Pressure Regulators: The Choice of Design Is Crucial

It can be difficult to decide which pressure regulator is ideal for a certain application. Each of the numerous ideas and design philosophies has advantages and disadvantages of its own. How does one choose which to employ, then? The following factors should be taken into account before choosing a regulator:

Among the selection criteria are:

1. Pressures of Operation
2. Requirements for Flow
3. Construction Material and Compatibility
4. Compatibility of Temperature

PRESSURES IN USE

The maximum permitted inlet pressure will be specified for each pressure regulator. It is crucial to choose a regulator with sufficient pressure capacity for the application since excessive pressure may result in leakage or harm internal parts. When using a compressed gas tank as the source, it is important to remember that high temperatures might cause the pressure inside the tank to rise noticeably.

A SINGLE-STAGE MANUAL
Single stage pressure regulators are frequently used in linear actuators, machine tools, automated machinery, leak test apparatus, and test stands, to mention a few. A significant change in supply pressure will modify the force balance inside the regulator, which will cause a little variation in the outlet pressure set point for the majority of single stage regulators.

TWO-STAGE (DUAL-STAGE) REGULATOR
A two-stage or dual-stage design can be more appropriate for the application if the supply pressure will be changing significantly or deteriorating over time. In order to lower the supply pressure across two discrete steps, a two-stage regulator basically combines two pressure regulators in series. Each stage's droop characteristic is eliminated in a two-stage design. As a result, even when the inlet pressure or flow needs change significantly, the second stage's exit pressure remains more constant.