AUMA SQVEx Variable-Speed Explosion-Proof Part-Turn Actuator

Overview

The AUMA SQVEx offers electric actuation with variable operating time in a version certified for potentially explosive atmospheres. AUMA positions the SQVEx .2 part-turn actuators for open-close duty and positioning duty, classes A and B, in short-time duty S2 – 15 min, which makes the SQVEx the variable-speed counterpart of the SQEx for valves that are mostly isolated but must move at a controlled speed. Its torque range is 150 Nm to 2,400 Nm, and the operating time for 90 degrees is adjustable from 4 s to 360 s, a range far wider than a fixed-speed actuator can offer.

In Oman and the GCC, Seven Star LLC proudly supplies the AUMA SQVEx to oil and gas, petrochemical and utility operators in the Sultanate of Oman and across the GCC. Hazardous-area isolation valves on long pipelines and at terminals near Sohar, Salalah and Muscat are exactly the type of application where a controlled stroke time protects the line, and where only certified equipment may be installed. We help project teams select the SQVEx where variable speed is needed and the SQEx where a fixed speed is sufficient.

Operating Principle

In the AUMA SQVEx, a motor drives a gear stage and splined output shaft in the familiar SQ .2 arrangement, but the motor speed is regulated electronically by the ACVExC controls instead of being fixed by the mains frequency. This lets the stroke time be set anywhere between 4 s and 360 s, and an operating time profile can shape the movement so that the valve is not slammed shut. AUMA lists the avoidance of pressure surge through an operating time profile, soft start and soft stop, and separate specified operating times for EMERGENCY behaviour and safety behaviour as standard properties of this variable-speed family.

The Ex protection concept is unchanged from other SQ explosion-proof devices: flameproof and increased-safety enclosures contain any internal ignition source and keep surface temperature within the specified class. Because the electronics of the AUMA SQVEx manage motor speed and torque, the drive also provides process information, including operation data logging and a Bluetooth interface to a notebook and Android tablet, allowing commissioning and diagnostics without opening the enclosure in a hazardous area, subject to site permit rules.

Engineering Design of the AUMA SQVEx

The AUMA SQVEx shares the SQ .2 platform with limit and torque sensing, mains connection in 1-phase and 3-phase versions, a handwheel for manual operation and a mechanical position indicator. Electrical connection is through the AUMA plug/socket connector, with terminals as an option, and cable entries come in different versions. Valve attachments conform to DIN and ISO standards, and the swing angle is adjustable from 75 to 105 degrees. The actuator is IP68 protected, uses KS corrosion protection and operates from −30 °C to +40 °C or +60 °C depending on the certified configuration.

Programmable potential-free output contacts for status signalling, fieldbus control, process controller (PID) and programmable behaviour in the event of communication loss form the interface package. Options include intermediate position switches, tandem switches, a position transmitter and a magnetic limit and torque transmitter. The dimension sheet covers SQVEx and SQRVEx 05.2 to 14.2 with ACVExC 01.2 controls, with variants for different electrical connection types.

Key Features

The AUMA SQVEx combines certified hazardous-area construction with variable stroke time. Its main features are as follows.

• Certified explosion protection under ATEX, FM and IECEx for potentially explosive atmospheres.
• Operating time for 90 degrees adjustable between 4 s and 360 s for controlled valve movement.
• Rated for open-close and positioning duty, classes A and B, short-time duty S2 – 15 min.
• Torque range of 150 Nm to 2,400 Nm for large butterfly, ball and plug valves.
• Soft start and stop and an operating time profile to avoid pressure surge in the pipeline.
• Separate operating times for EMERGENCY behaviour and safety behaviour.
• Fieldbus control, PID process controller and programmable behaviour in case of communication loss.
• Operation data logging, programmable potential-free contacts and Bluetooth interface for commissioning.

Industrial Applications

The AUMA SQVEx is well suited to hazardous-area shut-off valves that must close at a controlled rate. Examples include isolation valves on crude and product pipelines, tank farm inlet and outlet valves, loading arm and terminal valves, gas plant block valves and cooling-water isolation in refineries. Closing too quickly in such systems can create pressure transients that stress pipe supports, seals and instrumentation, and closing too slowly can compromise safety, so the ability to set the stroke time precisely, and to define a faster emergency response, is a practical benefit rather than a luxury.

In Oman and the GCC, Seven Star LLC supplies the AUMA SQVEx together with matching certified controls and documentation across the Sultanate of Oman and the GCC, supporting EPC contractors and operators with approvals data, dimension sheets and commissioning advice. Customers who also need modulating duty can combine this page with the AUMA SQRVEx, which shares the same variable-speed platform with a class C rating. When reviewing the AUMA SQVEx against the rest of the AUMA range, engineers often also look at the AUMA SQV variable-speed part-turn actuator, the AUMA SQEx explosion-proof part-turn actuator and the AUMA SQRVEx.

Technical Specifications

The following table lists the key data published by AUMA for the AUMA SQVEx .2 type range. Verify temperature class and certification marking against the nameplate of the delivered configuration.

Request a Quote for AUMA SQVEx

To request a quotation for the AUMA SQVEx, send us the valve data, torque, required stroke time, hazardous-area classification and fieldbus requirement. Seven Star LLC will respond with a formal RFQ reply, availability and delivery information and the dimension sheet linked on this page. In Oman and the GCC, we supply the certified equipment on request, and our instrumentation division is available for technical questions.