Objectives

Learning Objectives:
Pressure Control Valves The purpose of this session is to describe:
1. Describe construction and configuration of pressure control valves
2. Understand operation of pressure control valves.
3. Types of pressure control valves
4. Relief valves, reducing control and sequence valves, counterbalance ,
brake valve.
4. Applications of pressure control valves.
5. Compare the design and operation of pressure control valves.

Controlling the System Upon completing this session, you should be able to:
Explain the operation of the various types of pressure control valves.
Identify the graphical symbols used for pressure control valves.
Dr. Mohamed Saber Sokar
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Hydraulic Principal Hydraulic Valves types

1- Prime mover  Control valves allow hydraulic systems to produce the
2- Pump type of motion or level of force needed to complete the
functions expected of a hydraulic circuit

3- Valve  The three basic types of control valves are:

1- Directional Control Valves

2- Pressure Control Valves

4- Actuator
3- Flow Control Valves
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 LOWER-EXTREMITY
PROSTHESES

•Pneumatic cylinder
Example and a swing-phase
controller.

socket (individually fitted component)

residual limb (soft tissue and

bones)

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Standard Symbol of
Pressure control valves
pressure control valves
 Function of pressure control valves  Pilot signal may coming from upstream or downstream
 A pressure-control valve may limit or regulate
pressure, create a particular pressure condition Upstream Downstream
required for control, or cause actuators to operate  Normally closed or normally open
in a specific order.
 All pure pressure-control valves operate in a
Normally closed Normally open
condition approaching hydraulic balance. Usually
 Delivers flow to tank or to another line
the balance is very simple: pressure is effective
on one side or end of a ball, poppet, or spool
and is opposed by a spring.
Exhausts to tank Exhausts to another line
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 Pressure Relief Valve PRV Pressure Relief Valve PRV
 Function:It limits the maximum pressure in the  Operation: When the system gets overloaded
system on an acceptable value. (increased load) the upstream pressure
increased, the pressure relief valve will open
Position: Pressure relief and the pump flow will be dumped directly into
valve is mounted at the
the hydraulic reservoir.
pressure side of the
hydraulic pump
(It’s normally closed). • A relief valve is not
needed if a pressure-
compensated pump is
used.
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Pressure Relief Valve PRV Pressure Relief Valve PRV

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 Pressure Relief Valve PRV Pressure Relief Valve PVR
 Characteristics of a pressure relief valves  Example: A pressure-relief valve has a
 Cracking pressure: Is the opening pressure at pressure setting of 140 bar. Compute the power
the value set on the relief valve loss across this valve if it returns all the flow
back to the tank from a 96 lit/min pump.
 The pressure that
exists at full pump Solution
flow can be power = p Q =(140 ) (96 ) /600 = 22.4 kW
substantially greater Hint: In the pressure relief valve the pressure energy
than the cracking will be converted into heat.
pressure. For that reason, longtime operation of the pressure relief
valve should be avoided
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of a relief valve Dr. Mohamed Saber Sokar 14

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A pilot-operated (or A pilot-operated (or

compound ) relief valve. compound ) relief valve.
 A pilot-operated pressure-relief valve consists of  The pilot relief valve opens when a preset
Pilot valve maximum pressure is reached.
1. A small pilot relief  When the pilot relief valve opens, it makes the
valve and main relief valve open.
Pilot valve
2. Main relief valve as
shown in Fig.

It operates in a two- Main

valve Main valve
stage process
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 A pilot-operated (or
Relief valve setting
compound ) relief valve
 The symbol of the pilot operated pressure  The setting value of relief valve in a hydraulic
relief valve according to ISO 1219 circuit to be set at
15-30 % (Exams use 25%)
P V above the maximum required working pressure.

T
PRelief = (1.1 : 1.3) Pworking

Hint: During course use it 20% above max. working pressure

Complete Simplified

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Pressure Reducing valves Pressure Reducing valves

 In hydraulics, a pressure reducing valve serves the same  Operation: In the neutral position the valve is fully open.
purpose as a "pressure regulator valve" in a compressed  When the outlet (downstream) pressure p2 increases the
air system. valve setting, the spool moves to the right to partially
 Function: It is used to maintain reduced pressures in block the outlet port.
specified locations of hydraulic systems below the  Observe that the symbol shows that the spring cavity has a
maximum pressure setting of the system relief valve, drain to the tank.
allows a system to operate using two or more pressures. p2 k  m 
N

 Pressure reducing valves is normally open.

p1 p2
 It is actuated by downstream pressure and tends
to close as this pressure reaches the valve setting. p1
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 Pressure Reducing valves Pressure Reducing valves
 Circuit containing pressure-reducing valve  Circuit containing pressure-reducing valve

High load

Low load

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Pressure Sequence valve Pressure Sequence valve

 Function: Sequence valve is used to assume  Operation: It hold a desired operating pressure
priority of hydraulic pressure in one system until a predetermined pressure is reached to open.
before another can operate.
 Basically, pressure
 The valve is normally closed relief valves may be
 A sequence valve is fitted with an used as sequence
integral check valve to allow free valves.
flow of fluid around the valve
when the direction of the actuator A B
is reversed A B
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 Pressure Sequence valve Pressure Sequence valve
 Primary actuator moves as soon as fluid flow is  A circuit containing a sequence valve
directed to the actuator section of the circuit.

Secondary Primary
 Sequence valve blocks
flow to the secondary
actuator until a
B A
predetermined pressure is
reached, then allows fluid
flow to the secondary
actuator
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Pressure unloading valves Pressure unloading valves

 Function: It holds a desired operating pressure while the  Application of unloading valve in a punching
pump operates at near-zero pressure. press (high–low circuit) - Punching press
 This reduces energy consumption and maintenance costs

 Unloading valves are normally closed valves with external pilots

– Unloading relief valves are used with accumulator circuits
– Direct-operated valves can be used in typical high-low dual-pump circuits
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 Pressure unloading valves Pressure unloading valves
 Pump unloading controls use an unloading valve and a dual  The pressurized fluid is trapped in the
pump or accumulator to maintain desired system pressure accumulator by the check valve and the closed-
while dumping unneeded pump output to the reservoir at very
center directional control valve.
low pressure

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Pressure counterbalance
Pressure unloading valves
(Safety load) valve
 Example: An unloading valve is used to unload  Movement control valves are used in circuits to
the 96 lit/min (0.0016 m3/s) pump. If the pump prevent unexpected actuator movement. They are:
discharge pressure during unloading equals 2 – Counterbalance valves (Safety Load
bar, how much hydraulic power is being holding valve)
wasted? – Brake valves (Over-center valves)
Solution
Wasted power = (2 ) (96) / 600 = 0.32 kW

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 Pressure Control valves Pressure Control valves
(Counterbalance valves) (Brake valves)
 Counterbalance valve with integral check valve  A typical brake valve
 A check valve is
required to permit free
reverse flow around
to valve
 Counterbalance and
brake valves are
normally closed
valves.
From to
cylinder valve
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Pressure counterbalance Pressure counterbalance

(Safety holding) valve (Safety holding) valve
 Non-Vented and vented counterbalance valve  Application of safety holding valve: The
counterbalance or over-center valve is the
lifeguard for any hydraulic actuator.

Fig. Non-Vented and vented counterbalance valve

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 Pressure counterbalance Pressure counterbalance
(Safety holding) valve (Safety holding) valve
 Counterbalance valve  Counterbalance valves maintain a healthy amount of
back pressure, they force the pump to develop the full set
pressure on the counterbalance spring before they allow
the actuator to move.

 As shown in Figure , a counterbalance valve attached to

the full-bore (cap end) area of the cylinder and set to, say
at 150 bar, at zero load, (Assume the annular area is half
FESTO didactic
the full bore) will force the pump to develop a pressure
of 300 bar at the annular (rod end) area before the
Industrial valves cylinder is allowed to move.
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Pressure counterbalance Pressure counterbalance

(Safety holding) valve (Safety holding) valve
 Over-center valve uses a pilot
assist from the opposite end of
the actuator to move the
poppet against the spring.
 It can be described as a pilot-assisted relief valve with an
integral free flow check.
 The performance of overcenter valves are at best when
mounted into the actuator, whether it is a linear (cylinder)
or a rotary (hydraulic motor) actuator. However, if not,
they should be connected to the actuators with rigid System with System with
piping. counterbalance valve over-center (Brake) valve
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 Pressure counterbalance Pressure counterbalance
(Safety holding) valve (Safety holding) valve
 Example: In the counterbalance circuit shown in Fig.
load to be lifted is 10 kN and a cylinder bore area of
0.002 m2 (equivalent to 50 mm diameter) is used.
 Find the counterbalance valve setting.
10 kN

 Counterbalance valves allow the downward movement of loads

supported by a cylinder only when the system pump is operating.
 Force generated by system pressure and the force created by the
weight of the load are needed to move the load downward.
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Pressure counterbalance
Pressure Brake valves
(Safety holding) valve
Solution: Hydraulic winch

Load-induced pressure = 10x103/(0.02x105)=50bar

 The counterbalance valve setting should be 30%
higher the holding pressure
 Pset= 50×1.3= 65 bar
 Brake valves are used to prevent an overrunning load from
continuing to turn a hydraulic motor after the directional control
valve has been closed
 Overrunning loads can turn the motor into a pump, allowing the
motor to turn past selected point.
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 (Similar to the function (Similar to the function
of brake valves) of brake valves)
 This opening and closing of the pilot
piston causes a jerky motion as the
pilot signal is lost and then regained.
 One method used to smooth out the
operation is to install a flow control
valve between the cylinder and the
cylinder port of the check valve.
Such an arrangement is shown in
Figure . This prevents flow through
the check valve from leading flow
from the pump and loss of the pilot
signal.
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