Understanding Temperature Regulators

Most of our recent posts focused primarily on pressure regulators as they represent the vast majority of industrial regulators applied in the market today.  Mechanical temperature regulators are often overlooked as a simple, cost effective solution for temperature control applications.  Temperature regulators often provide the ideal solution for tank heating, heat exchangers, air drying, steam drain cooling, cooling fluid regulation and steam tracing.

In the following article excerpt, Tim Gainer, Richards Industries Regional Sales Manager, presents a compelling case for mechanical temperature control.

“Instrument, mechanical or project engineers may see a multitude of temperature applications cross their desks.  Their immediate reaction might be to employ a temperature control loop.  But could a mechanical, self-operated temperature regulator be a better solution for the valve application?

When approaching a temperature control application, the engineer usually considers:

• The degree of accuracy needed
• Whether the application requires feedback (Are limit switches/output signals used?)
• Whether the application needs to be controlled through a DCS, PLC or other type of controller
• The budget for the application

The answer to whether a mechanical temperature regulator might be a cost effective and reliable solution for the application depends on those considerations.

In almost any process facility, a variety of temperature control applications can be found.  As with any controlled variable, both the accuracy and criticality of those applications can vary widely.  Often, non-critical temperature applications become instrumented control loops even when a self-operated or mechanical regulator could provide the desired accuracy along with a substantial cost savings” (A Case for Mechanical Temperature Control).

Excerpt from, “A Case for Mechanical Temperature Control” by Tim Gainer.  Valve Magazine, Winter 2012.