Emerson solenoid pilot valves ideal for actuator control in highly corrosive environments

The ASCO Series 327 direct operated solenoid valve from Emerson, is a universal valve available in multiple variations of material, power flow and certification and has the capability to reduce power consumption of up to 50% and reduce future installation costs.

The series 327 is suitable for a wide variety of applications, such as actuator piloting, compressor unloading and utilities control. Using this, Emerson were able to assist a customer who were suffering unplanned downtime caused by a failure of a solenoid valve on a scotch yoke actuator, which was controlling a large and critical on/off valve.

The affected customer had been looking for a replacement solenoid valve that was proven on similar applications, after the valve they were using previously failed because of a build-up of dirt on the valve internals. The dirt had entered the valve due to it’s construction, which relied on a breather hole that was open to the atmosphere.

An EX’d rated direct acting ASCO series 327 solenoid valve proved to be the answer as it has a non-breathing design, so the internals are not affected by dirt or corrosive elements from the external atmosphere. What’s more, in applications where the pneumatic air may have entrained particles, the special PTFE guiding ring reduces the risk of internal friction and sticking and instead of using the O-rings that deteriorate, causing increased friction that in time can prevent the valve from functioning, the 327 series uses double-delta seals, which allow for lower power coils to be used instead which in themselves can help to improve operating lifetime.

For customers such as this, there is the benefit of improved uptime and even in the exceptional case that the valve may require maintenance, the series 327 coil is field replaceable, meaning the solenoid valve can stay in line and the pneumatic connections do not need to be broken. In addition to this, the customer was able to reduce the power consumption of the valve by almost 50%, from 15W to 8W, thanks to the low spring force of the series 327 solenoid valve. This alone saved the customer cost on future installations, as thinner cables are required and there is no need for intermediate relays.

The latest version of the ASCO series 327 is NACE compliant, which makes the valve more suitable for upstream oil and gas applications including safety systems, with the whole series 327 designed for safety and reliability.

The series is available with a wide range of explosion-proof options and certifications that make is suitable for almost any situation

You can learn more about the features of series 327, by visiting the series 327 webpage.