Electric damper valve

When you hear “electric damper valve,” the first thing that comes to mind is a regular damper with a motor. But in reality, this is a complex system where even the thickness of the seal affects the service life. Many people still confuse it with solenoid valves, and then wonder why the drive does not maintain pressure drops in irrigation systems.

Design subtleties that are not written in the instructions

Look at the catalogelectric damper valves— ideal numbers for tightness everywhere. But when installing in the field, nuances emerge. For example, the same EPDM flange seal for water with fertilizers - if you take a universal one, after a season it begins to harden. You have to select it for a specific chemical composition.

I noticed that in drip irrigation systems it is better to install valves with a rotation angle of 90° rather than 180°. Why? When fully open, the damper vibrates due to turbulence, especially on pipes with a diameter of 200 mm or more. Once, at a facility in the Krasnodar Territory, the piping had to be redone because of this - the dampers failed within two months.

And one more thing about the case materials: AISI 304 stainless steel is redundant for most regions of Russia. But if the water has a high content of chlorides (as in some wells in the Stavropol region), then even 316 can become covered with pitting corrosion. Here it is better to combine it - the body is made of cast iron with epoxy coating, and the seat is made of brass.

Experience of integration into smart agricultural systems

WhenShandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology Co.,Ltdwas developing a system for vineyards in Crimea, we encountered a problem with valve synchronization. The humidity sensors sent a signal, but the dampers operated at different speeds - somewhere around 3 seconds, somewhere up to 7. I had to calibrate each drive separately.

On their website https://www.lyzhihuinongye.ru there is a case on vegetable farming in the Rostov region. They just used a cascade ofelectric damper valveswith remote control. An interesting zoning solution - when the pressure in the line drops, the valves close sequentially, starting from the most remote areas. But the software had to be modified because the standard algorithm did not take into account the terrain.

From the latest: we tested valves with stepper motors instead of servos. Positioning accuracy is better, but at sub-zero temperatures failures begin. However, for heated greenhouses it is an ideal option, especially for precise dosing of fertilizers.

Typical installation and operation errors

The most common problem is installation without a mud trap in front of the valve. It seems like a small thing, but sand particles as small as 150 microns already leave grooves on the sealing surfaces. This is especially critical for water filtration systems that use disc filters - they do not retain small abrasive particles.

Another point: not everyone takes into account vibration from pumping stations. If the valve is located on the pipeline next to the pump, after six months play appears in the drive gearbox. The solution is simple - a flexible insert between the pump and the valve, but this is often forgotten during design.

Winter preservation is a different story. We drained the water from the system, but moisture remained in the damper cavities. In case of frost, the body becomes deformed. Now we always recommend blowing with compressed air at an angle of 45 degrees to the axis of rotation.

Compatibility with Russian equipment

Working with projectsShandong Lingyao Co.,Ltd, we had to adapt communication protocols. Their valves are initially designed for Modbus RTU, but many domestic weather stations have their own data format. We developed a transition controller that converts signals - it turned out to be cheaper than changing the entire telemetry system.

There was an interesting case in Tatarstan: the customer boughtelectric damper valvesthrough the website https://www.lyzhihuinongye.ru, but did not take into account the specifics of local power grids. Voltage fluctuations from 190 to 250 V caused failures in the operation of frequency converters. We had to install stabilizers at each control point.

We are currently testing their new series of pulse controlled valves. The declared resource is 100 thousand cycles, but so far only 15 thousand have been achieved in the field. So far there are no complaints, except for one thing: at high humidity, condensation accumulates in the terminal box. The manufacturer has already promised to add an additional oil seal.

Prospects and limitations of technology

Modernelectric damper valvesThey are gradually switching to brushless motors. This increases efficiency by 15-20%, but the cost of repairs is also higher. It is profitable for large agricultural holdings, but still a little expensive for small farms.

A notable trend is the integration of pressure sensors directly into the valve body. Previously, separate sensors were installed, now there are models with already integrated ones. However, if it breaks down, you have to replace the entire assembly, which is not always convenient.

What the industry really needs is interface unification. Now each manufacturer offers its own data exchange protocol. WhenShandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology Co.,Ltdenters the Russian market, they have to take this moment into account. Their latest developments support OPC UA - this is already progress.

From objective limitations: the problem of operation at temperatures below -35°C has not yet been solved. There are special versions, but their cost is 2-3 times higher than standard ones. For most regions of Russia, this is a critical parameter, especially for open irrigation systems.