Solenoid Valve Common Uses

A solenoid valve is a device which can be used to control the flow of liquids, gases, and slurries.

Also known as regulators, solenoid valves can be found in almost any situation: chances are that you are sitting within a few feet of a mechanical valve right now. There are a number of different designs for valves, depending on how they are being used, and they can be found in a range of sizes from smaller than a pinky to gigantic. solenoid valves also vary from the extremely basic to the extraordinarily complex, and they are one of the oldest mechanical designs; basic valves have been in use for thousands of years.

The term "valve" can be used to refer to human anatomy as well as a mechanical device. Valves throughout the body regulate the flow of blood, oxygen, and body fluids. Valves in the body include the extremely important heart valve, which works with the heart to pump blood through the body. Individuals with heart disease may have their heart valves replaced with artificial ones to perform this vital body function. The numerous valves in the human body work together to keep things running smoothly in your daily life.

Pneumatic valves have come a long way since the development of the compressor over a century ago. Starting with large manual and mechanical valves, they migrated to individually wired electric solenoids and ultimately ended up with plug-into-the-base electronics allowing for a single multi-pin connector or fieldbus installation. Today's valves are smaller, faster and more advanced than their predecessors and offer many advantages that can be easily overlooked. With advancements in ISO valve standardization, collective wiring solutions and diagnostic capabilities, both end users and original equipment manufacturers are seeing significant cost reductions resulting from multi-vendor support, wiring simplification and decreased machine downtime.

Numerous permutations of the pneumatic mechanical valve exist, but the following are common valves you probably see and use on a daily basis. The most basic mechanical valve is a gate valve, which has two positions: open, and closed. A globe valve is slightly more complex, controlling not only the flow of liquid, but also the amount, and is also called a throttle. For example, most taps are forms of a globe valve, allowing users to turn the water on and determine how much water is going to flow out. Manufacturers also make check valves, designed to restrict the flow of a substance to one direction only, and safety valves, which can release dangerous levels of pressure.

What is a solenoid valve ?

A solenoid valve is an electromechanical valve for use with liquid or gas controlled by running or stopping an electric current through a solenoid, which is a coil of wire, thus changing the state of the valve. The operation of a solenoid valves is similar to that of a light switch, but typically controls the flow of air or water, whereas a light switch typically controls the flow of electricity. Solenoid valves may have two or more ports: in the case of a two-port valve the flow is switched on or off; in the case of a three-port valve, the outflow is switched between the two outlet ports. Multiple solenoid valves can be placed together on a manifold.

Solenoid valves are the most frequently used control elements in fluidics. Their tasks are to shut off, release, dose, distribute or mix fluids. They are found in many application areas. Solenoids offer fast and safe switching, high reliability, long service life, good medium compatibility of the materials used, low control power and compact design.

Besides the plunger-type actuator which is used most frequently, pivoted-armature actuators and rocker actuators are also used.

A common use for 2 way solenoid valves is in central heating. The solenoid valves are controlled by an electrical signal from the thermostat to regulate the flow of heated water to the heating elements within the occupied space. Such valves are particularly useful when multiple heating zones are fed by a single heat source. Commercially available solenoid valves for this purpose are often referred to as zone valves.

Another common use for solenoid valves is in automatic irrigation sprinkler systems. See also Controller (irrigation).

Solenoid valves are also used for air control, to control fluid flow, and in pharmacology experiments, especially for patch-clamp, which can control the application of agonist or antagonist.

In the paintball industry solenoid valve is usually referred to simply as "solenoids." They are commonly used to control a larger valve used to control the propellant (usually compressed air or CO2). In the industry, "solenoid" may also refer to an electromechanical solenoid commonly used to actuate a sear.