In this guide we’ll walk you through everything there is to know about actuators.
From the basics of how it works to step-by-step repairs and troubleshooting, you’ll gain a solid foundation of knowledge on how to operate and maintain Kimray’s actuators.
Use the table of contents to skip to different sections of the learning path.
Kimray's Electric Actuator is helping energy producers increase efficiency, lower their emissions, and improve their operator safety.
Let's walk through the basics of calibrating for your specific control valve.
We’ve made ordering the new electric actuator very easy. There are four options to choose from based on the connection size of your valve body. The yoke with the stem and coupling block changes sizes, but everything above the silver band remains the same on all models.
To mount the actuator, simply thread the four bolts into the valve body in any direction convenient for access. If you purchase it as a control valve package it will already be mounted for you.
First, remove the lid. On the circuit board, wire the power supply into the positive and negative voltage input, labeled VI+ and VI- on the board. This is a 12-24V DC input and requires a 10 Amp overcurrent protection device.
After the connection is complete and the power is turned on, the green LED will turn on.
The actuator is equipped with a battery backup, which comes unplugged. After power is supplied to the board, you can plug in this battery.
It requires a minimum of 16 volts to charge. If you’re using 12 volts, the battery backup will not be applied.
Also note that if your wire size is incorrect, or the distance from the power source to the actuator is too long, there is potential for voltage drop issues.
It’s important to not calibrate the actuator before it has been mounted. Without a hard stop, the linear screw can go past set point and must be readjusted.
Now that you have mounted and powered it up, you're ready to calibrate it to your valve body size.
When calibration is complete, it will take you to the home screen and that’s it—35 seconds and your actuator is calibrated for a 2” valve body. This will vary by a few seconds depending on valve body sizes.
Should you ever need to recalibrate from the home screen press right until you get to Reset Menu, press "DOWN" to reach Calibrate Valve, and follow the same process outlined above.
You can set the actuator up for discrete, analog or Modbus operation. Reverse protection is included in the hardware, so if the inputs are accidentally connected in reverse, the board won't function, but it won’t be damaged.
Discrete operation is like a light switch—it’s either on or off, or in this case, open or closed.
On the board you’ll see D1+, D1-, D2+, and D2-.
Out of the box, the electric actuator comes enabled with discrete 1 as your primary controller and discrete 2 as an override. What this means is that if there is a signal to discrete 2, it will prioritize that signal over discrete 1 and override what discrete 1 is communicating to it.
As an example, in an oil and gas application, discrete 1 could be used for level control in a separator, with discrete 2 as a high-level shut down. Let’s say discrete 1 is wired to an electric liquid level controller and discrete 2 is wired to a level switch above the level controller set point. If the liquid level rises to the level switch due to a malfunction of the level controller, it will override the signal coming from the level controller and shut the valve.
If that’s the type of application you want to use it for, wire the level controller in to D1+ and D1- and the level switch to D2+ and D2-. These need to be active inputs of 8-30 Volts.
You know your connection is complete when the green LED is on.
If you don’t need that override signal, you can just wire discrete 1 and it will function without a discrete 2 signal.
The power supply you are using for voltage in can also be used for your discrete signal power with the use of a jumper. When installing a jumper make sure power is disconnected from the actuator.
If discrete is like a light switch, think of analog operation like a dimmer—it may be partially open instead of only on or off.
When set up for analog, the actuator will be able to control span. This means that any 4-20 milliamp device will be able to control the actuator between 0-100% fully open and closed.
For example, say you want to set it up for a level controller on a separator, and you want to keep a set point where the valve doesn’t fully close or open but modulates. In this scenario, you would wire your level controller to analog positive and negative. The actuator knows what to do with that information and will act accordingly.
Analog input wires should have loop power provided by the user or the controller. Because this actuator implements an isolated 4-20 milliamp input loop, the same power supply for Voltage-In (VI+ & VI-) can provide loop power.
To speak with an expert about Kimray's Electric Actuator or other zero emission solutions, contact your local Kimray store or authorized distributor.
Energy producers use products like Kimray's Electric Actuator to provide accurate, emissions-free control of their production processes. In this video, we'll learn how to wire it in and install it for operation in oil and gas applications.
To install and operate your Electric Actuator, you’ll need two things:
For this example, we are using an Electric Pilot and a Pressure Transducer. If you are using a transducer, make sure you are using the correct size for your conditions.
Now that wiring is completed, we can select our set points. This will be done with either your PLC and a laptop or an Electric Pilot.
For this example, we will be setting it up for back pressure regulation. The set up for pressure reducing regulation is very similar.
Now your pilot, actuator, and valve are set up for back pressure regulation. You can leave the pilot on this screen, and it will move to standby mode after approximately four minutes.
If you ever need to change your Set Value, you won’t need to run autotune again. You will only need to do that if you change your valve or trim size.
The setup process with the electric pilot is similar for other applications.
If you have any questions about how to set up your Electric Actuator or the components you will need on your specific site, contact our Product Support team.
Kimray's Rotary to Linear (R2L) Valve Package featuring the Valvcon Electric Actuator is a smart, durable, and cost-effective solution for zero-emission valve control.
In this video, Kimray Product Manager Alex Crow demonstrates how to install and calibrate a Valvcon Electric Actuator. You can find step-by-step instructions below.
If control signal to the actuator is lost but external power is still applied, the Signal Fail position selector switch provides options for the actuator: Zero, which is 4mA, Span, which is 20mA, or Last, which is the position the valve was in when the signal was lost.
The Valvcon Actuator is also equip with a back-up battery. If power to the actuator is lost, the Power Fail controls switch provides options for the actuator:
To speak with an expert about your Valvcon actuator or other zero emissions solutions, contact your local Kimray store or authorized distributor.
The Tritex II Electric Actuator can be used to provide electric control on any open-close or modulating application.
In this video, Alex shows how to set up the Tritex II with a 4-20 mA signal for your RTU, Scada system, or the Electric Pilot.
This step is dependent on the status of the Actuator. This can be viewed in the status bar at the bottom of the software home page.
On the Input Function Control Window on the right side of the screen:
Options Tab
Faults Enables Tab
Limits Tab
Operating Modes Tab
Dedicated Move Tab
Position Limits Tab
You have now created a standard program for installing and calibrating a Tritex II Electric Actuator. Well done!
To flash the software on multiple actuators, simply hook the laptop to each actuator via the communication cable and press the “down arrow” button located on the menu bar to store the modified parameters to the actuator.
If you have any questions about this process, the Tritex II Electric Actuator, or other zero emission solutions, contact your local Kimray store or authorized distributor.
Actuators Learning Path
Tips & Troubleshooting
