Type of Spool

Spool is of two types namely sliding and rotary. Sliding spool is

cylindrical in cross section, and the lands and grooves are also
cylindrical. Rotary valves have sphere-like lands and grooves in
the form of holes drilled through the.

Spool valves regulate the flow of fluid in hydraulic

systems. Valves like this slide back and forward to
make fluid flow in either one direction or another
around a circuit of pipes.

Hydraulic Spool Valve Basics

A hydraulic spool valve is a switching device used to control

hydraulic devices. Spool valves are used in everything from
automotive power-steering systems to cranes. A spool valve can

turn the flow of hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic pump to an

actuator on and off by blocking off the route the fluid takes.

Hydraulic Spool Valve Structure

A hydraulic spool valve is a cylinder inside a sealed case.

It usually has valves leading to pump and the tank on one side,
and valves leading to one or more hydraulic devices on the other
side. Pressure can flow into the valve from the pump into the
hydraulic devices, or drain out of them back into a hydraulic
storage tank.
A controller moves the valve back and forth in its case to slide
the spools into different positions. The position of the rotor will
only allow the hydraulic fluid to flow in one direction to
perform a specific task.

A spool valve is part of a hydraulic system that directs the flow

of hydraulic fluid. The valve is made up of spools that rotate or
slide to block and open channels in a hydraulic system.

Function
Spool valves direct the flow of fluid to and from other
valves within a hydraulic system. A typical four-way spool
valve has openings leading to and from another valve, as
well as from the fluid pump and to the fluid reservoir.

Rotary Spool Valves

A rotary spool valve consists of a fixed tubular sleeve,
within which is a rotating, x-shaped piece called the "core."
This valve functions much like a revolving door, with each
bend of the core functioning as a portal for hydraulic fluid
to leave and enter the valve.
Sliding Spool Valves

Sliding spool valves are slightly more complex than rotary

spool valves. In sliding spool valves, the spool is grooved

and slides in and out of position within the sleeve,

alternately blocking and opening the fluid intake and
outtake portals.

Application:
Rotary Valve
Power Steering

A power-steering system should assist the driver only when he is

exerting force on the steering wheel (such as when starting a turn).
When the driver is not exerting force (such as when driving in a straight
line), the system shouldn't provide any assist. The device that senses the
force on the steering wheel is called the rotary valve.
The key to the rotary valve is a torsion bar. The torsion bar is a thin rod
of metal that twists when torque is applied to it. The top of the bar is
connected to the steering wheel, and the bottom of the bar is connected
to the pinion or worm gear (which turns the wheels), so the amount of
torque in the torsion bar is equal to the amount of torque the driver is

using to turn the wheels. The more torque the driver uses to turn the
wheels, the more the bar twists.
The input from the steering shaft forms the inner part of a spool-valve
assembly. It also connects to the top end of the torsion bar. The bottom
of the torsion bar connects to the outer part of the spool valve. The
torsion bar also turns the output of the steering gear, connecting to either
the pinion gear or the worm gear depending on which type of steering
the car has.
As the bar twists, it rotates the inside of the spool valve relative to the
outside. Since the inner part of the spool valve is also connected to the
steering shaft (and therefore to the steering wheel), the amount of
rotation between the inner and outer parts of the spool valve depends on
how much torque the driver applies to the steering wheel.
When the steering wheel is not being turned, both hydraulic lines
provide the same amount of pressure to the steering gear. But if the
spool valve is turned one way or the other, ports open up to provide
high-pressure fluid to the appropriate line.

Sliding Valve
Hydraulic Cranes
Joy sticks and foot pedals are connected to hydraulic hoses that connect
various hydraulic rams to spool valves. The spool valve is connected to
the hydraulic pump via a third hose that is placed between the two hoses
that run from the spool valve to the hydraulic ram. When a joystick is
pushed in one direction, it causes the valve to shut off one of the
hydraulic hoses leading to the ram and open the other. Which way the
joystick is pushed determines whether the piston in the hydraulic ram
slides in or out.
The spool-valve system lets the crane operator control