Introduction

Directional Control Valve

Directional control valves are the most widely used valves in power circuits. Many people are
confused by the schematic symbol representations, and have difficulty understanding the terms
ways, positions, and operators. Learning to read schematic drawings is similar to learning a
foreign language. To the trained eye, a symbol speaks volumes even when no words are
present. This chapter attempts to take away some of the confusion and apparent magic of fluid
power schematic drawings, and thus help make designing and maintaining fluid power systems
easier.
Directional control valves can only perform three functions which are, stop or block fluid flow
allow fluid flow and change direction of fluid flow.
Check Valves
At first glance, the valve type shown in Figure 10-1 does not appear to be a directional control
valve. However, check valves do allow flow in one direction and block flow the opposite
direction. Use a check valve in any line where back flow cannot be tolerated. Also pilot operated
check valves can be shifted by an external source to allow reverse flow or stop free flow.

Spool-type directional control valves

For circuits with flows less than 100 gpm, the most common hydraulic directional
control valves use a spool-like internal member to direct flow. (Many air valves also
use a spool, due to the advantages offered by this design.) The cutaway views in
Figure 10-17 show some simplified spool arrangements and terms associated with
this valve. Notice that counting the number of ports that carry working fluid on the
cutaway or symbol gives the number of ways the valve has. A 2-ported valve is a 2way valve and a 5-ported valve is a 5-way valve.

All valves in Figure 10-17 are two position as shown by two boxes in the symbol. As
stated before, a 2-way valve can have only two positions because it can only stop or
allow flow. All other valves are able to have three positions, while 4-way valves can
have four positions in special cases. A 5-way valve is a special case mainly used in
pneumatic applications where an extra exhaust port is not a problem. Notice that a
4-way valve has five ports but its tank ports are internally connected to eliminate an
extra port in the body. This is important in hydraulic valves because it reduces
piping and potential leak points.

Fig. 10-17. Views of a variety of valve spool configurations, with their symbols. (All
have palm-button operators.)

Spool valve advantages

The main advantage of spool valves is that fluid entering the valve from any
working port does not affect spool movement. The poppet in a poppet valve can
have pressure on one side and only a light spring on the other. This can result in
premature movement of the poppet when pressure enters a port. In a spool valve,
pressure always is applied to two equal opposing areas or the edge of a land. Thus
pressure forces that could move the spool are cancelled or non-existent. This means
that a spool valve can be shifted manually, electrically, mechanically,
pneumatically, or hydraulically with the same force regardless of the operating
pressure. Low-force solenoids can be used because the most they need to overcome
is mechanical friction and light springs.

Spool valve disadvantages

Many spool valves are designed with metal-to-metal sliding fits. As a result, some
fluid may bypass these seals. If this happens, an actuator may not hold its position
if outside forces are applied. It also means wasted energy and resulting heat. (Many
pneumatic valves use some sort of resilient seal in the body and/or on the spool to
eliminate air leaks.) To reduce bypass, spool valves have land overlap, so as they
start shifting to open a flow path, there is a delay before fluid starts flowing. The
delay only lasts for milliseconds and does not cause a problem -- unless the cycle is
very fast and/or there are several valve shifts per cycle.

Another time delay occurs when a spool shifts to the end of its stroke. There is often
more movement than required for the flow needed. When the spool shifts back to
center or to the opposite flow path, it consumes more time to travel the extra
distance. This slows the cycle, especially when several valves are involved. Stroke
limiters that control maximum spool movement can eliminate this delay, but are
seldom seen in actual practice. The common fix for these problems is to speed up
traverse time by installing a larger pump. However, faster actuator movement can
add shock and heat due to higher energy input.

Spool-Type Solenoid Valves

Spool-type valves are available in 2-way 2-position, 3-way 2-position, 4-way 2-position, and 4-way 3
position configurations. For all these valves the spools are pressure balanced and are held in position by
a spring when de-energized. When the solenoid coil is energized, magnetic force overcomes the spring
and shifts the spool. As the spool moves, flow forces, also known as Bernoulli forces, act on the spool and
can prevent proper operation. These forces are a function of pressure and flow, and the catalog ratings
show the operating limits for each valve. These limits are based on the valves ability to shift at 85% of
nominal voltage at 140F ambient temperature. For this reason flow and pressure ratings for solenoid
spool valves should not be exceeded.

Two-way, two-position
Two-way, two-position spool-type valves are either normally open or normally closed.

Common applications for

two-way, two-position spool type solenoid valves are:

Unloading of a fixed-displacement pump.

Cylinder regeneration. When the two-way two-position spool valve is energized

the cylinder circuit is in regeneration mode for faster cylinder extension.

Two-speed motor (or cylinder) operation. By using multiple valves and circuit
logic, similar circuits can be used for three-speed, four-speed, etc.

Three-way, two-position
Three-way, two-position spool-type valves are available with a variety of porting and flow paths.

Common applications for three-way, two-position spool type solenoid valves:

Control of a single-acting cylinder, clutch, or brake.

Circuit selector

Pilot control for a large directional spool.

Use in combination to duplicate four-way, three-position valve functions,

creating low-cost, compact alternatives to subplate- or stack-type
directional control valves.

Four-way, two-position
Four-way, two-position spool-type valves are available with normally-open, normally closed, reversing,
and single-acting spool options.

Common applications for four-way, two-position spool type solenoid valves are:

Directional control for motors or cylinders.

Use in combination to duplicate four-way, three-position valve functions, creating low-cost,

compact alternatives to subplate- or stack type directional control valves.

Four-way, three-position

Four-way, three-position spool-type valves are available with normally-open, normally closed, motor, and
tandem spools.

These valves are typically used for directional control for motor or cylinder functions.

Typical series (or open-center) and parallel (or closed-center) circuits are shown below.

Parallel (closed-center) circuit