THE BASICS OF PRESSURE REGULATORS

Contents Pressure regulators are found in many common home and

industrial applications. For example, pressure regulators are
The Basics of Pressure Regulators used in gas grills to regulate propane, in home heating furnaces to
regulate natural gas, in medical and dental equipment to regulate
Material oxygen and anesthesia gases, in pneumatic automation systems
Fluid used (gas, liquid, toxic or flammable)
Temperature to regulate compressed air, in engines to regulate fuel and in fuel
Operating Pressures cells to regulate hydrogen. As this partial list demonstrates there
Flow Requirements
Size & Weight
are numerous applications for regulators yet, in each of them, the
pressure regulator provides the same function. Pressure regulators
Pressure Reducing Element (poppet valve)
reduce a supply (or inlet) pressure to a lower outlet pressure and
Sensing Element (piston or diaphragm) work to maintain this outlet pressure despite fluctuations in the
The Reference Force Element (spring) inlet pressure. The reduction of the inlet pressure to a lower outlet
pressure is the key characteristic of pressure regulators.
Regulator Accuracy and Capacity
Droop Definition
Orifice Size When choosing a pressure regulator many factors must be
Lock Up Pressure considered. Important considerations include: operating pressure
Hysteresis
ranges for the inlet and outlet, flow requirements, the fluid (Is it a
Single-Stage Regulator
gas, a liquid, toxic, or flammable?), expected operating temperature
Two-Stage (Dual Stage) Regulator range, material selection for the regulator components including
Three-Stage Regulator seals, as well as size and weight constraints.
Installation Guide

Beswick pressure regulators can be

viewed at http://catalog.beswick.com

PRD2-2N2

PR2
Excellence in Miniature

beswick engineering co., inc. | Miniature Fluid Power Products

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 THE BASICS OF PRESSURE REGULATORS
MATERIALS FLUID USED - (GAS, LIQUID, TOXIC,
A wide range of materials are available to handle or FLAMMABLE)
various fluids and operating environments. Common The chemical properties of the fluid should be
regulator component materials include brass, plastic, considered before determining the best materials for
and aluminum. Various grades of stainless steel (such your application. Each fluid will have its own unique
as 303, 304, and 316) are available too. Springs used characteristics so care must be taken to select the
inside the regulator are typically made of music wire appropriate body and seal materials that will come
(carbon steel) or stainless steel. in contact with the fluid. The parts of the regulator
in contact with the fluid are known as the wetted
Brass is suited to most common applications and is components.
usually economical. Aluminum is often specified when
weight is a consideration. Plastic is considered when It is also important to determine if the fluid is
low cost is of primarily concern or a throw away item flammable, toxic, explosive, or hazardous in nature.
is required. Stainless Steels are often chosen for use A non-relieving regulator is preferred for use with
with corrosive fluids, use in corrosive environments, hazardous, explosive, or expensive gases because
when cleanliness of the fluid is a consideration or the design does not vent excessive downstream
when the operating temperatures will be high. pressure into the atmosphere. In contrast to a
non-relieving regulator, a relieving (also known as
Equally important is the compatibility of the seal self-relieving) regulator is designed to vent excess
material with the fluid and with the operating downstream pressure to atmosphere. Typically there
temperature range. Buna-n is a typical seal material. is a vent hole in the side of the regulator body for this
Optional seals are offered by some manufacturers and purpose. In some special designs, the vent port can
these include: Fluorocarbon, EPDM, Silicone, and be threaded and any excess pressure can be vented
Perfluoroelastomer. from the regulator body through tubing and exhausted
in a safe area. If this type of design is selected the
excess fluid should be vented appropriately and in
accordance to all safety regulations.

TEMPERATURE OPERATING PRESSURES

The materials selected for the pressure regulator not The inlet and outlet pressures are important factors to
only need to be compatible with the fluid but also must consider before choosing the best regulator. Important
be able to function properly at the expected operating questions to answer are: What is the range of
temperature. The primary concern is whether or not fluctuation in the inlet pressure? What is the required
the elastomer chosen will function properly throughout outlet pressure? What is the allowable variation in
the expected temperature range. Additionally, the outlet pressure?
operating temperature may affect flow capacity and/or
the spring rate in extreme applications.

FLOW REQUIREMENTS SIZE & WEIGHT

What is the maximum flow rate that the application In many high technology applications space is
requires? How much does the flow rate vary? Porting limited and weight is a factor. Some manufactures
requirements are also an important consideration. specialize in miniature components and should be
consulted. Material selection, particularly the regulator
body components, will impact weight. Also carefully
consider the port (thread) sizes, adjustment styles,
and mounting options as these will influence size and
weight.

beswick engineering co., inc. | Miniature Fluid Power Products

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 PRESSURE REGULATORS IN OPERATION
A pressure regulator is comprised of three functional
elements:
1.) A pressure reducing or restrictive element. Often this
is a spring loaded poppet valve.
2.) A sensing element Typically a diaphragm or piston.
3.) A reference force element. Most commonly a spring.

In operation, the reference force generated by the spring

opens the valve. The opening of the valve applies
pressure to the sensing element which in turn closes
the valve until it is open just enough to maintain the set
pressure. The simplified schematic Pressure Regulator
Schematic illustrates this force balance arrangement.

(1) PRESSURE REDUCING ELEMENT

(poppet valve)
Most commonly, regulators employ a spring loaded
poppet valve as a restrictive element. The poppet
includes an elastomeric seal or, in some high pressure
designs a thermoplastic seal, which is configured to make
a seal on a valve seat. When the spring force moves
the seal away from the valve seat, fluid is allowed to
flow from the inlet of the regulator to the outlet. As the
outlet pressure rises, the force generated by the sensing
element resists the force of the spring and the valve is
closed. These two forces reach a balance point at the set In low pressure applications, or when high accuracy is
point of the pressure regulator. When the downstream required, the diaphragm style is preferred. Diaphragm
pressure drops below the set-point, the spring pushes the regulators employ a thin disc shaped element which is
poppet away from the valve seat and additional fluid is used to sense pressure changes. They are usually made
allowed to flow from the inlet to the outlet until the force of an elastomer, however, thin convoluted metal is used
balance is restored. in special applications. Diaphragms essentially eliminate
the friction inherent with piston style designs. Additionally,
for a particular regulator size, it is often possible to
(2) SENSING ELEMENT (piston or provide a greater sensing area with a diaphragm design
diaphragm) than would be feasible with a piston style design.
Piston style designs are often used when higher outlet
pressures are required, when ruggedness is a concern
or when the outlet pressure does not have to be held to (3) THE REFERENCE FORCE ELEMENT
a tight tolerance. Piston designs tend to be sluggish, as (spring)
compared to diaphragm designs, because of the friction The reference force element is usually a mechanical
between the piston seal and the regulator body. spring. This spring exerts a force on the sensing element
and acts to open the valve. Most regulators are designed
with an adjustment which allows the user to adjust the
outlet pressure set-point by changing the force exerted by
the reference spring.

beswick engineering co., inc. | Miniature Fluid Power Products

284 Ocean Rd. | Greenland, NH 03840-2442 | 603-433-1188
www.beswick.com
 PRESSURE REGULATORS IN OPERATION

REGULATOR ACCURACY AND

CAPACITY
The accuracy of a pressure regulator is determined by
charting outlet pressure versus flow rate. The resulting
graph shows the drop in outlet pressure as the flow
rate increases. This phenomenon is known as droop.
Pressure regulator accuracy is defined as how much
droop the device exhibits over a range of flows; less
droop equals greater accuracy. The pressure versus flow
curves provided in the graph Direct Acting
Pressure Regulator Operating Map, indicates the useful
regulating capacity of the regulator. When selecting a
regulator, engineers should examine pressure versus flow
curves to ensure the regulator can meet the performance
requirements necessary for the proposed application.

DROOP DEFINITION
The term droop is used to describe the drop in the outlet
pressure, below the original set-point, as flow increases.
Droop can also be caused by significant changes in the
inlet pressure (from the value when the regulator output
was set). As the inlet pressure rises from the initial
setting, the outlet pressure falls. Conversely, as the inlet
pressure falls, the outlet pressure rises. As seen in the
graph Direct Acting Pressure Regulator Operating Map,
HYSTERESIS this effect is important to a user because it shows the
Hysteresis can occur in mechanical systems, such as useful regulating capacity of a regulator.
pressure regulators, due to friction forces caused by
springs and seals. Take a look at the graph and you
will notice, for a given flow rate, that the outlet pressure
will be higher with decreasing flow than it will be with
increasing flow. ORIFICE SIZE
Increasing the valve orifice can increase the flow capacity
of the regulator. This may be beneficial if your design can
accommodate a bigger regulator however be careful not
LOCK UP PRESSURE to over specify. A regulator with an oversized valve, for
Lockup pressure is the pressure above the set-point the conditions of the intended application, will result in a
that is required to completely shut the regulator valve off greater sensitivity to fluctuating inlet pressures, and may
and insure that there is no flow. cause excessive droop.

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 SINGLE, TWO, & THREE STAGE REGULATORS
SINGLE-STAGE REGULATOR
Single-stage regulators are an excellent choice for
relatively small reductions in pressure. For example, the
air compressors used in most factories generate maximum
pressures in the 100 to 150 psi range. This pressure is piped
through the factory but is often reduced with a single-stage
regulator to lower pressures (10 psi, 50 psi, 80 psi etc.) to
PR operate automated machinery, test stands, machine tools, leak
test equipment, linear actuators, and other devices. Single
PRD-2N2
stage pressure regulators typically do not perform well with
large swings in inlet pressure and/or flow rates.

TWO-STAGE (DUAL-STAGE) REGULATOR BESWICK ADVANTAGE: 100% TESTED

A two-stage pressure regulator is ideal for applications with large We take the time to functionally test 100% of our
variations in the flow rate, significant fluctuations in the inlet regulators before shipping to ensure that you
pressure, or decreasing inlet pressure such as occurs with gas receive the highest quality product.
supplied from a small storage tank or gas cylinder.

With most single-stage regulator regulators, except those

that use a pressure compensated design, a large drop in inlet
pressure will cause a slight increase in outlet pressure. This
happens because the forces acting on the valve change, due to
the large drop in pressure, from when the outlet pressure was
initially set. In a two-stage design the second stage will not
be subjected to these large changes in inlet pressure, only the
slight change from the outlet of the first stage. This arrangement PR2
results in a stable outlet pressure from the second stage despite
PRD2-3N1
the significant changes in pressure supplied to the first stage.

THREE-STAGE REGULATOR
A three-stage regulator provides a stable outlet pressure similar
to a two-stage regulator but with the added ability to handle a
significantly higher maximum inlet pressure. For example, the
Beswick PRD3HP series three-stage regulator is rated to handle
an inlet pressure as high as 3,000 psi and it will provide a stable
outlet pressure (in the 0 to 30 psi range) despite changes to the
supply pressure. A small and lightweight pressure regulator
that can maintain a stable low output pressure, despite an inlet
pressure that will decrease over time from a high pressure, is a
critical component in many designs. Examples include portable
analytical instruments, hydrogen fuel cells, UAVs, and medical
PRD3HP devices powered by high pressure gas supplied from a gas
cartridge or storage cylinder.

beswick engineering co., inc. | Miniature Fluid Power Products

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 INSTALLATION GUIDE

Now that you have chosen the regulator that

best suits your application it is important that the
regulator is installed and adjusted properly to insure
that it functions as intended.

Most manufacturers recommend the installation of

a filter upstream of the regulator (some regulators
have a built-in filter) to prevent dirt and particulates
from contaminating the valve seat. Operation of a
regulator without a filter could result in fluid leaking
to the outlet port if the valve seat is contaminated
with dirt or foreign material. Regulated gases
should be free from oils, greases, and other
contaminants which could foul or damage the valve
components or attack the regulator seals. Many
users are unaware that gases supplied in cylinders
and small gas cartridges can contain traces of oils
from the manufacturing process. The presence of
oil in the gas is often not apparent to the user and
therefore this topic should be discussed with your
gas supplier before you select the seal materials for
your regulator. Additionally, gasses should be free
of excessive moisture. In high flow rate applications,
icing of the regulator can occur if moisture is
present.

If the pressure regulator will be used with oxygen,

be aware that that oxygen requires specialized
knowledge for safe system design. Oxygen
compatible lubricants must be specified and extra
cleaning, to remove traces of petroleum based
cutting oils, is typically specified. Make certain that
you inform your regulator supplier that you plan to
use the regulator in an oxygen application.

Do not connect regulators to a supply source with

a maximum pressure greater than the rated inlet
pressure of the regulator. Pressure regulators are
not intended to be used as shutoff devices. When
the regulator is not in use, the supply pressure
should be turned off.

beswick engineering co., inc. | Miniature Fluid Power Products

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 INSTALLATION GUIDE

STEP 1
Begin by connecting the pressure source to the inlet port and the regulated pressure line to the outlet port.
If the ports are not marked, check with the manufacturer to avoid incorrect connections. In some designs,
damage can occur to the internal components if the supply pressure is mistakenly supplied to the outlet
port.

STEP 2
Before turning on the supply pressure to the regulator, back off the adjustment control knob to restrict
flow through the regulator. Gradually turn on the supply pressure so as not to shock the regulator with a
sudden rush of pressurized fluid. NOTE: Avoid turning the adjustment screw all the way into the regulator
because, in some regulator designs, the full supply pressure will be delivered to the outlet port.

STEP 3
Set the pressure regulator to the desired outlet pressure. If the regulator is non-relieving, it will be easier
to adjust the outlet pressure if fluid is flowing rather than dead ended (no flow). If the measured outlet
pressure exceeds the desired outlet pressure, vent the fluid from the downstream side of the regulator and
lower the outlet pressure by turning the adjustment knob. Never vent fluid by loosening fittings, as injury
may result.

With a relieving style regulator, excess pressure will be automatically vented to atmosphere from the
downstream side of the regulator when the knob is rotated to lower the output setting. For this reason, do
not use relieving style regulators with flammable or hazardous fluids. Be sure the excess fluid is vented
safely and in accordance with all local, state and federal regulations.

STEP 4
To obtain the desired outlet pressure, make the final adjustments by slowly increasing the pressure from
below the desired set point. Setting the pressure from below the desired setting is preferred to setting it
from above the desired setting. If you overshoot the set point while setting the pressure regulator, back
off the set pressure to a point below the set point. Then, again, gradually increase the pressure to the
desired set point.

STEP 5
Cycle the supply pressure on and off several times while monitoring the outlet pressure to confirm the
regulator is consistently returning to the set point. Additionally, the outlet pressure should also be cycled
on and off to ensure the pressure regulator returns to the desired set point. Repeat the pressure setting
sequence if the outlet pressure does not return to the desired setting.

beswick engineering co., inc. | Miniature Fluid Power Products

284 Ocean Rd. | Greenland, NH 03840-2442 | 603-433-1188
www.beswick.com