How does a poppet valve work?

Poppet valves are often associated with pressure control equipment and applications for directional control, within high-flow, fast-acting applications. Process Industry Forum spoke to MGA Controls, based in West Lancashire, to understand the importance of poppet valves and how they work within several industrial applications.

Poppet valve working principle

A poppet valve is essentially a plug in a sink. When you remove the plug, the flow path opens and allows media to pass through the valve quickly and easily.

Poppet valves are usually made up of a flat disk of metal with a long rod, known as the valve stem. The stem is used to push down on the valve and open it, with a string generally used to close it when the stem is not being pushed on. This stem can be moved by a variety of actuators, including a pilot, manual, mechanical, or solenoid operators, depending on the application at hand.

Poppet valve design and usage

Poppet valves are commonly used in engines, with a slender stem and a mushroom-shaped head. Within a piston engine, they work by opening and closing the intake and exhaust ports in a cylinder head. The engine manoeuvres these valves by pushing on the stems with cams and cam followers. The valve life, and how quickly (or slowly) the valve is opened, is determined by the shape and position of the cam.

Maxseal Poppet Valve ICO2S, ICO3S, & ICO4S

MGA Controls can supply many different types of solenoid valves, including the Maxseal poppet valve range of ICO2S, ICO3S, and ICO4S solenoid valve range. As prominent manufacturers of solenoid valves from the IMI Norgren family, Maxseal provide stainless steel direct acting solenoid valves, designed and manufactured with reliability and durability in mind.

Maxseal valves are renowned for performing incredibly well in hazardous environments and have been installed in manufacturing plants all over the world. The range of Maxseal valves include:

ICO3S Series

The Maxseal ICO3S valve series is a 3/2-way direct acting solenoid poppet valve that delivers high-performance for use within extremely demanding applications. These applications include: oil & gas, offshore, chemical, and refinery applications.

The key characteristics of the ICO3S valve range include:

• 3/2-way direct acting poppet valve
• Stainless steel body and coil housing
• 12-bar maximum inlet pressure
• ATEX EEx as standard
• Wide range of voltages available
• Ultimate reliability.

ICO4S Series

The Maxseal ICO4S solenoid-operated valve is a 2/2, 3/2 or 5/2-way direct acting poppet valve that has been designed to offer a high-level of performance, even in demanding applications.

This valve is manufactured from high-grade 316L stainless steel and can accept inlet pressure of 20 Bbr. This valve range is available with various sealing materials, depending on the applications. MGA Controls can provide different versions to suit applications of over 400-bar media pressure.

The key characteristics of the ICO4S valve range include:

• Stainless steel 316L body
• Up to 414-bar inlet pressure
• ATEX EEx d IIC T6 as standard
• 2/2, 3/2 and 5/2-way options
• 1/4” and 1/2” G or NPT options
• Intrinsically safe option available
• Various voltage options are available.

MGA Controls stock a range of poppet valves, with many available on next day delivery from the high levels of stock held at their Burscough site. MGA Controls have the technical expertise to help you make the correct choice of poppet valve for your application.