Electronic pressure regulators have many advantages over mechanical regulators. A mechanical regulator will maintain pressure downstream, most effectively with constant flow rates. However, downstream flow and pressure will often fluctuate in most applications. Pumps and compressors deliver pulses, and the pressure will fluctuate with demand. When a mechanical pressure regulator lacks accuracy or can’t respond fast enough, […]
From their beginnings in the 1970s, mass flow controllers have come a long way in terms of their efficiency and capabilities. In the 1980s, the semiconductor industry was the biggest consumer of controllers. Then in the 1990s, manufacturers began making them more rugged and durable to suit more industrial applications. The early 2000s saw the […]
In a variety of settings, nurses are becoming more likely to care for patients on mechanical ventilators. This is because patients on a mechanical ventilator have special needs that nurses must attend to. While this is not typical for a nurse, the role now further expands into that of a technician due to advances in […]
Pneumatic flow control valves circulate air and gases throughout a larger pneumatic system by either allowing or inhibiting the flow of pressurized air. The function of proportional valves falls into a wide spectrum somewhere between on/off solenoid valves and electrohydraulic servo valves. With proportional valves, output flow isn’t exactly linear in relation to the control signal. Despite their nonlinear nature, proportional valves offer an […]
Traditional electronic pressure regulators typically employ a dual on/off valve design, with both an inlet and exhaust valve. Changes in pressure are controlled by cycling the on/off valves to open and close via Pulse Width Modulation. Using Pulse Width Modulation can be problematic for control systems for various reasons. Problems associated with using pulse width […]
