Pumps & valves

6:SEC

1- Pumps
A pump converts mechanical energy into hydraulic energy. The mechanical energy is delivered to the pump form motor (electrical motor & diesel motor)

Classifications of pumps
The classifications of pump in two types 1. Nonpostivie displacement pump This type used for low pressure , high flow rate 1. Positive displacement pump This type used for high pressure , low flow rate

Nonpositive displacement pump

1-centrifugal pump

2-Axial flow pump

3- Multiple flow pump

-Centrifugal pumps
Centrifugal pumps consist of a set of rotating vanes, enclosed within a housing or casing, used to impart energy to a fluid through centrifugal force. The pump has two main parts: a rotating element which includes an impeller and a shaft, and a stationary element made up of a casing (volute or solid), stuffing box , and bearings

Fig 1 illustrates a cross-section of a typical .centrifugal pump Fluid enters the inlet port at the center of the .rotating impeller, or the suction eye As the impeller spins in a counter-clockwise direction, it thrusts the fluid outward radially , .causing centrifugal acceleration As it does this, it creates a vacuum in its wake, .drawing even more fluid into the inlet Centrifugal acceleration creates energy proportional to the speed of the impeller. The faster the impeller rotates, the faster the fluid movement and the stronger its force. This energy is harnessed by introducing

Remember, a pump does not create pressure; it only provides flow Pressure is a measure of the amount of resistance to that flow

A centrifugal pump has two main components, one moving and one .stationary The moving component consists of an .impeller and a shaft The stationary component consists of a casing, cover, and bearings. These are .illustrated at the left, in Fig 2

Impellers & Shafts :Moving Components

Impeller Impellers are the rotating blades that actually move the fluid. They are connected to the drive shaft that rotates within the pump casing. The impeller is designed to impart a whirling or motion .to the liquid in the pump

Stages: The number of impellers determines the number of stages of the pump. Single-Stage pump has just one impeller and is better for low head service Two-Stage pump has two impellers mounted in series for medium head service . Multi-Stage pump has three or more impellers mounted in series for high head service such as in deep well pumps.

Single-Stage pump

Two-Stage pump

Multi-Stage pump

2 - Positive displacement

A - gear pumps

B- vane pumps

C piston pumps

A- Gear pumps

A gear pump produces flow by carrying fluid in between the teeth of two meshing gears. One gear is driven by the drive shaft and turns the idler gear. The chambers formed between adjacent gear teeth are enclosed by the pump housing and side plates (also called wear or pressure plates( A partial vacuum is created at the pump inlet as the gear teeth unmesh. Fluid flows in to fill the space and is carried around the outside of the gears. As the teeth mesh again at the outlet end, the fluid is forced out. Volumetric efficiencies of gear pumps run as high as 93% under optimum conditions. Running clearances between gear faces, gear tooth crests and the housing create an almost constant loss in any pumped volume at a fixed pressure. This means that volumetric efficiency at low speeds and flows is poor, so that gear pumps should be run close to their maximum rated speeds. Although the loss through the running clearances, or "slip," increases with pressure, this loss is nearly constant as speed and output change. For one pump the loss increases by about 1.5 gpm from zero to 2,000 psi regardless of speed. Change in slip with pressure change has little effect on performance when operated at higher speeds and outputs. External-gear pumps are comparatively immune to contaminants in the oil, which will increase wear rates and lower efficiency, but sudden seizure and failure are not likely

A- Gear pumps
The type of gear pumps 1-external gear pump 2-internal gear pump 3-lobe pump 4-screw pump

1- The external gear pumps

These pumps come with a straight spur, helical, or herringbone gears. Straight spur gears are easiest to cut and are the most widely used. Helical and herringbone gears run more quietly, but cost more .

 the type of external gear pump

1-Supr gear pump . 2-Helical gear pump . 3-Herringbone gear pump .

1-Supr gear pump

The spur gear pump consists of two meshed gears which revolve in a housing. The drive gear in the illustration is turned by a drive shaft which is attached to the power source. The clearances between the gear teeth as they mesh and between the teeth and the pump housing are very small.

2-Helical gear pump .

The helical gear pump (fig. 4-4) is still another modification of the spur gear pump. Because of the helical gear design, the overlapping of successive discharges from spaces between the teeth is even greater than it is in the herringbone gear pump; therefore, the discharge flow is smoother. Since the discharge flow is smooth in the helical pump, the gears can be designed with a small number of large teeththus allowing increased capacity without sacrificing smoothness of flow.

3-Herringbone gear pump .

Herringbone Gear Pump discharge phase. This overlapping and the relatively larger space at the center of the gears The herringbone gear pump is a tend to minimize pulsations and give a steadier modification of the spur gear pump. The liquid flow than the spur gear pump.

2-The internal gear pump

Internal-gear pumps, have an internal gear and an external gear. Because these pumps have one or two less teeth in the inner gear than the outer, relative speeds of the inner and outer gears in these designs are low. For example, if the number of teeth in the inner and outer gears were 10 and 11 respectively, the inner gear would turn 11 revolutions, while the outer would turn 10. This low relative speed means a low wear rate. These pumps are small, compact units.

Internal-gear pumps has two kind 1-Crescent-seal pumps 2-Gerotor pumps

1-Crescent-seal pumps
The crescent seal internal-gear pump consists of an inner and outer gear separated by a crescent-shaped seal. The two gears rotate in the same direction, with the inner gear rotating faster than the outer. The hydraulic oil is drawn into the pump at the point where the gear teeth begin to separate and is carried to the outlet in the space between the crescent and the teeth of both tears. The contact point of the gear teeth forms a seal, as does the small tip clearance at the crescent. Although in the past this pump was generally used for low outputs, with pressures below 1,000 psi , a 2-stage, 4,000-psi .model has recently become available

2-Gerotor pumps

The gerotor internal-gear pump consists of a pair of gears which are always in sliding contact. The internal gear has one more tooth than the gerotor gear. Both gears rotate in the same direction. Oil is drawn into the chamber where the teeth are separating, and is ejected when the teeth start to mesh again. The seal is provided by the sliding contact. Generally, the internal-gear pump with toothcrest pressure sealing has higher volumetric efficiency at low speeds than the crescent type. Volumetric and overall efficiencies of these pumps are in the same general range as those of external-gear pumps. However, their sensitivity to dirt is somewhat higher.

3-lobe pump

The lobe pump is a rotary, external-gear pump ,the Figure. It differs from the conventional external-gear pump in the way the "gears" are driven. In a gear pump, one gear drive the other; in a lobe pump, both lobes are driven through suitable drives gears outside of the pump casing chamber.

4-screw pump

A screw pump is an axial-flow gear pump, similar in operation to a rotary screw compressor. Three types of screw pumps are the single-screw, two-screw, and three-screw. In the single-screw pump, a spiraled rotor rotates eccentrically in an internal stator. The two-screw pump consists of two parallel intermeshing rotors rotating in a housing machined to close tolerances. The three-screw pump consists of a central-drive rotor with two meshing idler rotors; the rotors turn inside of a housing machined to close tolerances. Flow through a screw pump is axial and in the direction of the power rotor. The inlet hydraulic fluid that surrounds the rotors is trapped as the rotors rotate. This fluid is pushed uniformly with the rotation of the rotors along the axis and is forced out the other end. Note that the fluid delivered by screw pumps does not rotate, but moves linearly. The rotors work like endless pistons which continuously move forward. There are no pulsations even at higher speed. The absence of pulsations and the fact that there is no metal-to-metal contact results in very quiet operation. Larger pumps are used as low-pressure, large-volume prefill pumps on large presses. Other applications include hydraulic systems on submarines and other uses where noise must be controlled.

B- vane pumps

In these pumps, a number of vanes slide in slots in a rotor which rotates in a housing or ring. The housing may be eccentric with the center of the rotor, or its shape may be oval, Figure 5. In some designs, centrifugal force holds the vanes in contact with the housing, while the vanes are forced in and out of the slots by the eccentricity of the housing. In one vane pump, light springs hold the vanes against the housing; in another pump design, pressurized pins urge the vanes outward. During rotation, as the space or chamber enclosed by vanes, rotor, and housing increases, a vacuum is created, and atmospheric pressure forces oil into this space, which is the inlet side of the pump. As the space or volume enclosed reduces, the liquid is forced out through the discharge ports.

Unbalanced Vane Pumps .In the unbalanced design, (Figure 3-9), a cam ring's shape is a true circle that is on a different centerline from a rotor's. Pump displacement depends on how far a rotor and ring are eccentric. The advantage of a truecircle ring is that control can be applied to vary the eccentricity and thus vary the displacement. A disadvantage is that an unbalanced pressure at the outlet is effective against a small area of the rotor's edge, imposing side loads on the shaft. Thus there is a limit on a pump's size unless very large hearings and heavy supports are used .

Balanced Vane Pumps .In the balanced design (Figure 3-10), a pump has a stationary, elliptical cam ring and two sets of internal ports. A pumping chamber is formed between any two vanes twice in each revolution. The two inlets and outlets are 180 degrees apart. Back pressures against the edges of a rotor cancel each other. Recent design improvements that allow high operating speeds and pressures have made this pump the most universal in the mobile-equipment field .

C piston pumps

Piston units operate at higher efficiencies than gear and vane units and are used for highpressure applications with hydraulic oil or fire resistant fluids. Several types of piston pump are available that use different design approaches and these include those having axial and radial piston arrangements.

This general type of pump includes a number of variations some of which are described below.

1-Radial Piston Pump 2-Swashplate Piston Pump 3-Wobble Plate Pump 4-Bent Axis Piston Pump

General

The pumps are extensively used for power transfer applications in the off shore , power transmission , agricultural, aerospace and construction industries,.. to list just a few. All of these pumps work on a similar principle.

The pump includes a block with a number of symetrically arranged cylindrical pistons around a common centre line. The pistons are caused reciprocate in and out under the action of a Separate fixed or rotating plate (axial Pistons) or and eccentric bearing ring (radial pump) or some other mechanical feature. Each piston is interfaced with the inlet and outlet port via a special valve arrangement such that as it moves out of its cylinder it draws fluid in and as it moves back it pushes the fluid out. The pumps are engineered to allow rotational speeds from less the 1 RPM to over 25,000RPM

1- Radial Piston Pumps.

Radial Piston pumps include a rotating cylinder containing equally spaced radial pistons arranged radial around the cylinder centre line. A springs pushes the pistons against the inner surface of an encircling stationay ring mounted eccentric to the cylinder.The pistons draw in fluid during half a revolution and drive fluid out during the other half. The greater the ring eccentricity the longer the pistons stroke and the more fluid they transfer

2-Swashplate Piston Pump

Swashplate pumps have a rotating cylinder containing parallel pistons arranged radially around the cylinder centre line. A spring pushes the pistons against a stationary swash plate located at one end of the cylinder , which sits at an angle to the cylinder. The pistons draw in fluid during half a revolution and drive fluid out during the other half. The greater the swashplate angle relative to the cylinder centre line the further the longer the pistons stroke and the more fluid they transfer.

3-Wobble Plate Pump

This pump includes a stationary piston block containing a number parallel pistons arranged radially around the block centre(at least five). The end of each piston is forced against a rotating wobble plate by springs. The wobble plate is shaped with varying thickness around its centre line and thus as it rotates it causes the pistons to reciprocate at a fixed stroke. The pistons draw in fluid from the cavity during half a revolution and drive fluid out at the rear of the pump during the other half. The fluid flow is controlled using non-return valves for each piston. These pumps can generate pressures of up to 700 bar

4-Bent Axis Piston Pump

Bent axis piston pumps have a rotating cylinder containing parallel pistons arranged radially around the cylinder centre line. The cylinder is driven by an shaft which is arranged at an angle to the cylinder axis. the shaft includes a flange with a mechanical connection to each piston. As the shaft rotates the pistons are made to reciprocate over a stroke based on the relative angle of the shaft and cylinder.

Introduction

Valves are integral components in piping systems they are the primary method of controlling the flow, pressure and direction of the fluid. Valves may be required to operate continuously e.g. control valves, or they may be operated intermittently e.g. isolation valves, or they may be installed to operate rarely if ever e.g. safety valves. A valve can be an extremely simple, low cost item or it may be and extremely complicated, expensive item. In piping design the valves probably require more engineering effort than any other piping component.

Types of valves

A direction control valve B pressure control valve C flow control valve

A direction control valve

Directional-control valves also control flow direction. However, they vary considerably in physical characteristics and operation. The valves may be Poppet type, in which a piston or ball moves on and off a seat. Rotary-spool type, in which a spool rotates about its axis. Sliding-spool type, in which a spool slides axially in a bore. In this type, a spool is often classified according to the flow conditions created when it is in the normal or neutral position. A closed-center spool blocks all valve ports from each other when in the normal position. In an open-center spool, all valve ports are open to each other when the spool is in the normal position.

check valve
Fig. 1. Basic check valve allows fluid to flow in one direction, in this case from bottom to top. Shown are ISO symbol and cross-sectional photo of spring-loaded check valve. The spring keeps fluid from flowing unless downstream pressure acting on the poppet overcomes spring force.

Check Valves . Check valves are the most commonly used in fluid-powered systems. They allow flow in one direction and prevent flow in the other direction. They may be installed independently in a line, or they may be incorporated as an integral part of a sequence, counterbalance, or pressure-reducing valve. The valve element may be a sleeve, cone, ball, poppet, piston, spool, or disc. Force of the moving fluid opens a check valve; backflow, a spring, or gravity closes the valve. Figures 5-14, 5-15 and 5-16 show various types of check valves .

pilot-operated check valve.

This valve consists of poppet 1 secured to piston 3. Poppet 1 is held against seat 4 by the action of spring 2 on piston 3. In diagram A, the valve is in the free-flow position. Pressure at the inlet port, acting downward against poppet 1, is sufficient to overcome the combined forces of spring 2 against piston 3 and the pressure, if any, at the outlet port. (The pressure at the outlet port is exerted over a greater effective area than that at the inlet because of the poppet stem.) The drain post is open to the tank, and there is no pressure at the pilot port. Diagram B shows the valve in a position to prevent reverse flow, with no pressure at the pilot port and the drain opening to the tank . Diagram C shows the pilot operation of the valve. When sufficient pressure is applied at the pilot port to overcome the thrust of spring 2 plus the net effect of pressure at the other ports, poppet 1 is unseated to allow reverse flow. Pilot pressure must be equal to about 80 percent of that imposed at the outlet port to open the valve and allow reverse flow.

a. Poppet Valve
shows a simple poppet valve. It consists primarily of a movable poppet that closes against a valve seat. Pressure from the inlet tends to hold the valve tightly closed. A slight force applied to the poppet stem opens the poppet. The action is similar to the valves of an automobile engine. The poppet stem usually has an O-ring seal to prevent leakage. In some valves, the poppets are held in the seated position by springs. The number of poppets in a valve depends on the purpose of the valve .

Two-Way Valve . A two-way valve is generally used to control the direction of fluid flow in a hydraulic circuit and is a sliding-spool type. Figure 5-21 shows a two-way, sliding-spool, directional-control valve. As the spool moves back and forth, it either allows or prevents fluid flow through the valve. In either shifted position in a two-way valve, a pressure port is open to one cylinder port, but the opposite cylinder port is not open to a tank. A tank port on this valve is used primarily for draining

Four-Way Valves Four-way, directional-control valves are used to control the direction of fluid flow in a hydraulic circuit, which controls the direction of movement of a work cylinder or the rotation of a fluid motor. These valves are usually the sliding-spool type. A typical four-way, directional-control valve has four ports :
One pressure port is connected to a pressure line. One return or exhaust port is connected to a reservoir. Two working ports are connected, by lines, to an actuating unit.
With a direction control valve you determine the direction of the flow and therefore the direction of operation of a hydraulic motor or cylinder. In the animation we use a so called 4/3-direction control valve ; the 4/3 comes from: 4 line connections and 3 positions. The housing, commonly made of cast iron, with 4 line connections contains a spool of steel. This spool, which is kept in the centre of the housing by two springs, can shift in the housing. In the drawn position, the middle position, the P-port is closed so the pump flow has to flow to the reservoir through the pressure relief valve. This generates a lot of heat and should be avoided if possible. The A- en B-ports are closed as well so in this case a cylinder will be hydraulically locked in its position. By shifting the spool to the left the cylinder will make its outward stroke. The oil flows from Port P to A to the cylinder and the oil from the roadside of the cylinder flows via port B to T back to the reservoir

B Pressure control valve

Pressure control valves are used to control and regulate pressure in fluid power systems. They are often globe-shaped and designed with flanged ends to allow for ease of maintenance. The valve is smaller than the line in which it is attached. This design feature prevents the valve from throttling, which would cause the seat to wear too quickly. In hydraulic systems pressure regulators are used to unload the system and to maintain and regulate pressure at the desired values.

Relief valves Most fluid power systems are designed to operate within a preset pressure range. This range is a function of the forces the actuators in the system must generate to do the required work. Without controlling or limiting these forces, the fluid power components (and expensive equipment) could be damaged. Relief valves avoid this hazard. They are the safeguards which limit maximum pressure in a system by diverting excess oil when pressures get too high.

Fig. 1. Simple, direct-acting relief valve has no adjusting screw and therefore opens at a fixed, pre-set pressure as controlled by setting of compression spring .

Because the usefulness of a fixed relief valve is limited to the single setting of its spring, most relief valves are adjustable. This is commonly achieved with an adjusting screw acting on the spring, Figure 2. By turning the screw in or out, the operator compresses or decompresses the spring respectively. The valve can be set to open at any pressure within a desired range. Aside from the adjustable feature, this valve works just like the fixed valve in Figure 1 .

Fig. 2. Adjustable, direct-acting relief valve blocks flow through the valve until force of system pressure on the poppet overcomes the adjustable spring force and downstream pressure

Pilot-operated relief - For applications requiring valves that must relieve large flows with small pressure differential, pilot-operated relief valves are often used, Figure 3. The pilot-operated relief valve operates in two stages. A pilot stage, which consists of a small, springbiased relief valve (generally built into the main relief valve), acts as a trigger to control the main relief valve. However, the pilot may also be located remotely and connected to the main valve with pipe or tubing .

Fig. 3. Pilot-operated relief valve has orifice through piston, which is held closed by force of light spring and system pressure acting on larger piston area at spring end .

Types of Pressure Control Valves

Pressure Regulators- Pressure regulators keep the output pressure at a set value. Pressure regulators control pressure in lines (usually adjustable) to remove fluctuations and maintain consistent pressure. Counter-Balance Valves- Counter-balance valves, also called load holding valves or over-center valves, are normally located between a directional control valve and the outlet of a vertically mounted actuating cylinder that must support weight or be held in position for a period of time. The counter-balance valve serves as hydraulic resistance to the actuating cylinder. Sequence Valves- Sequence valves control the sequence of operation between two branches of a circuit. They enable one unit to automatically set another unit into motion. Uploading Valves- The main application of an unloading valve is to unload a pump and save energy when the flow is not required. There are both hydraulic and pneumatic applications. Pressure control valves can handle a wide range of media including air and gaseous materials; fuel, gas and oil; liquids, steam and hydraulic fluids.

Pilot-operated pressure reducing valves - The spool in a pilot-operated, pressurereducing valve is balanced hydraulically by downstream pressure at both ends, Figure 6. A light spring holds the valve open. A small pilot relief valve, usually built into the main valve body, relieves fluid to tank when reduced pressure reaches the pilot valve's spring setting. This fluid flow causes a pressure drop across the spool. Pressure differential then shifts the spool toward its closed position against the light spring force.

Fig. 6. Pilot-operated, pressure reducing valve has reduced pressure on both ends of the spool. A light spring holds the spool open

Sequence valves are normally closed, 2-way valves. They regulate the sequence in which various functions in a circuit occur, Figure 7. They resemble direct-acting relief valves except that their spring chambers are generally drained externally to reservoir, instead of internally to the outlet port, as in a relief valve Fig. 7. Sequence valve is a 2-way valve held closed by an adjustable spring and opened by pressure at the inlet port acting on the left of the spool .

Counter-balance valves These normally-closed valves are primarily used to maintain a set pressure in part of a circuit, usually to counterbalance a weight or external force or counteract a weight such as a platen or a press and keep it from free-falling. The valve's primary port is connected to the cylinder's rod end, and the secondary port to the directional control valve, Figure 8. The pressure setting is slightly higher than that required to keep the load from free-falling.

Fig. 8. Counter-balance valve stops flow from its inlet port to its outlet port until pressure at the inlet port overcomes adjusting spring force. An integral check valve permits free flow through the valve in the opposite direction

Unloading valves These valves are normally used to unload pumps. They direct pump output flow (often the output of one of the pumps in a multi-pump system) directly to reservoir at low pressure ,after system pressure has been reached. The force exerted by the spring keeps the valve closed, Figure 9. When an external pilot signal acting on the opposite end of the valve spool exerts a force large enough to exceed that exerted by the spring, the valve spool shifts, diverting pump output to reservoir at low pressure. High-low circuits which use two pumps for traverse and speed, or clamping, depend on unloading valves to improve efficiency. Output from both pumps is needed only for fast traverse. During feed or clamping, output from the large pump is unloaded to reservoir at low pressure. Unloading valves for accumulator circuits - An unloading valve can be used in an accumulator circuit to unload the pump after the accumulator has been charged, Figure 10. The valve remains closed while the pump is charging the accumulator. After the accumulator is charged, the unloading valve opens, unloading the pump at low pressure while the accumulator supplies pressure fluid to the system. Every time pressure in the accumulator drops below a preset level (controlled by the setting of the spring) the charge/unload cycle repeats

Piloted unloading valves - Unloading valves are also made with a pilot to control the main valve, Figure 11. A port through the main valve plunger allows system pressure to act on both ends of the plunger. A light spring plus system pressure acting on the larger area at the spring end of the plunger holds the valve closed.
A built-in check valve maintains system pressure. When system pressure drops to a preset value, the pilot valve closes. Pump flow through the port in the main valve spool closes the valve. In most pump-unloading valves for accumulator circuits, only the opening pressure is adjustable and the closing pressure is a fixed percentage of it. However, a pilot-operated unloading valve can adjust both pressures.

Fig. 9. Unloading valve is spring-loaded to the closed position. When system pressure, transmitted to the valve though the pilot port, is sufficient to overcome force of the adjustable spring, the valve opens. Pump delivery unloads to tank at low pressure .

Fig. 10. Unloading valve for accumulator circuit opens at a set unloading pressure and closes at a lower pressure. The valve opens when the system reaches a pressure determined by the adjustable spring and pump pressure on the right of the control piston. The valve closes at a lower pressure because force from system pressure on the left of the control spool must only overcome force of the adjusting spring .

Fig. 11. Piloted unloading valve has piston with pump pressure at both ends. When system pressure on the pilot piston overcomes force of the pilot spring the pilot valve opens. Fluid from behind the main valve piston drains to tank, which opens the valve. When system pressure fails, the pilot valve closes, restoring equal pressure to both ends of main valve spool .

C - flow control valve

There are eight types of flow-control valves: Orifices - A simple orifice in the line, Figure 1(a), is the most elementary method for controlling flow. (Note that this is also a basic pressure control device.) When used to control flow, the orifice is placed in series with the pump. An orifice can be a drilled hole in a fitting, in which case it is fixed; or it may be a calibrated needle valve, in which case it functions as a variable orifice, Figure 1(b). Both types are noncompensated flow-control devices.

.Fig. 1. Simple fixed orifice (a) and variable orifice (b) flow controls

Flow regulators - This device, Figure 2, which is slightly more sophisticated than a fixed orifice, consists of an orifice that senses flow rate as a pressure drop across the orifice; a compensating piston adjusts to variations in inlet and outlet pressures. This compensating ability provides closer control of flow rate under varying pressure conditions. Control accuracy may be 5%, possibly less with specially calibrated valves that operate around a given flow-rate point.

Fig. 2. Flow regulator adjusts to variations in inlet and output pressures .

Bypass flow regulators - In this flow regulator, flow in excess of set flow rate returns to reservoir through a bypass port, Figure 3. Flow rate is controlled by throttling fluid across a variable orifice regulated by the compensator piston. The bypass flow regulator is more efficient than a standard flow regulator.

Fig. 3. Bypass flow regulator returns excess flow from pump to tank .

Demand-compensated flow controls - Flow controls can also bypass excess system flow to a secondary circuit, Figure 4. Fluid is routed at a controlled flow rate to the primary circuit, and bypass fluid can be used for work functions in secondary circuits without affecting the primary one. There must be flow to the primary circuit for this type of valve to function - if the primary circuit is blocked, the valve will cut off flow to the secondary circuit.

Fig. 4. Demand-compensated flow control bypasses full pump output to tank during idle portion of work cycle .

Pressure-compensated, variable flow valves - This flow control is equipped with an adjustable variable orifice placed in series with a compensator. The compensator automatically adjusts to varying inlet and load pressures, maintaining an essentially constant flow rate under these operating conditions to accuracies of 3% to 5%, Figure 5. Pressure-compensated, variable flowcontrol valves are available with integral reverse-flow check valves (which allow fluid to flow unrestricted in the opposite direction) and integral overload relief valves (which route fluid to tank when a maximum pressure is exceeded).

Fig. 5. Pressurecompensated, variable flow-control valve adjusts to varying inlet and load pressures .

Pressure- and temperaturecompensated ,variable flow valves Because the viscosity of hydraulic oil varies with temperature (as do the clearances between a valve's moving parts), output of a flow-control valve may tend to drift with temperature changes. To offset the effects of such temperature variations, temperature compensators adjust the control orifice openings to correct the effects of viscosity changes caused by temperature fluctuations of the fluid, Figure 6. This is done in combination with adjustments the control orifice for pressure changes as well .

Fig. 6. Pressure- and temperature-compensated, variable flow-control valve adjusts the orifice size to offset changes in fluid viscosity .

Priority valves - A priority valve, Figure 7, is essentially a flow-control valve that supplies fluid at a set flow rate to the primary circuit, thus functioning as a pressure-compensated flow-control valve. Flow in excess of that required by the primary circuit bypasses to a secondary circuit at a pressure somewhat below that of the primary circuit. Should inlet or load pressure (or both) vary, the primary circuit has priority over the secondary as far as supplying the design flow rate is concerned .

Fig. 7. Priority valve supplies fluid at a set rate to a primary circuit .

Deceleration valves - A deceleration valve, Figure 8, is a modified 2-way, springoffset, cam actuated valve used for decelerating a load driven by a cylinder. A cam attached to the cylinder rod or load closes the valve gradually. This provides a variable orifice that gradually increases backpressure in the cylinder as the valve closes. Some deceleration valves are pressure-compensated.

Fig. 8. Deceleration valve slows load by being gradually closed by action of cam mounted on cylinder load .