Vane actuators use a straight vane in a sealed chamber to provide actuating motion for valves. They can be single or double-sided, with multiple vanes. They are used to operate large quarter-turn valves and are capable of bidirectional movement. The motion is transferred to the secondary mechanism through the shaft attached to the paddle.
A vane actuator is a hydraulic or pneumatic device used to provide part turn actuating motion for secondary devices such as butterfly and ball valves. Unlike traditional cylinder and piston types, the vane actuator features a straight vane that is moved within a sealed chamber by fluid or gas pressure to provide actuating motion. The chamber, typically shell-shaped, features a pair of inlet ports used to introduce fluid to either side of the paddle allowing the mechanism for bi-directional movement. Depending on the particular actuator design in question, the vanes may be single-sided or double-sided, with some actuator types featuring multiple individual vanes.
Hydraulic and pneumatic actuators typically employ a cylinder and piston arrangement to translate the input power of a compressed gas or fluid into linear working motion. When used to operate large quarter-turn valves, such as butterfly and ball valves, a part-turn vane actuator is often employed. These actuators are designed to produce a powerful rotary actuating motion with a full rotation range of 360° or less. They are capable of bidirectional movement with the inclusion of back and forth valves in the fluid or gas system.
Most vane actuator variations use a single or double sided vane design, although some types use multiple vanes. Single-sided vane actuators typically consist of a shell-shaped pressure chamber. The working shaft used to transfer the working movement of the actuator exits the chamber at the bottom of its narrow side. The paddle is attached to the shaft at its end, allowing it to turn in an arc across the broad side of the chamber. The vane tip opposite the shaft tip is fitted with a seal which is kept in contact with the inside surface of the chamber wall at all times during rotation.
Since the seal is in constant contact with the chamber wall, it effectively divides the pressure chamber into two separate sections at any point in the blade’s arc motion. Two inlet ports are located on either side of the large chamber section allowing the introduction of pressurized gas or fluid to one side of the blade or the other. When fluid or gas is introduced from one side, it pushes the vane away from it to the opposite side of the chamber. To reverse the process, the direction of the fluid or gas is reversed, allowing it to enter the opposite side of the vane, returning it to the other side of the chamber.
Since the paddle is attached to the shaft, this motion is transferred to it and, in turn, to the secondary mechanism. Double sided vane types function the same way as single sided types and have the shaft attached to the vane in the center rather than one end. Multi-vane actuators also follow the same basic operating principle, but employ multiple sets of vanes that are opposite in direction.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
