Flow rate regulator

Water flow regulator is a direct-acting pipeline fitting that is designed to maintain a specified volumetric flow rate (m³/h). The constant water flow rate is achieved by maintaining a stable pressure drop across a throttling element with a fixed hydraulic resistance.

Applications

Regulators are installed in systems with a static hydraulic regime to limit water consumption and balance:

• In single-pipe heating systems, the installation of flow regulators achieves uniform heating, and together with electric drives, weather-dependent control of the heating system.
• In air heating and cooling systems, regulators are installed on supply lines to cassette fan coils, together with electric drives, for balancing and controlling the thermal regime.

Advantages

• High accuracy in maintaining flow rate
• Easy adjustment
• Suitable for repair
• Does not require external sources of energy
• Does not require technical maintenance

Disadvantages

• Complex construction
• High sensitivity of flow regulators to mechanical impurities in the water, requiring the mandatory installation of a mesh filter directly in front of the valve.
• The minimum pressure drop required for the flow regulator to operate is approximately 3-5 kPa.

Similar names

• Water flow rate regulator
• Automatic balancing valve
• Water consumption regulator
• Maximum flow limiter

What can it be replaced with

The direct-acting regulator can be replaced with an indirect-acting flow regulator, which consists of a programmable controller, flow sensor, and regulating valve, but due to their complexity and cost, such regulators are only used in exceptional cases.

A balancing or regulating valve together with a pressure drop regulator.

Combined regulators

Some manufacturers of flow regulators provide the possibility of additional installation of an electric drive, which effectively replaces the regulating valve and the regulator that maintains a constant pressure drop on it. The flow regulator with an electric drive allows limiting the maximum allowable water flow rate and creating an optimal regime for the regulating valve with an authority close to one.