Energy Valves: Advanced Features and Modern Design
Energy valves are some of the more modern variations of valves in the market today. This higher type of control valve exhibits two major characteristics that set it apart from the rest of the valve products. The first major characteristic is it is electronically controlled, and the second is that it offers two-way pressure control that usually works independently. The hardware technology called Coil Optimization Logic is responsible for enabling an energy valve to independently respond to pressure. An energy valve is specially designed to optimize water coil performance. It comes as a single unit, but it is capable of performing a number of applications including measuring, balancing, controlling, and shutting.
Energy valves are packed with more advanced features than other regular control valves available to the public. Some of the common hardware parts that come with an energy valve product line include an actuator, a water flow meter, temperature sensors, and a 2-way valve disk. The disk ensures that the valve provides tight shutting function, which prevents losses in the water circulation process. The remote temperature sensors measure the temperature in the supply and return pipework. The actuator and sensors can be removed from the valve if necessary, but they should be removed altogether.
High quality energy valves do not only maximize water coil performance, it can also measure energy consumption through it embedded sensors. Through the water flow meter, an energy valve has the ability to electronically determine flow rate. This special valve can automatically sense water flow through its electromagnetic flow sensor and disc. If an imbalance is detected by the sensor, the control valve disk then stabilizes the system output by manipulating the water flow on the valve opening. This revolutionary feature significantly decreases the time required for hydraulic balancing.
The actuator for energy valves is equipped with a software program that monitors and store data values of water flow, water supply, energy consumption and supply temperature. When such figures are recorded, they can be conveniently viewed from a computer connected through web server integrated device in the energy valve’s actuator. This method is a great way of managing the system, making sure that the operation is optimized and that there is a balance of energy consumption. This advanced technology also enables users to determine trends, and access the performance of the entire water coil system for specified lengths.
For plants, factories and facilities, using energy valves bring about a number of benefits. This valve system reduces power consumption of pumps and chilled water plants because it optimizes coil operations. It also reduces the risk of coil overflow, which then requires less pump distribution. All of these ultimately results to the facility energy and operating costs. The installation process of energy valves is considered a little more complicated than regular industrial valves. To ensure the accuracy of the sensors, the energy valve needs a section of straight pipe on the valve inlet. This section should be a minimum of 5 pipe diameters long and based on the size of the valve. There is no prescribed outlet length.