ELECTRIC ACTUATORS WITH FAIL SAFE UNIT

For automatic opening or closing of a valve in the event of an emergency

In recent years, safety requirements in process plants have MECHANICAL SOLUTION FOR UTMOST SAFETY
become increasingly demanding. Even in case of emergency,
the system must be safe for persons and the environment. When relying on safe opening or closing of a valve, mechanical
Actuators play a crucial role here, since it is their task to actuator solutions provide top safety. In case of need, the new
open or close a valve in case of emergency and to ensure FQM fail safe unit generates the required torque by means of a
that the plant remains in safe condition. constant force spring purely on a mechanical basis. No electrical
power is required for fail safe operation.
With their new FQM fail safe unit, AUMA offer innovative
and safe actuator solutions for automatic operation of valves
in case of emergencies making use of stored mechanical CONSTANT TORQUE
energy.
The constant force spring motor with patent pending provides a
The FQM fail safe unit meets the requirements of safety- constant torque during fail safe operation and this across the
related applications up to SIL 2/SIL 3 and is basically mainte- complete travel. Thanks to the overriding gear arrangement, the
nance-free. An explosion-proof version is also available. constant force spring is disengaged and is not operated during
standard operation. As a consequence, actuator sizing can be
relatively small.

VARIABLE RUNNING SPEEDS

Running speeds for fail safe operations are adjustable. Furthermore,

the actuator can operate the valve into the defined end position at
reduced speed. This avoids pressure peaks within the pipeline and
protects the valve.

ELECTRIC PART-TURN ACTUATORS WITH FQM FAIL SAFE UNIT

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EASY INTEGRATION VERSATILE IMPLEMENTATION

Actuators with FQM fail safe unit are integrated into systems in AUMA actuators with FQM fail safe unit are particularly suited to
the same way as standard AUMA actuators. The fail safe unit automate butterfly valves as well as ball and plug valves at a swing
seamlessly adapts to the modular AUMA product design. It is angle of up to 90. They are the perfect choice if part-turn actua-
combined with AUMA SQ part-turn actuators. tors require safe opening or closing in case of emergencies.

Integration into the DCS is made as for the standard devices by Industrial applications
means of AC integral controls. Operating concept, interfaces and Fail safe actuators are used in all markets and applications. In water
communication remain homogeneous across all valves installed reservoirs, they prevent drainage in case of burst pipes, for
within the plant. example. In cooling systems, they inhibit overheating of ovens, for
example, in case of cooling system failure. Steam generating boilers
in power plants and fire protection measures in road and railway
EASY RETROFITTING tunnels are further typical examples.

Thanks to their identical interfaces, the fail safe unit can be Applications in the oil & gas industry
retrofitted within existing plants. For example, if the safety The oil & gas industry imposes highest quality standards not least
requirements for an application have intensified. due to the superior danger of potential explosions. The explosion-
proof fail safe unit caters for the required safety level. Overfill
protections in tank farms, drainage protection in tanks and
pipelines or use in gas regulating and metering stations are merely
a few of the versatile implementations in the oil & gas industry.

2017.02.21

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FUNCTION

FQM fail safe unit

AUMA part-turn actuators with fail safe unit ensure that the valve
is operated to a safe position in the event of power failure or in
case an emergency signal is issued. Selection can be made
whether the valve is to be operated into position OPEN or CLOSED.

Normal operation
All AUMA actuator functions are available as usual in normal
operation. The torque is transmitted directly from the actuator
through the fail safe unit to the valve.

Fail safe operation

The fail safe operation is completely independent of the power
supply and is exclusively supplied on a mechanical basis by means
of the energy stored in the coiled up constant force spring.

A fail safe operation is initiated in case of power failure or if an

emergency signal is issued. This is independent of AC actuator
controls.

The constant force spring is activated during fail safe operation

and transmits the generated torque to the valve by means of a
planetary gearing. During the complete fail safe operation, the
spring provides an almost constant torque.

FQM

1 Constant force spring motor

The core of the fail safe unit is a mechanical constant force spring
motor providing the required torque to open or close the valve in
case of an emergency.

When connecting the actuator to the mains and after acknowl-

edgement by the DCS, the fail safe unit is initialised and the
constant force spring is fully wound by means of an integrated
electric motor. For this, the spring is wrapped in inverted direction
on a drum.

During fail safe operation, the integrated electric motor additionally 4

acts as a brake, allowing setting of various running speeds during
fail safe operation.

2 Solenoid with toggle lever

By means of a toggle lever, the solenoid retains the spring in the
fully wound position. In case of power failure or if an emergency
signal is issued, the solenoid releases the spring and initiates the fail
safe operation.

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 Electric part-turn actuator
FQM fail safe unit is used in combination with AUMA SQ part-turn
AC actuators. The electic actuator can be perfectly and individually
adapted to the application requirements. Combinations with the
following versions are possible:

>> SQ part-turn actuators for open-close duty

>> SQR part-turn actuators for modulating duty
>> SQEx and SQREx part-turn actuators are suited for potentially
explosive atmospheres.

SQ AC integral actuators controls

AC integral actuator controls assume communication control
between DCS and actuator. Controls are available with various
interfaces to the DCS allowing both parallel signal transmission
and fieldbus communication. Supported are, for example, Profibus
DP, Modbus RTU, DeviceNet, Foundation Fieldbus as well as HART
and Wireless HART.

Advanced diagnostic functions enable preventive maintenance and

integration of actuators into asset management systems. Integral
local controls also allow for local actuator operation.

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3 Planetary gearing
The planetary gearing acts as overriding gear arrangement. In
normal operation, it transmits the drive shaft movement directly to
the part-turn movement of the valve. During standard operation,
the constant force spring is disengaged and is not operated by the
actuator.

During the fail safe operation, the planetary gearing transmits the
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energy stored in the spring to the valve. Here, the actuator is
inactive.

4 End stops with integral end position switches

The internal end stops limit the swing angle of the valve. The end
position switches are automatically set during the setting procedure
of end positions OPEN and CLOSED and do not require separate
adjustment.

5 Valve attachment
The interface to the valve is made in compliance with EN ISO 5211.
The torque is transmitted from the output drive shaft to the valve by
means of a splined coupling which is available in different versions:
unbored, with square bore, two-flat or as bore with keyway.

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Advantages of the AUMA scheme
The main drawbacks of conventional solutions using simple return
springs are that the spring transmits the highest torque at the start
of the travel. Towards the end of the travel, the applied torque is
reduced when it is needed most to ensure safe valve seating. Hence,
the springs have to be oversized to ensure that the required torque
is still supplied towards the end of the travel.

With the constant force spring with patent pending by AUMA, the
spring supplies an almost constant torque across full travel. Conse-
quently, constant force spring motor sizing is lower than for
conventional return springs.

Further advantage: Thanks to the overriding gear arrangement, the

spring must not be operated during normal operation and remains
completely wound. This allows selection of smaller actuators.
Furthermore, premature spring fatigue can be prevented and the
valve is protected against excessive torques.

T
Torque

OPENLorem
OPEN (0) ipsum CLOSED (90) Time

Conventional return spring Required valve torque

AUMA constant force spring

SERVICE CONDITIONS

AUMA actuators with FQM fail safe unit are designed to EXPLOSION PROTECTION
highest reliability and long product life and fulfil their
automation tasks in most severe and harsh environments. Both actuators and FQM fail safe units were tested and certified in
close collaboration with national and international certification
bodies. Approvals have been obtained from authorities worldwide
IP68 ENCLOSURE PROTECTION for use in potentially explosive atmospheres, including ATEX
(Europe), IECEx (international), FM (USA) and ROSTECHNADSOR/
Like the actuators, the FQM fail safe unit is available with EAC (TR-CU) (Russia).
increased enclosure protection IP68 in compliance with IEC 60529.
The permissible immersion height of 8 m head of water is specified >> Explosion protection according to ATEX
for a max. duration of 96 hours. ATEX II2G Ex d,e IIB T4 or T3
>> Explosion protection according to FM:
Class I, Div. 1, Groups C,D
AMBIENT CONDITIONS Class II, Div. 1, Groups E,F,G
Class III
FQM fail safe unit in standard version is designed for temperatures
between 30 C and +70 C. Further temperature ranges are
available on request. FIREPROOF VERSION

AUMA actuators with FQM fail safe units are available in fireproof
CORROSION PROTECTION version to ensure safe closing and opening of valves even in the
event of a fire. Devices fitted with K-MASS TM fire protection coating
The AUMA corrosion protection system with the two-layer powder preserve functionality during 30 minutes at temperatures as high as
coating is certified by the TV and provides top-quality mechanical 1,100 C. Consequently, they fulfil the requirements in compliance
and chemical resistance. with UL 1709.

Actuators equipped with FQM fail safe units are suitable for
environmental conditions C5-I and C5-M in compliance with SIL
ENISO 12944-2. They comply with the requirements for use in
areas with high salinity, almost permanent condensation, and high Fail safe requirements and functional safety are often closely linked.
pollution. In particular, components with increased reliability and lower
probability of failure are required if system requirements include
safeguarding the safety for persons and environment in case of
emergencies.

AUMA fail safe unit complies with the highest demands regarding
functional safety according to IEC 61508. Further information can
be provided on request.

TECHNICAL DATA

Suitable
Type Valve attachment Torque Swing angle Operating time part-turn actuator
EN ISO 5211 [Nm] [s]
FQM 05.1 F07
150 SQ 05.2
F10
FQM 07.1 F07
300 8 30 SQ 07.2
F10 Adjustable between
FQM 10.1 F10 80 and 100
600 SQ 10.2
F12
FQM 12.1 F12
1200 13 50 SQ 12.2
F14
Mains voltage 3-phase AC current: 380 V 690 V, 50 Hz/60 Hz
1-phase AC current: 100 V 240 V, 50 Hz/60 Hz
Control voltage for 24 V DC
EMERGENCY input

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AUMA Riester GmbH & Co.KG
Aumastr. 1
D-79379 Muellheim
Tel +49 7631-809-0
Fax +49 7631-809-1250
[email protected]

AUMA subsidiaries or representatives

are implanted in more than 70 countries.
For detailed contact information, please
refer to our website.
www.auma.com

Certificate Registration No.

Subject to changes without notice. The product features and technical data provided do not express or imply any warranty. Y006.906/003/en/1.17 12 100/104 4269