Electric valves

When you hear 'electric valves', the first thing that comes to mind is a regular valve with a motor. But in practice, the difference between a successful and a failed system often lies in the nuances: how the same valve maintains pressure during sudden voltage surges or how it reacts to sand in the water. Many people still believe that the main thing is the price, and then spend years repairing drive bearings.

Design features that you won’t see in catalogs

Take, for example, brass dampers with a stepper motor. In theory, it’s reliable, but with constant work in alkaline water, play appears after six months. It was necessary to replace valve units on drip irrigation systems in the Krasnodar Territory - local farmers first saved money, installed cheap analogues, and then lost their harvest due to uneven pressure.

Now I'm leaning towards models with manual backup. Especially for remote sites where power surges are the norm. Once in the Rostov region, at a greenhouse complex, the controllers burned out after a thunderstorm, and only the ability to manually openelectric valvessaved tomatoes from drought.

Speaking of materials, 304 stainless steel is not a panacea. AISI 316 performs better in water with a high chloride content, but it also requires regular washing. One project in the Stavropol region almost failed because of this - the entire harness had to be redone.

Practical cases of integration into smart agricultural systems

Last year we worked withelectric valvesfrom Shandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology LLC - installed them on a fertigation system for an apple orchard. It was interesting to see how Chinese engineers solved the cavitation problem: they added compensation chambers in front of the damper. A trifle, but it extended the service life by 30%.

On their website https://www.lyzhihuinongye.ru there are interesting cases on combining valves with soil moisture sensors. We tried something similar in the Voronezh region - it turned out that in sandy soils it is necessary to install additional filters in front of the electrovalves, otherwise the solenoids become clogged within a week.

By the way, about filtering - this is a separate pain. Many manufacturers indicate “working with water of any purity,” but in reality, particles larger than 100 microns are already dangerous for membranes. We had to install two-stage filters with automatic washing at a site in Tatarstan, although initially they were not included in the project.

Typical installation mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common problem is installationelectric valveswithout lightning protection. In rural areas, surge surges burn out coils instantly. Now we always install SPDs and ask clients not to skimp on grounding.

Another point: when connecting to automation systems, normally open and normally closed configurations are often confused. There was a case in Crimea when, because of this, greenhouses with cucumbers were left without watering over the weekend. Now we test all scenarios before handing over the object.

Mechanical damage to cables is also a problem. Especially where technology works nearby. We had to develop a standard: corrugated pipe plus markings with bright paint. It would seem elementary, but it saves nerves during maintenance.

Compatibility with Russian conditions

Winter operation is a separate challenge. Standardelectric valveswithout heating at -25°C they simply stop reacting. In the Lipetsk region they solved this with cases with thermal insulation and heating cables - expensive, but cheaper than replacing burst cases in the spring.

Interesting experience was gained when integrating Shandong Lingyao valves into an irrigation system for potato fields. Their design with a heated rod has proven to be better than its European counterparts - less energy consumption with the same result. Although we had to refine the communication protocols with our controllers.

Here's what's important: Chinese manufacturers have become more attentive to detail. The same Shandong Linyao now supplies valves with adapted firmware for Russian voltage standards. There were problems with this before - I remember how in 2018, changes from 220V to 190V disabled entire lines.

Economics vs. Reliability

When comparing the cost of ownership, it often turns out that expensiveelectric valveswith copper winding are more profitable than cheap ones with aluminum. Especially with year-round operation, the resource is 2-3 times higher. For sugar beets in the Kursk region it was believed that an overpayment of 40% pays off in two seasons.

But there is a nuance: for seasonal systems, sometimes it is actually more profitable to install simple models. For example, for annual crops with drip irrigation, the load is less and the service life is not critical. The main thing is to correctly calculate the operation cycles.

We are currently testing valves with pulse control - theoretically they save up to 15% of energy. But it’s difficult to say how they will behave after 3-4 years of intensive use. I think by next season there will be the first objective data.

Perspectives and personal observations

I noticed a trend: smart valves with built-in diagnostics are gradually replacing simple models. Especially in the projects of Shandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology LLC - their latest developments are able to transmit data on seal wear. This really helps with maintenance planning.

Among the new products, I’m looking at non-contact position sensors - conventional encoders have problems with dust, but these seem to show stability. We plan to test it in vineyards in Crimea this fall.

Overall, the marketelectric valvesmoving towards more specialized solutions. It is no longer enough to simply open/close the flow - we need integration with weather stations, accounting for soil moisture, and load forecasting. And those who understand this get a real advantage in irrigation efficiency.