Hydraulic proportional flow dividers

Hydraulic proportional flow dividers

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Hydraulic proportional flow dividers

Industrial, agriculture, mininig, road, construction and many other types of machines and vehicles are usually equipped with hydraulic proportional flow dividers, usually called flow dividers/combiners. These devices have a very wide range of applications nowadays. They enable full and more precise control over mechanical systems due to desired formation of working fluids flows and smoother operation.

Classification, structure and application of proportional flow dividers are briefly discussed in this article.

Classification of proportional flow dividers

Among different classifications of proportional dividers two seem to be remarkable.

Because of a manner of operation proportional dividers can be:

mechanically-operated

eletcronically-operated.

Because of the character of control signals proportional flow dividers are classified as:

  • controlled by mechanical signals

  • controlled by electric signals

  • controlled by pneumatic signals

  • controlled by hydraulic signals.

Most popular are electrically and hydraulically controlled proportional dividers.

Structure and principle of operation of proportional flow dividers

A typical proportional flow divider is built of a cylindrical casing and a movable slide valve. Thye are made of durable steel alloys or hardened steel, cast iron or aluminium. The slide valve, equipped with an adequate number of pistons, moves inside the cylinder. Pistons - according to direction of slide valve motion - cover slots of output or input terminals and regulate difference of flows pressure between two or more controlled terminals. Proportional dividers can divide 1 fluid flow into at least 2 sub-flows or combine at least 2 sub-flows into 1 flow or more than 2 sub-flows into a desired lesser number of flows.

Usage of proportional flow dividers

First of all, proportional flow dividers enable regulation of pressure in different parts of hydraulic systems. Regulation enables more precise controlling and better prevents malfunction. Proportional flow dividers also enable creation of at least 2 independently working systems powered by one pump, what decreases energy consumption. What’s equally important, such dividers allow to create programmable control systems what is especially useful in case of precise mechanisms which additionally have to work uninterruptedly for long time. Programmable control systems make it possible to automate numerous operations and remote control of mechanisms in unfriendly working environment or in case of emergency.

Summary

Application of proportional flow dividers brings numerous advantages. The most important of them are: possibilities of more precise control as well as remote control (enabling to work e.g. in toxic and harmful to human health conditions), smooth functioning of more than 1 independent systems, both energy consumption and costs reduction.

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