Research on screw in cartridge valves using piezoelectric actuator

The research was carried out to discuss the possibility of using piezoelectric (PZT) actuator for screw in cartridge valves. Main smart materials were introduced briefly and the PZT stack was selected as the best actuator for cartridge valves. The concept of a spool valve piloted by a PZT valve was brought forward. The mathematical model of a hydraulic system including a spool valve piloted by the PZT valve was developed and incorporated into Simulink, and its simulation results were given. The performance of the PZT valve prototype was tested. The test results showed that the PZT valve was successful in switching a high flow spool valve and the result closely matched the theoretical simulation. One method was proposed to improve the response time of the spool valve piloted by the PZT valve.