Novel piezo valve keeps its cool
An
Asco Numatics product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
May 2, 2003
The Piezotronic proportional valve is ideal for medical and analytical applications where it is imperative that no heat transfer takes place from the valve to the fluid.
Asco Scientific has a Piezotronic proportional valve for medical and analytical applications where it is imperative that no heat transfer takes place from the valve to the fluid - a condition that could otherwise spoil the accuracy of the process.
The new Piezotronic valves use CMA (ceramic multilayer actuator) technology, which gives response times as low as 100us, a practically unlimited service life (of more than a billion cycles) and, crucially, extremely low power consumption at just 0.3mA at 24V (0.007W) and 0.9mA at 70V.
This means that there is no heat transfer from the valve into the fluid being controlled.
The CMA technology employed by the Piezotronic comprises a monolithic piezoceramic strip with integrated electrodes that are specially configured so that the element "bends" when a voltage between 20 and 40V is applied.
This bending action, which involves no moving parts, is key to providing the precise levels of proportional control demanded in such applications as gas analysis and the micro-injection of aqueous solutions into living cells.
The fact that there are no moving parts in the operation of Piezotronic offers several benefits.
First, response times are exceptionally fast - typically 100us.
Secondly, service life is practically unlimited at around one billion cycles.
Thirdly, the unique operation of the Piezotronic valves also means that there are no inductive peaks when switching, so unlike conventional solenoid valves, no circuit protection is necessary.
No holding current is required for the valves to maintain position, so heat generation here is not a problem either.
The functionality, size and weight advantages of the Piezotronic mean that one of the units may be employed where two conventional solenoids were required previously.
This advantage, and the fact that Piezotronic can be operated by battery power or solar cells, makes Piezotronic the ideal unit for use in portable equipment.
Asco Scientific is offering the direct operating Piezotronic with nominal orifice sizes of 0.6 and 0.8mm, providing excellent flow rates from a direct operating valve, up to a maximum of 6 litre/min.
In addition to the standard valve an intrinsically safe variant is available, rated EEx ia 11c T6, for use in potentially explosive atmospheres.
Further information regarding the Piezotronic and Asco Scientific's complete medical and analytical range of valve products is contained within a new 80-page catalogue.
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