Portable Valve Actuators Blog

A battery powered portable valve actuator with unlimited autonomy!

Written by Damien Coissieux | Mar 15, 2021 9:28:03 AM

An electric actuator for operating valves

The MC89 portable valve actuator is a versatile mobile actuator that can be used in any field. It is compact and equipped with two types of 18V batteries as standard: 5.2 Ah and 6.2 Ah, offering an autonomy of about 45 minutes on average. This when the actuator is used at medium torque.

The main advantage of the batteries is that they can be used almost anywhere. Our actuator is particularly appreciated on site in the waste water sector, paper mills, chemical, process, petrochemical, ... but also on site outside on drinking water networks to handle buried valves. The management of runoff water (canals and rivers), and many outdoor uses. In these last cases, no energy source is required. We also offer a portable actuator equipped with a thermal motor: the PY68.

Our electric actuator is not certified for an explosive atmosphere (Atex zone). In this case, we offer a range of pneumatic actuators that can be certified for ATEX zone II.

A hybrid electric actuator to handle battery or mains operated valves

The use of batteries allows an unlimited autonomy, combining the number of available batteries and sufficient in number to be able to work without interruption. However, it is still necessary to have the batteries charged!

Always listening to our customers' requests, and to overcome this battery problem, we have developed a mains power supply for our MC89 electric portable valve actuator in order to offer you an alternative to battery power only.

The BAT147 AC power supply is composed of a battery that clips in place of the standard battery, but it is equipped with a 100V - 240V wire connection in order to be able to connect to an outlet. Thus offering an unlimited autonomy. This is a very good solution when you want to be sure that even if you forget to charge the batteries, you can intervene on site as soon as an electrical source is present.

We had received many requests from customers who were faced with specifications that included an obligation of result on the closing or opening of valves. Also, the battery solution did not satisfy them. Indeed, the use of batteries requires that they be charged at the time of use. In the case of a punctual use, we can be faced with an impossible manipulation for lack of charged battery. Of course, the wired solution has been considered.
But in this case, the use of the actuator is limited to sites equipped with a power source.


With our mains power supply, there is no longer a compromise between possible use where a power source is not present and emergency use, on site, even when the batteries are empty.

 

Our power sector offers exactly the same electrical characteristics as the battery power supply so as not to damage the actuator or limit performance. However, there is a drop in the maximum torque that we achieve with the batteries. 95 N.m for our MC89E-011 and 425/640 Nm for the MC89S-077 version. This is largely superior to the maximum torque allowed on a large number of valves and does not represent a brake on the use of this tool.

It should be noted that even if this power supply offers an almost unlimited autonomy, our MC89 is an Easy and Standard duty actuator. It cannot be used intensively on a maximum torque and speed. Indeed, on such a power range, the device allows to unblock a recalcitrant valve, but will not be able to run for a long time because we reach the limits of the motor performances.

In order to compensate for this, if you need a high power (high torque and high speed over a long period of time), we have the JA73 actuator range which is perfect for this type of use, as you can see on the document below:

You can see that our MC89 has a lower power range than the JA73, although it is versatile and can occasionally offer high torque and/or speed. If you need to cover a more intensive use (high torque and/or high speed), it is recommended to use a JA73.

Technical characteristics of the BAT147:


Equipped with an AC transformer, you can connect it to an electrical network from 100 v to 240 v AC and provides an output voltage of 18 V DC, necessary for the operation of our MC89.

As standard, we have equipped the power supply with a type E plug. But we adapt to the constraints of our customers and the country in which the equipment will be used. Therefore, we will provide a type B plug for the United Kingdom, type A or B for the USA.

Equipped with IP54 protection, our power supply is dust and splash proof. You will not be limited by its use in case of on-site intervention.