Proportional Valve Actuator

R2026b

Power-controlled valve actuator in any fluid domain

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Proportional Valve Actuator block

To add a block to a model, double-click the canvas and start typing the block name. Then, select the block from the list.

Libraries:
Simscape / Fluids / Valve Actuators

Description

The Proportional Valve Actuator block models a power-controlled actuator used in conjunction with a valve block in any fluid domain. You can use it in combination with any valve block that takes a physical signal as input. The signal to open or close the valve is received at port A. The opening distance for a connected valve is returned as a physical signal at port S.

You can adjust the opening or closing magnitude with the Actuator gain parameter. A first-order lag in time is applied to the actuation distance:

$$\frac{\left(IG-d\right)}{\tau },$$

where:

• IG is the signal received at port A multiplied by the Actuator gain. Outside of the valve stroke limits, IG is the Valve stroke if fully extended and the negative Valve stroke if fully retracted.

• d is the current actuator position.

• τ is the Time constant.

Examples

Servo Valve with Custom Fidelity

Compares the mechanical performance of various spool actuation configurations and model fidelity levels for a hydraulic 4-way 3-position directional valve. The directional valve controls a simple double-acting cylinder in a closed-loop application. This example allows you to choose among four different spool actuation designs:

• Open Model

Ports

Input

A — Valve opening signal

physical signal

Physical signal that indicates valve opening or closing, specified as a physical signal. The signal is multiplied by the Actuator gain value.

Programmatic Use

Port: A

Output

S — Valve opening distance, m

physical signal

Opening distance for the connected valve, in m, specified as a physical signal.

If you use the Proportional Valve Actuator block with a valve from the Gas Library, the gas block converts the actuator signal units of m to units of 1.

Programmatic Use

Port: S

Parameters

Actuator gain — Input signal multiplier

5e-4 m (default) | positive scalar

Input signal multiplier for the valve opening distance.

Programmatic Use

Parameter: gain

Time constant — Opening signal time constant

0.01 s (default) | positive scalar

Constant that captures the time required to reach steady-state conditions during actuation. This parameter impacts the response lag to the valve opening or closing signal.

Programmatic Use

Parameter: time_constant

Valve stroke — Maximum valve opening distance

0.005 m (default) | positive scalar

Maximum opening distance of the connected valve.

Programmatic Use

Parameter: valve_stroke

Programmatic Use: Add Block

To add the block programmatically, use the add_block function with one of these library block paths as the source.

"SimscapeFluids_lib/Valve Actuators/Proportional Valve Actuator"

Example: add_block("SimscapeFluids_lib/Valve Actuators/Proportional Valve Actuator","myModel/myBlock",MakeNameUnique="on")

For information about programmatic access to individual block parameters, see the Programmatic Use section of parameter descriptions on this page.

Extended Capabilities

C/C++ Code Generation
Generate C and C++ code using Simulink® Coder™.

Version History

Introduced in R2020a