FLOWS AND FLOW CHARACTERISTICS OF SPOOL VALVE

Abstract

Both experimental and numerical investigations were undertaken on a spool valve to clarify the flow characteristics.Numerical analysis has been carried out by the finite-volume method (FVM) in a wide range of Reynolds numbers andvalve openings on the assumption that the flow in the spool valve is unsteady, laminar, incompressible and axial symmetric.The measurement tests have been conducted to investigate the flow force, flow coefficient and velocity coefficient. Tounderstand the flow configuration in the spool valve, flow visualization tests have also been done. Numerical results are ingood agreement with experimental ones. Thus, the numerical predictions can be used for spool valve design.