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Balancing valve operation

A hydraulic circuit is a well-oiled assembly whose job is to circulate a fluid through a set of pipes. For this fluid to circulate freely, it is important to generate pressure. It is this mechanical pressure that pushes the fluid through the pipes. But maintaining a stable pressure is no mean feat. It's a simple technique, but one that needs to be constantly monitored. For all the cogs in this machinery to work, each component in the circuit must play its part to perfection. This is where the balancing valve comes in. What is a balancing valve? How does it work? Let's find out all the answers to these questions together in this article.

COMPOSITION OF A HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT

There are many components in a hydraulic circuit. Each plays a key role in ensuring that the fluid in the pipes circulates properly. These include the hydraulic pump(s), loads, cylinders, pressure limiters, etc. In short, everything that maintains pressure throughout the circuit. Pressure is a physical force that results in an exchange of momentum in a thermodynamic system, particularly within a solid element or a fluid. In the case of hydraulic pressure, we are talking about an external pressure exerted on one part of a confined fluid which is transmitted to all the other parts, without any loss. A constant pressure must be maintained so that the fluid continues to circulate. This is where each of the elements making up the circuit comes into play. This is the case of the balancing valve, which we're going to discover together.

What is a balancing valve?

The balancing valve is one of the essential components in the hydraulic circuit. It is generally located between the cylinder and the directional control valve. It consists of a flap, a spring, an adjusting screw and a bypass valve. Its role is to use the valve to modulate the pressure at the cylinder inlet, in order to control the movement of the cylinder and the lowering or raising of the load.

As well as acting on the cylinder, the balancing valve also acts as a shock absorber within the hydraulic circuit. If the pressure in the circuit increases too much, this will be felt at the cylinder inlet, which can have an impact on the load, and therefore on the whole installation. To avoid any damage, the balancing valve intervenes specifically in this type of situation. The valve opens to absorb the excess pressure in the cylinder, thus absorbing any shock. If the pressure is not regulated correctly, the consequences for the entire hydraulic circuit can be dramatic.

Other types of valve are used at different points in the circuit. Their role is to protect all the mechanical parts by anticipating pressure problems. There are two main types of valve in a hydraulic circuit. Direct-acting valves. In this case, the circulating fluid acts directly on the valve flap, causing it to open when the pressure reaches too high a level. Then there are the so-called "indirect-acting" valves. These are fitted with two check valves: the fluid acts on a direct-acting check valve before opening the auxiliary check valve, which opens the main check valve.

It goes without saying that all these parts must be regularly maintained to avoid any incidents.

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