Solenoid Air Valves
People are sometimes quite ingenious when it comes to inventions. Who would ever have thought that a simple coil of metal could be used effectively to control the flow of air or liquids inside a valve? Nothing more than a coil of conductive metal and a current is necessary for a solenoid air valve to do its work as effectively as any other valve. There are no handles to turn and no levers to pull. All it needs is a switch - like a light switch - to open and close and the valve.
The secret lies in the many physical phenomena that are pat of our world. A solenoid is, basically stated, a coil of wire made from some sort of conductive material. The advantage of this coil of metal is that when a current is passed through it, the coil becomes electromagnetically charged. This electromagnetism the forces the coils of the wire closer together making the entire solenoid contract. In essence, the solenoid 'moves' closer itself as it becomes smaller. It is this basis of electric energy being turned into mechanical energy that allows solenoid air valves to work the way they do.
A solenoid air valve, like most other air valves, has a singular purpose: to control the flow or air or gasses through a system. Whether it is part of some industrial process or simply as part of a ventilation system, the valves allow people to control the flow of air. The incoming air fills a compartment above a diaphragm through a small hole in the diaphragm. The higher pressure in the compartment pushes down on the diaphragm that is held in place by a weak spring that seals the valve. A small pin seals a small outlet pipe and is controlled by the solenoid. When the solenoid contracts, it pulls the pin up and allows air to escape from the outlet pipe. This reduction in pressure allows the incoming air to push open the diaphragm and allows the air to flow. Once the solenoid is turned off, the pin resets its position, pressure builds up in the compartment again, and the diaphragm closes. The amount of current passing through the solenoid determines how far the pin moves and, thus, how much air can pass through.
While the above is a very simple explanation of how a solenoid air valve operates, it does get the gist of the operation across. Electrical energy is turned, via electromagnetism, into mechanical energy. The mechanical energy becomes the action that opens and closes the valve and allows a person to control the flow or air or gasses. In industries where often toxic gases are used in production, the solenoid air valve allows a person to operate a valve without actually being close to the gas being transported at all! It is both safe and easy to use making life a whole lot easier. And all that because of a small coil of wire.
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