Anthony Cox's blog : Damper Actuators: What You Should Know
These are powerful devices that are designed to seamlessly handle a damper. They also work by adjusting the flow of smoke and air in the damper. Basically, there are two types of damper actuators, which are pneumatic and electric. The main distinguishing feature of the electric damper actuator is in terms of output.
Different choices are available, and they include 2 to 10 VDC, 0 to 12 VDC, and 4-20 mA. The most common options that you’ll find today include products that have features like direct action, thermal protection, reverse action, and low-power consumption.
On the other hand, the pneumatic damper features a start point which is measured in pounds per square inch (psi). Also, its span offers a direct function similar to that of a feedback spring. For some products, the spring basically has a design that allows it to offer the same level of force for both the return strokes and power.
In general, Damper Actuators and special smoke and fire damper actuators are also available in different stores today.
Specifications to note
Before you select any damper actuator, it’s important to take note of the key specifications of the product. The key parameters that you should look out for include operation, torque, and supply voltage.
The torque, which is the range of output that is required, is mostly measured in inch-pounds (in-lbs). This implies that for every force, the torque is the product of the vector from one point of reference to another application point. In the case of multiple forces, it is the vector sum of all the torque values on every force.
Supply voltage on the other hand is used to refer to the nominal voltage that the motor receives. Operation is used in referring to the temperature, which can be measured in Celsius or Fahrenheit, and it’s an indicative feature of the temperature ranges within the damper actuators.
Another key thing to note is that damper actuators have specifications for position feedback and also for shaft diameter. The shaft diameter is measured in inches, and it’s an indicative feature of the diameter of the table or that of the output shaft. As mentioned earlier, there are also specifications for the position feedback, and damper actuators usually have devices like potentiometers or encoders which is for the angular position feedback.
Potentiometers are electronic components that restrict the flow of direct current or AC current, which encoders convert data or signals to codes. The key types of encoders are absolute rotary, incremental rotary, digital, and linear.
These are the basic things that you should know about damper actuators, and in addition to all that we have mentioned above, the key thing you should always remember is that the main types of damper actuators are linear and digital.
