Proportional valves

Single-channel proportional control valve is a smart valve that operates digitally, featuring on/off and proportional closed-loop control. Proportional single valves are two ways valves, which are capable of completely separating the fluid path. They are ideal for dosing or dispensing both gas and liquids with high accuracy, and exhibit no drift over time. Moreover, the design of each valve can be easily customized on functional requirements of various applications.

Dolphin Fluidics offers dual-channels electronically controlled proportional valves consisting of two separate channels in and out, each featuring normally closed, on/off, and proportional closed-loop control. They are well-suited for applications involving dosing, dispensing, or mixing fluids, whether gases or liquids, with exceptional precision and no time drift. As they enable independent control of two channels, dual-channel valves serve as true fluid modules that are integrated into a single device, thereby allowing customers to minimize space, weight, wiring, and consequently, costs associated with their equipment.

A hydraulic proportional valve’s main function is to determine a change in flow or in pressure, regulated by the opening of a plunger. Typically, the change in flow is determined by the displacement of the moving element, which is actuated by a shape memory electrical actuator.

Working principle

How do proportional hydraulic valves work? Electronically controlled hydraulic proportional valves have an important point of divergence from on-off control valves. While in the latter the actuator can assume only two positions-total opening and total closing, in hydraulic proportional valves, it can also position itself at intermediate levels. This allows hydraulic flows to flow in a proportional and controlled manner.

Dolphin Fluidics' hydraulic proportional valves find wide use not only in electromedical machines but also in intelligent sanitary systems, faucets, and various professional devices in the food & beverage industry.

Proportional water flow valve is a normally closed, 2-way valve that incorporates proportional closed-loop control. Dolphin offers the Smart HP Liquid, an optimal solution for precise dosing or dispensing of liquids, including water, even under high pressure, without any drift over time. It is also characterized by its low power consumption, which is up to 20 times less than conventional solenoid valves, as well as its silent operation. Moreover, this water-proportional flow control valve can be interfaced directly with external sensors measuring pressure, flow, or temperature. This allows for closed-loop control to ensure the target fluid dynamic function is achieved.

All the benefits of a proportional water flow valve 

Nowadays, a proportional water flow valve enables optimizing processes in order to save energy without compromising the overall performance. 

This is beneficial for several reasons: 

• They provide unrivaled precision, avoiding the most common errors in traditional water systems. This is feasible thanks to an enhanced flow and pressure management, which allows real-time monitoring through sensors.
• They improve energy consumption and the efficiency of the flow control valve through accurate fluid power control.
• They are silent,and they can operate without noise disruption, setting new technological standards for flow control. 
• They can be customized and integrated with IoT platforms to best meet the operational and application needs. 

Applications

Proportional water valves have revolutionized many procedures. The use of these devices has allowed a major efficiency improvement, ensuring superior performance in terms of precision. 

These are the sectors where these proportional flow control valves are largely employed across several different sectors. 

Health Tech

They are essential for medical machinery urging meticulous fluid control, such as dialysis machines. By using these devices, the patient’s safety and the efficacy of the treatment delivered are both guaranteed.

Food & Beverage

In this industry, proportional water valves are in charge of accurate ingredient mixing and temperature control. This operation is vital to reach the product’s quality standards. 

Agriculture

In this realm, valves are used to enhance irrigation systems, enabling a balanced water distribution to crops with a focus on sustainability, and saving water.

Industrial 

Finally, they are key in preventing overheating in cooling systems, processing plants, and manufacturing operations, guaranteeing consistent product excellence.

Dolphin’s proportional gas valve offers a precise and consistent solution for dosing or dispensing gas, with no time drift. Customization of each valve is effortless to ensure they meet even the most demanding functional requirements of various applications. This includes adjustment of the electronic and mechanical interface, fluidic performance, and control electronics and communication on IoT platforms. Depending on the industry, single-channel or two-channel valves are ideal for dosing or dispensing gas.

Core features of the proportional gas valve 

When choosing the perfect proportional gas valve, it is important to assess some core features.

• Efficiency is key as it entails both gas flow regulation, and power consumption to reach superior performance with energy savings. 
• As the market increasingly demands for smaller, accessible devices, valves become more compact. 
• The presence of shape memory actuators make these proportional gas valves ideal in noise sensitive environments. 
• Versatility is another aspect to take into consideration, as these devices can be employed in several applications with high levels of functionality. 

Compatible gasses 

Proportional gas valves are compatible with a wide range of gasses. For this reason, they are a flexible solution, suitable for many applications. Therefore, they can control the flow of hydrogen, air, natural gas, or nitrogen, and deliver impeccable results. 

Thanks to their adaptability, they can be used in the healthcare sector where oxygen control is a critical parameter. In manufacturing processes as well, they reveal to be instrumental in handling inert gasses, such as argon or carbon dioxide. 

In the end, this is a safe, reliable proportional gas valve capable of monitoring and controlling gas flow across a variety of systems.