Valve position Sensing with CPI Switches

One of the more creative uses of CPI waterproof limit switches is their use as position sensors on a wide variety of both manually operated, and servomotor control valves. These valves may be used to regulate the flow of everything from water and oil, to waste product on a sailboat.

In general, valve position feedback is critical for a number of common reasons.

1. Verification of open or closed status back to central control panel
2. Generation of alarms if valve not in correct state for some operations.
3. Control of upstream equipment like pumps who should only be pumping if the valve is truly open.
4. Failsafe detection should the valve become stuck open or closed.

And because valves like this are usually deployed in boiler rooms, engine rooms, factory areas or below deck at sea, the switching solution needs to be robust and dependable. For these applications, CPI has developed custom mounting brackets over the years, that interface with valves in a number of off the shelf configurations.

Seacock Valve Application:

In this application, the seacock valve is attached to a pump which should only activate when the valve is open, otherwise the waste line could burst and smelly waste material would pour into the bilgewater. Typically the bilge valve is manually actuated but it could be servo driven and our switch would work as well.

In this application, CPI’s simulated roller lever actuator controls one of our waterproof momentary switches, allowing the pump to run only when it is in the open position. The E1354-501 is commonly used for this, but any of our sealed electrical switches can be used depending on the electrical and mechanical parameters of the application. In this application, one of our B-Series Waterproof pendant switches is mounted into our standard flush mount angle bracket. This assembly is further mounted to a plate designed to be easily bolted to the valve switch assembly, reusing its own mounting bolts.

For more information on position detection for your valve control applications, please call our team today! https://www.cpi-nj.com

This blog was originally published at https://www.cpi-nj.com/valve-position-sensing-with-cpi-switches/