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Heat automatically closes pneumatic safety valve

Aug. 7, 2013

Shape memory alloy causes a valve to close automatically when threshold temperature is applied.

For safety reasons, many piping systems for hazardous or flammable fluids use pneumatically operated quarter-turn actuators — to avoid bringing electricity into the area. Assured Automation, Clark, N. J., offers its Firechek FC-4 shutoff valve to add another level of safety to these installations. When mounted in the pneumatic supply line, the FC-4 responds to heat in the event of a fire and automatically vents the downstream quarter-turn actuator to close the supply line..

Inside the FC-4, an alloy element with shape memory undergoes a martensitic phase transformation when it is heated above 135° F. This change releases stored strain energy to produce the necessary force to shift the valve; no other power source is involved. Actuation time is 25 sec or less when the rate of temperature rise is 30° F/min. For testing, the FireChek FC-4 can be actuated with a hot-air gun, then, after a cool-down period, reset manually for continued protection.

The FC-4 is only 2.59-in. high with a 1-in. diameter, so it fits easily into most new or retrofit piping arrangements. Standard connection ports are ¼-18 NPT. It is rated for 125 psig and will discharge 1 l of air in less than 1 sec at that pressure.

For more information on Assured Automation's FireChek safety shutoff valve, , call Assured Automation at (800) 899-0553 or click here.