Motorized control valves and actuators

Danfoss Motorized Control Valves (MCV) for district heating and cooling, HVAC and central heating systems ensure stable and accurate control of water, glycol mixtures and steam. This in turn improves temperature control and reliability while increasing the energy efficiency of the system. All of which adds up to enhanced comfort for the end-user. The MCV range comprises both regular and pressure-relieved control valves designed to operate in the most demanding applications.

Danfoss offers a comprehensive range of control valves and actuators for virtually every application: central and decentralized heating systems, domestic hot-water systems, district heating and steam.

For maximum versatility, our control valves and actuators come in different sizes, materials and connection options. They also offer a range of different functions and features to suit each specific application. With a global reputation for quality and reliability, our latest solutions are available at different price points to suit the budgetary needs of every project.

Years of customer insights and product development for district heating, HVAC and central heating applications have enabled us to create a flawless product that perfectly complies with all current requirements and future trends. Here are some of the highlights:

Excellent control performance
The control capabilities of the MCV range are based on different characteristics, including split characteristics for DHW applications using heat exchangers, as well as linear and logarithmic characteristics. This means that even the most difficult control requirements in district heating can be met, while still providing instantaneous hot water. For DHW systems, the low slope of the split characteristic in this part of the stroke ensures stable control of the valve in the critical area near the closing position. On the other hand, the steeper part of the curve (large flow) enables fast and stable control.
Proven lifetime cost effectiveness
Thanks to easy selection, installation, commissioning and maintenance, Danfoss MCVs simply cost you less time, money and effort.
Easy handling and installation
Danfoss MCVs are easy to handle, easy to operate and easy to understand. Quick connection to actuator and valve is enabled by a threaded coupling, which also allows for rotation after mounting. External LED visualization and signaling save time and effort during installation and commissioning of MCVs.
Increased reliability and operational safety
All new products feature built-in thermic and overload protection of the electromotor. This radically reduces the risk of operational failure in either the valve or the system as a whole.

Features and benefits

Easy selection, installation, commissioning and maintenance mean less time, money and effort

Excellent control performance, even in the most demanding systems

Increased reliability and operational safety due to built-in thermic and overload protection of the electromotor.

Product range

Globe valves

Globe valves ensure stable and accurate control of water. The precise temperature control brings increased comfort and energy savings.
Actuators for globe valves

Actuators provide risk reduction through improved overload protection, which ensures a trouble free operation of the actuator inside the system.
Rotary valves

Rotary valves are primarily designed for regulation of flow and temperature in heating systems where a certain leakage can be accepted and where a defined control characteristic is not required.
On - off motorized zone valves

In a range of on - off motorized zone valves Danfoss offers AMZ 112/113 actuators. They provide an user-friendly, reliable, easy to install and commission product, which fit to every application and increases its flexibility. AMZ is designed to be used in HVAC or CH applications.

Documents

Type	Name	Language	Valid for	Updated	Download	File type
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Romanian, Moldavian, Moldovan	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	2.0 MB	.PDF
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Hungarian	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	1.6 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	German	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	6.7 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Slovenian	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	1.6 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Dutch, Flemish	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	6.2 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Italian	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	6.2 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Chinese (CN)	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	2.0 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	French	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	6.2 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Danish	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	6.2 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Ukrainian	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	6.2 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Swedish	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	6.2 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Lithuanian	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	3.2 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Finnish	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	6.2 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Slovak	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	1.7 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Czech	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	1.6 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Croatian	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	6.2 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Bulgarian	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	6.2 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Serbian (RS)	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	1.6 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	Spanish, Castilian	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	6.2 MB	.pdf
Brochure - AD	Let motorized intelligence solve your application challenges	English	Multiple	23 Jan, 2019	3.2 MB	.pdf

Tools and apps

Heat Selector

Danfoss Heat Selector is the best-in-class online selection tool that optimizes planning process for heating application experts.

Open Heat Selector

District heating application guide

We share experience, application expertise and make recommendations on optimum performing DH applications and key applied control components

Open DH application guide

Application guide

Valve ruler app

The new Valve Ruler App from Danfoss, available for smart phone or tablet, allows you to select and connect valve types and actuators for the application at hand. You can input or calculate KV by entering the required flow and inlet/outlet pressure. You can also select application type, and specify valve connection, ports and PN for the application.

FAQ

What is the difference between AMV and AME actuators?

AMV or AME are designations that describe how the actuator is controlled. AMV means that the actuator is either 2-point or 3-point controlled, AME means that the actuator has modulating control. This is a very important difference since not every type of control is appropriate for every application.
Modulating, or AME actuators, are appropriate for precise regulation of the flow as they also have feedback signal and can position themselves very precisely in accordance to the signal from the controller. Furthermore, AME (sometimes also called the electronic version of actuators) actuators provide more features on DIP switches and provide much more flexibility and control variations for the customer.
AMV actuators usually by default have no active return signal, unless there is a potentiometer used inside, and are not so precise when it comes to the flow control, but still offer a very good solution for customer requirements.

What is a suitable replacement for an AME 85 actuator?

A suitable replacement could currently be AME 655 or AME 55 actuators. In future there will also be a AME 685 actuator which can be used.
See the technical details for AMB 162/182 actuators: http://products.danfoss.com/productrange/list/heatingsolutions/control-valves/actuators-for-rotary-valves/amb-162-182-/#/

Can the actuator also work on DC voltage? What can be done, if it doesn't work?

Most actuators do not work on AC and DC voltage because they have synchronous motors technology. Now new BLDC motors are coming and this technology can work on AC or DC actuators due to the so-called serial connection between stator and rotor of the electric motor.
This kind of actuators, like AME 435 and AME 655/658/659, are able to work with AC or DC voltage but only for 24V in one or 230V in another version of the actuator, not both at the same time. If you have DC voltage in the system and have an AC actuator, we recommend to look for a suitable replacement or install an inverter in your system.
See the technical details for AME 435 actuators: http://products.danfoss.com/productrange/list/heatingsolutions/control-valves/actuators-for-seated-valves/actuators-for-heating-cooling-/actuators-without-safety-function/amve-435/#/

How does AUX switch work?

AUX switches are additional switches in the actuator that send signals to the recipient (can be other actuator, boiler, pump or controller) when the certain point of the actuator position is passed, this usually means when actuator end positions are reached (totally open or closed).

How does the safety function, or the so-called spring return function, work and what does SD and SU mean?

The safety function is a feature of the actuators, which is mandatory by law or customer requirement, to close or open the valve in case of a power failure. It often happens that the power is out and the valve is therefore not under control anymore. This could lead to catastrophic consequences for the application/industry and most importantly for the safety of everyone in the vicinity of the valve as it can have more than 130°C of pressurised water in the system.
The safety function enables you to close or open the valve automatically (via the spring inside the actuator) each and every time the power goes out. SD means spring down, which will move the actuator to lowest end position, SU means spring up which will move the actuator to highest end position. You can find both versions in the Danfoss portfolio.
See the range of actuators: http://products.danfoss.com/productrange/heatingsolutions/control-valves/actuators-for-seated-valves/#/

Can we change the characteristic of the actuator?

The answer is YES. Usually, actuators have linear characteristic, but with the new AME actuators like e.g. in the AME 435 and AME 655/658/659 actuators, you can change the characteristic of the actuator with DIP switch settings. For more information about this, please look in the data sheets.

Can actuators be driven by voltage or current signal?

All the AME actuators have the possibility to choose either voltage input signal from the controller (U) or current signal from the controller (I) on a DIP switch. There is also an additional option to choose that the actuator either will work from the 0(2)-10V or the 0(4)-20mA signal from the controller.

Is the speed of the actuator fixed and permanent, or can I modify/change it?

The speed of the actuators that are using synchronous motors is fixed on a frequency that is used in the supply 230V AC voltage. You can increase the speed of the actuator, if you use a 60Hz supply voltage. This solution is, however, not recommended as you will not be able to know how much faster the actuator is actually moving.
We recommend that you choose Danfoss AME actuators with BLDC motors technology as they have speed selection possibility on DIP switch. For example AME 655/658/659 actuators can move at either 2 s/mm or 6 s/mm, depending on the setting on the DIP switch. To check which actuators have selectable speed, please contact our sales organization.

If the stroke of the valve is shorter than stroke of the actuator, what do I do - how do I commission the actuator?

It often happens that the actuator has larger stroke than the valve. Danfoss actuators have a self-commissioning protocol where they find the end positions of the valve on which they are mounted automatically. The actuator remembers these positions itself and adapts its stroke to the valve. This is how a lot of time and trouble can be saved when installing / commissioning the actuator on the valve.

Do I need to use an adapter for the combination of VF 2/3 DN65-80 and AMV(E) 56?

Yes, an adapter is needed for this combination due to a different design of valve neck for the range DN 65-80. The needed adapter for the actuator to be able to be mounted on the valve is 065Z0312.

Case studies

Solar heating plant reduces CO2 emissions by 15,700 tonnes annually

The world’s largest solar heating plant in Silkeborg, Denmark harnesses energy to heat the homes and workplaces of 40,000 citizens. It supplies 18-20% of the annual heat consumption in the city of Silkeborg, Denmark, which has an ambitious target of CO2 neutrality in heat production by the year 2030.
District energy as the heating and cooling solution in Teknopark Istanbul, Turkey

Building: Office
Application: Production of heating, cooling and domestic hot water
Challenge: Design and construct customized district energy solutions for all buildings on the park
Solution: Danfoss designed and constructed 3 pre-assembled DSE substations containing control valves for the heating, cooling and domestic hot water, heat meters, self-acting controllers and electronic controllers connected to a central Building Management System.
Heating facility reconstruction in Kopaonik mountain resort, Serbia

Building: Hotel
Application: Hydronic balance, control and monitoring of a heating system
Challenge: Improve the energy efficiency of old heating system
Solution: Danfoss installed motorized control valves, hydronic balancing valves and electronic controllers with monitoring software
High-end climate solutions in Waldorf Astoria by Hilton, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Building: Hotel
Application: Hydronic balancing and control for radiator heating and fan coil cooling
Challenge: Establish top level comfort and minimum energy consumption for heating and cooling
Solution: Fan-coil units for cooling; 8 heating risers and radiators equipped with Danfoss products.
Renovation of a district heating network, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Since 2011, the local District Heating Company (“Centralno grijanje” d.d. Tuzla) has carried out a major renovation of the city’s comprehensive district heating network, providing reliability of supplies, improved comfort as well as energy and cost savings. Based on thorough analysis and a long-term strategic approach, the 30 year old system is gradually transformed into a modern and smart energy system.
First ever district heating system with substations in Turkey

600 residents in the town of Soma in Western Turkey now enjoy the comforts of a reliable and cheap heat supply from the town’s brand new district heating system.

In the coming years, more than 8,000 households will be joining the system that exploits the excess heat from the municipal power plant – a great improvement from the charcoal boilers of the past, and much less expensive.

Explore more