transmitted directly to the actuator stem or has to be converted to a rotary force for
use on part-turn valves. As most of the part-turn

(a)

(b)
Figure 8-2. (a) Scotch Yoke Section; (b) Scotch Yoke. (Courtesy of Rotork, UK)
 Figure 8-3. Drawing of Types of Rack and Pinion Actuators.

valves require only 90◦ movement, this can be achieved by one of the
following.
1. A scotch yoke actuator (Figures 8-2a and 8-2b) consists of a piston, a connecting shaft,
and a rotary pin.
2. A rack and pinion actuator (Figure 8-3) consists of a single or a double piston that is coupled with an
integral rack that drives the pinion.

Figure 8-4. Drawing of Double Acting Cam Actuator.

Figure 8-5. Drawing of a Vane Actuator.

3. A trunnion/lever arm actuator normally comprises a simple trunnion mounted cylinder with a piston
that acts directly upon a lever that is attached to the valve shaft.
4. A cam actuator (Figure 8-4) consists of double pistons connected by bars with a cam and shaft between
them.

Vane type. Vane actuators (Figure 8-5) are commonly used for quarter- turn (90◦) applications. They
comprise a piston type plate vane, within an airtight chamber, with an integral rotary shaft to produce
the necessary torque to rotate the actuator stem. Compressed air is introduced into one of the chambers
and air is exhausted from the opposite chamber, causing the vane to move and rotate the shaft.
The advantages of the vane design are low cost, basic design, few moving parts, and low maintenance. Its
disadvantage is that, because of its very low torque values, it can only be used for low-pressure
applications.

Advantages

To summarize, these are the advantages of pneumatic actuators:

1. Compressed air is convenient and relatively cheap to supply.
2. A piston is not self-locking and it can be used against a spring so it can be used for “single shot”
emergency operation.
3. When air is in contact with heat, an increase in pressure caused by thermal expansion will assist the
operation of the actuator.
4. Surplus air can be safely vented to the atmosphere.
5. The mechanical design makes it relatively cheaper than alternatives and easier to maintain.

Disadvantages

Because there is no kinetic energy it is not possible to deliver an initial “hammerblow” to unseat a wedge
valve.
Air is a compressible medium and its ability to maintain a fix position is limited. This may result in drifting
with both gate and butterfly valves.
The design of the pneumatic actuator and the fact that it requires soft sealing rings means that there are
temperature limitations and the unit must be equipped with adequate thermal insulation if there is a
possibility that the actuator has to function during a fire.
Air motors are susceptible to seizure because of ingress of foreign material, or internal corrosion if the
compressed air has not been sufficiently dried. This will greatly affect the performance of the actuator.
The consumption of air for pneumatic motors will be high and this demand is not always possible for the
larger valves requiring higher torques.

Summary
 The pneumatic actuator is possibly the most commonly used actuator, because of its advantages and the
fact that accessories and spares are readily available. This type of actuator is also available in a variety of
metallic materials of construction to suit the application and additional protective coats can be easily
applied.