Analysis and design of electro-mechanical actuator for gate valve in oil&gas applications

This paper describes the analysis and design of an Electromechanical Actuator (EMA) that have been developed to open and close a gate valve for oil and gas applications. The rotating permanent magnet (PM) synchronous motor is integrated with the mechanical components in a rotating-ball nut architecture to minimize the total length and envelope of the actuator. The motion trajectory fits the classical profile, with high-torque at low-speed which is typical for gate valve operation. A comprehensive design methodology, which embraces both the electromagnetic and mechanical design, is described. Nonlinear electromagnetic and structural finite-element analysis methods are employed to aid in the final design process. A prototype has been manufactured utilizing the design data of the optimization procedure. Test results confirm our hypothesis and calculations for the performance of the system.