An electro-hydraulic actuator uses hydraulic force adjusted by feedback from sensors to provide precise actuator control. It consists of a piston driven by fluid pressure and a servo system that regulates hydraulic fluid flow. This type of actuator is available in linear, quarter-turn, and multi-turn configurations. It provides a higher degree of precise actuator control than conventional actuators and constantly adjusts to system demands. The servo valve controls the actuator’s motion, speed, torque, and power.
An electro-hydraulic actuator is a device designed to provide switching or actuation for a variety of systems using hydraulic force that is constantly adjusted by feedback from system sensors. This level of implementation control is required in systems that experience constant fluctuations in demand. Control of the actuator is made possible by the inclusion of a servo system which takes in sensor inputs and regulates the flow of hydraulic fluid to the actuator. Other than this feature, the electro-hydraulic actuator works in much the same way as other fluid operated actuators and consists of a piston in an enclosed tube or sleeve driven forward or reverse by fluid pressure. This type of actuator is typically available in linear, quarter-turn, and multi-turn configurations.
Most conventional actuators use electric motors or compressed air and oil pressure to move one mechanism which, in turn, provides the drive for another mechanism, such as a valve, shutter or switch. In these cases, the actuator provides a fairly simple motion of finite magnitude. In other words, it will move a set of shutters from the closed position to the open only position without any intermediate position control. Many system processes require a higher degree of precise actuator control, both in terms of the distance the actuator travels and in terms of the power applied. When using hydraulic actuators, one way to achieve this type of control is by using an electro-hydraulic actuator.
The electro-hydraulic actuator shares many similarities with other single-cycle hydraulic variants in that it consists of an oil reservoir and pump that supplies compressed hydraulic oil to a closed piston. The oil pressure moves the piston, which provides the actuating motion. Unlike simpler single-acting actuators, however, an electro-hydraulic actuator constantly adjusts to system demands in commensurate increments. This wide range of operating motion is made possible by the inclusion of a servo amplifier and set of valves in the actuator circuit. The system sensor inputs are sent to the amplifier, which interprets the system requirements and sends the corresponding signals to the set of servo valves.
The servo valve then acts as a regulator that controls how long the electro-hydraulic actuator moves, how fast it moves, and how much torque or power it exerts. These actuators are available in a variety of configurations, which include linear, quarter-turn, and multi-turn types. The linear actuator exerts actuating motion in a straight line, while the other two types have rotary actions. The quarter-turn actuator is typically used on butterfly valves that require only a quarter turn to operate and the multi-turn variety on gate valves that require a full turn or more to open or close.
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