6.

18 Valve Types: Digital Valves Digital

D. R. A. JONES (1985) B. G. LIPTÁK (1995, 2005)

Flow sheet symbol

Size: 34
/ to 10 in. (19 to 250 mm) in-line and angle pattern

Design Temperature Range: Cryogenic to 1250°F (677°C)

Design Pressure Limits: Up to 10,000 PSIG (690 bars)

Cv = 13 d
2
Capacity:

Applications: Where high speed is required, as in surge control

Where accurate flow control is needed, such as in provers or in the blending of
expensive ingredients
Where great rangeability is needed, such as in pH control
Where flow is to be both controlled and accurately measured, such as in natural
gas regulator stations at high-pressure drops or in power plants
Where tight shutoff is needed

Rangeability: No. of “bits” 8 10 12 14 16

Resolution 255:1 1023:1 4095:1 16,383:1 65,535:1

Speed: 25 to 100 ms

Characteristics: Unlimited

Leakage: ANSI V

Materials of Construction: Body—Aluminum, carbon steel, stainless steel, titanium

Seals—Buna, rubber, Viton, TFE, Kel-F, Derlin, Hypalon, and graphite

Cost: Typical prices for ANSI Class 600 carbon steel body, 12-bit valves are $5000 for
3
/4 in. (20 mm), $5000 to $10,000 for 1, 11/2 , and 2 in. (25, 32, 40, and 50 mm),
$12,500 for 3 in. (75 mm), $15,000 for 4 in. (100 mm), $20,000 for 6 in. (150
mm), and $30,000 for 8 in. (200 mm). For 316 SST bodies, add $1000 for 3/4 in.,
$2000 for 1, 11/2, and 2 in., $3000 for 3 in., $5000 for 4 in., $7000 for 6 in., and
$14,000 for 8 in.

Partial List of Suppliers: ABB Kent, Introl Valves Div. (www.abb.com)

Emco-Digital Valve (www.emcoflow. com/digitalvalve.htm)
Emerson-Daniel (www.emersonprocess.com/daniel)
Herion Inc. (www.herionusa.com)
Hoke Inc. (www.hoke.com)
Instrutech Inc. (www. instrutechinc.com)

INTRODUCTION
These days, when one refers to digital control valves, people
think of intelligent control valves that are provided with field-
bus interaction capability (Figure 6.18a). Fieldbus interaction
is not the topic of this section; it is covered in Section 6.11.
The digital control valves discussed in this section (while they
can also be operated by digital networks) are multiported
valves, with the number of ports ranging from 8 to 16.
A digital valve contains a group of valve elements assem-
bled into a common manifold. The elements have a binary
relationship to each other; i.e., starting with the smallest, each

1284

© 2006 by Béla Lipták


Operation Engineering
HSE fieldbus
H1 fieldbus Conventional
devices devices
& HART
FIG. 6.18a
Networked system architecture.
increasing size element is twice as large as its next smallest
neighbor (Figure 6.18b). Each element is controlled by an
individual electric or electronic signal. Thus, an 8-bit digital
valve requires 8 parallel, on/off electric (or electronic) sig-
nals, a 12-bit digital valve will require 12 parallel signals,
and a 16-bit digital valve will require 16 parallel signals.
The main advantages of digital control valves are their
speed, high precision, and practically unlimited rangeability.
Their main disadvantages are their high cost and their suit-
ability for only clean services, because the smaller ports plug
very easily.
HISTORY
In the early digital control valves, the ports were distributed
circumferentially, as shown in Figure 6.18c. These designs were
difficult to manufacture. In the later designs the circumferential
distribution of ports was replaced by top-entry, vertical ports.
Balanced Piston Digital Control
Balanced piston type designs (Figure 6.18d) are also called
digital control valves, because their piston-operated main
inner valve is positioned by the opening or closing of two
solenoid pilots. Their advantages include their positive shut-
off and fail-safe nature, as they close on loss of electrical
failure. These valves provide precise flow rate and batch
controls, including preprogrammed low flow start-up, high-
rate delivery, and low-flow shutdown.
Top-Entry Design
An 8-bit digital valve throttles the flow by controlling the open-
ings of eight flow elements in the valve body (Figure 8.18e)
and provides a flow rangeability of 255:1. This body, an in-line,
© 2006 by Béla Lipták
6.18 Valve Types: Digital Valves 1285
Maintenance
Firewall
• LIMS
• Execution
• Business
I. S. barrier
top-entry design, includes an air reservoir to ensure the fail-safe
operation of the cylinder actuators. The design includes ade-
quate manifold area to ensure consistent performance of the
individual elements. The manifolds are large enough to mini-
mize the possibility of cavitation and resulting erosion.
Each element in the array is on/off. Flow throttling is
accomplished by opening enough ports to provide the exact
flow area required by the controller output signal. There is a
1:1 relationship between the binary weighted signal and the
binary weighted flow area. Figure 6.18b illustrates schemat-
ically the size relationship between binary elements in a
digital valve.
Applications The main applications of digital valves are
ones where speed, rangeability, and precision are critical.
Such applications include the accurate blending and batching
of both gases and liquids. The high-speed operation of com-
pressor surge controls and all flow control applications,
where the process fluid is clean and the rangeability of the
8
Bit No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 2 4 8 16 32 32-32 32-32-32-32
FIG. 6.18b
An 8-bit digital valve is provided with a balanced distribution of
ports and guarantees a resolution of 255:1, which corresponds to
a flow control accuracy within 0.39% of the total valve Cv . (Courtesy
of Emco-Digital Valve.)
1286 Control Valve Selection and Sizing

Actuator Solenoid
assembly
Three-way
valve assembly
Control
orifices
Cage Inlet
manifold

plug
Inlet torpedo Outlet manifold

Center line for six parallel Center line for six parallel
binary controlled elements Actuation binary controlled elements
at 0, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 300 degrees gas at 30, 90, 150, 210, 270,
manifold and 330 degrees

FIG. 6.18c
1
Early digital control valve design with circumferentially distributed ports.

flow exceeds the capabilities of conventional valves. Such instead of one 50% element for the largest bit. Thus, an 8-
applications include but are not limited to environmental bit digital valve would have nine elements—three 25%, one
chamber controls, aircraft pressure cycling, and the operation 12.5%, one 6.25%, one 3.125%, one 1.56%, one 0.78%, and
of both liquid and gas provers. one 0.39% element, as was shown in Figure 6.18b.

Resolution and Throttling Because a binary array of 12 bits

will provide resolution of 1 in more than 4000 (the area of
the smallest flow element in a 12-bit digital valve is less than Electric or
electronic
0.025% of the total flow area), it is essential that the digital signal
valve be leak-tight (Figure 6.18f). Leakage rates that are Check valve
acceptable in standard globe valves would make the above-
mentioned resolution impossible to achieve. It is for these Air inlet
reasons that digital valves are commonly manufactured to
extremely high leak-tight standards.
Air pilot
In order to smoothly change the valve opening, say
between 49% and 50%, it is usual to use two 25% elements Air
Air cyclinder
reservoir

Orifice or
sonic nozzle

Flow outlet Flow inlet

In–line base

FIG. 6.18d FIG. 6.18e

Balanced piston operated digital control valve. (Courtesy of Emer- An 8-bit, 3 inch, carbon steel digital control valve designed for high
son Process Management–Daniel.) pressure service (3000 ANSI).

© 2006 by Béla Lipták

 6.18 Valve Types: Digital Valves 1287

The 6 in. (150 mm) cast steel body digital valve

FIG. 6.18f
1n a digital valve, the area of each valve port is half that of the
previous port.
In higher-resolution digital valves, multiple elements are
common; i.e., a 12-bit digital valve could have 16 elements,
and a 14-bit digital valve could have 18 elements. The largest
element then would be 12.5%. Each such valve would have
seven 12.5% elements.
(Figure 6.18g) uses 12 elements to provide 8-bit performance.
The binary series of control element capacities is 1, 2, 4, 8,
16, 32-32, 32–32, 32–32. In this way no individual element
handles more than 12.5% of the total flow. The largest bit
(50%) is handled by four elements spread out around the body.
This arrangement improves redundancy in operation and
uniformity in individual element sizing. Noise generation is
reduced by breaking the flow up into many flow paths. The
8-bit computer word remains the same but operates 12 control
elements.
This method of breaking the flow into many streams has
a number of advantages. Each element actuator (electric,
hydraulic, or pneumatic) is small and very quick. The mul-
tiple element arrangement provides redundancy, usually per-
mitting operations to continue even if one or more elements
are disabled. Flow calibration requirements are affected,
1
because the calibration unit need be only /8 as large to qualify
100% capacity.
Leakage, Ratings, and Speed Flow difference between
individual elements is determined by the control orifice or the
nozzle size. Each element consists of a plunger and a seat.
The plunger is operated by a solenoid or solenoid-piloted

30.00 A

A A

Electric
Air in (Electronic)
signals

Air cyclinder operator

Air reservoir

Carrier
Nozzle or orifice

Inlet Outlet

Cast body
in-line base

FIG. 6.18g
A 6 inch, 8-bit, explosion-proof cast steel (900 ANSI) digital valve with 12 elements. (Courtesy of Emco-Digital Valve.)

© 2006 by Béla Lipták

1288 Control Valve Selection and Sizing

cylinder (pneumatic or hydraulic). Elements are usually

dynamically balanced for low actuating force and are designed
to assure tight shut-off.
Because of the necessary leak-tight construction, digital
valves of very small capacity coefficients (Cv) are practical.
Standard digital valve body sizes range from 3/4 in. NPT
(19 mm) through 10 in. (254 mm) pipe size. Pressure ratings
up to 10,000 PSIG (68, 788 kPa) have been supplied.
Digital valves have been used effectively in cryogenic
service, and special high-temperature models are under
development (to 1250°F, or 677°C). Fluid temperatures above
450–500°F (232–260°C) require special seals and seal
design.
Digital valves provide exactly repeatable performance,
because each digital command causes the opening of a pre-
cisely defined port area. Nominal transfer time from any one
position to any other position is usually under 100 ms, and
FIG. 6.18i
the transfer time is uniform from one position to another. Extremely wide rangeability can be provided by using sonic venturi-
The binary relationship between elements provides a lin- type digital flowmeters.
ear increase of port area with a linearly increasing digital
signal command. Any desired valve characteristic can be
obtained by the correct programming of the digital control As long as the downstream pressure is less than the
command. critical pressure at the vena contracta, choked flow can usu-
ally be maintained with a pressure drop across the venturi of
15% of the inlet absolute pressure. The divergent portion of
FLOW METERING the sonic venturi recovers part of the velocity head. Thus,
variations in the downstream pressure do not affect the flow
A valve-flowmeter is a version of the digital valve that is rate.
equipped with flow sensing nozzles or orifices in each ele- The flow measurement is so accurate under these condi-
ment (flow port). tions that a digital valve-based flowmeter can be used as a
transfer standard for calibrating other flow meters. An exam-
Gas Flow ple of such installations is an 8 in. (200 mm) digital valve-
flowmeter equipped with sonic venturis that has been
When gas is flowing through a “sonic venturi” and the inlet installed in a power plant fuel line to act as a combination
pressure is high enough to induce sonic flow at the vena pressure regulator and fuel flowmeter (Figure 6.18i).
contracta (throat) of the venturi, that condition is called
“choked flow.” Under such conditions, the rate of gas flow Liquid Flow
will only be dependent on the inlet conditions (i.e., absolute
temperature and absolute pressure) of the flowing gas. When An orifice can be installed in each element, and the differ-
a “sonic venturi” is installed in each of the ports of a digital ential pressure across the digital valve can be used as a
valve (Figure 6.18h), the “choked flow” at each port is inde- measure of the fluid flow through the open port area. Digital
pendent of the downstream pressure. valves can be used as wide-range flowmeters by controlling
the valve opening to maintain a constant pressure drop across
the valve. Thus, a low-pressure drop-based measurement can
provide a very wide flow range (up to 16,000:1 or more).

CONCLUSIONS

In summation, digital valves can provide high resolution,

very fast response, exact repeatability, and very wide range.
They can also be equipped with flow elements to provide
both measurement and control of flow. Recommended appli-
cations are flow blending, compressor surge control, gas
FIG. 6.18h meter-regulators, transfer-standard flow provers, and precise
The sonic venturi element. liquid flow rate measurement and control. In fact they are

© 2006 by Béla Lipták


appropriate any place where speed, accuracy, and high reso-
lution are needed and the process fluid is clean.
Reference
1. Langill, A. W., “New Control Valve Accepts Digital Signals,” Control
Engineering, August 1969.
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6.18 Valve Types: Digital Valves 1289
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