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What are Electro Hydraulic Servo Valves and Solenoid Operated Valves?
Asked 4 years, 10 months ago Active 4 years, 10 months ago Viewed 8k times

What is Electro Hydraulic Servo Valve (EHSV) and Solenoid Operated Valve (SOV)? Also what is the
difference between these two valves?
7 Basically, these two are used to control the hydraulic fluid in actuators. I am working on a aircraft program
where SOV are used in Aileron, Elevator & Rudder actuators while EHSV are used in Multi-Function
Spoilers [or just spoiler]. I think someone explains these two valve basics would provide me the reason
for the selection of these valve to control the hydraulic actuators.

aircraft-design flight-controls aircraft-maintenance

share improve this question follow edited Jul 23 '15 at 20:13 asked Jul 23 '15 at 19:36
mgkrebbs ToUsIf
559 6 11 1,159 2 14 22

1 Someone else can probably provide a better answer, but the short version is that a SOV is either open or closed,
providing on/off control for something while the EHSV can be commanded to be fully open, fully closed, or anywhere
in between (usually via a variable voltage input or "pulses" of electricity to tell it to open or close by a fixed amount),
providing control over "how much" instead of just on/off. – Lnafziger Jul 23 '15 at 19:55

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1 Answer Active Oldest Votes

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A solenoid is an induction-based actuator. In its simplest form it is a magnetic rod inside a coil
Run a current through the wire and you create a magnetic field that creates a force on the rod, moving it
9 one direction or the other. The force with which this occurs is proportional to the current through the
inductor (audio speakers use this exact same principle to make the cone vibrate).

A solenoid-operated valve usually functions as a simple gate; the solenoid mechanism pulls or pushes a
simple flat valve allowing the fluid to pass through or not. It's technically possible, but not usually feasible,
to use a solenoid as a variable valve; for it to be accurate would require very low friction so the current
applied to the solenoid (and thus the force on the valve) could be varied to produce smooth variations in
valve position.

Solenoid-operated valves are typically used as triggers for larger mechanisms, including the
electrohydraulic servo valve.

An electrohydraulic servovalve uses electrical current to move a "flapper", similar to a solenoid. The
flapper controls the flow of hydraulic fluid to one side or the other of a spool valve. That moves the spool
valve, allowing the supply pressure to feed an actuator cylinder, moving it one way or the other. However,
that same movement also allows hydraulic pressure to return up to the flapper, providing a countering
hydraulic force to the electrical force that moved it, called "negative feedback". Eventually these forces
balance, and the flapper re-centers, closing the spool valve. The net result is that the actuator cylinder
has moved a certain set distance, proportional to the strength of the input current.
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These valves are used to provide smooth, high-strength motion in a hydraulic system. This type of valve,
for instance, can be used to move the control surfaces of a large airliner, without requiring high-pressure
hydraulic lines or tensioned cables to link the hydraulic system to the yoke in the cockpit. Instead, the
yoke (or sidestick) controls the current through electrical wires leading to the EHSVs. That link is much
easier to maintain (and cheaper to build in the first place) than older systems on previous generations of
aircraft.

share improve this answer follow answered Jul 23 '15 at 22:46

KeithS
21.4k 3 68 115

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