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Electro hydraulic actuators

HI

When to use electrohydraulic actuators over other types of actuators, is it the application or other requirements?  

What are the emerson Electro hydraulic actuators brand names? I know BITTI and BIFFI make ones, any difference between the two ? and is there other Emerson products? 

Thank you

1 Reply

  • Hi Yacine, and great question. Electro-hydraulic actuator technology is unique because it taps into the best of both worlds of electric and hydraulic actuators: electronic controls and feedback from electric actuators and precision and speed of operation from hydraulic actuators.

    When comparing electro-hydraulic actuators vs. other forms of actuators such as pneumatics or electrics, here are some things to think about:

    - Electro-hydraulic actuators run on electric power versus a pneumatic actuator which requires a clean, reliable air supply to operate.
    - Electro-hydraulic actuators are smaller in physical size than pneumatic actuators as electro-hydraulic utilizes hydraulic fluid vs. air to operate its system, so the physical cylinders for an electro-hydraulic actuator are smaller.
    - Electro-hydraulic typically has better control compared to pneumatic actuators as air is compressible while hydraulic fluid utilized by electro-hydraulics actuators are not compressible.
    - Electro-hydraulic does not have emissions as opposed to some pneumatic/gas powered actuator solutions.

    - Electro-hydraulic typically has lower power requirements than an electric actuator to operate the same size valves, especially for single phase power supplies.
    - Electro-hydraulic can be fitted with spring return actuators to provide a fail-safe stroke while an electric actuator typically cannot. The exception would be the RTS electric actuator that has a spring for fail-safe stroke.
    - Electro-hydraulic can have very fast stroking speeds as opposed to an electric actuator that has a limitation on speed based on motor RPM and gearing.

    Due to these benefits, you will find that electro-hydraulic actuators make a very strong case as an attractive solution for ESD(Emergency Shutdown) type applications where electricity is readily available and a fail-safe stroke is required. Even without electricity readily available, the low power consumption makes electro-hydraulics attractive for remote ESD applications as we can fit these types of actuators with manageable solar panels.

    Some common applications for electro-hydraulic actuators:
    - Liquid pipeline isolation or control valves
    - Tank farm isolation and protection
    - Green pipeline applications
    - Emergency shutdown pipeline applications
    - Gas storage applications

    We have a number of electro-hydraulic actuators to fit your needs that are branded Bettis(Bettis EHO), Biffi(EHA, EHP, EHT), and Shafer for custom HPU(Hydraulic Power Unit) systems.

    If you would like to learn more about electro-hydraulics, feel free to contact me at eric.yen@emerson.com or visit our website to learn about more on our offerings. You can search for Bettis EHO, our self-contained electro-hydraulic operator, EHA, EHP, EHT, or HPU systems as well.

    Eric Yen