Rotork delivered more than 300 IQ3 actuator to Spanish solar plants

According to the same company, “several hundred” Rotork IQ intelligent electric valve actuators with Rotork Pakscan two-wire digital control hase been installed to deliver key valve automation functions for two solar power plants in Spain. These plants utilise parabolic trough concentrating technology combined with a molten salt thermal storage system to maximise their power generating capacity.
In addition to the actuators installed when the sites were first built, new actuators have subsequently been retrofitted to manually operated valves to increase the scope of automation across the sites. The retrofit projects are being carried out by Rotork Site Services, a dedicated department that supports all actuator operations with a range of activities including retrofitting, maintenance, repair, extended scope projects and asset management.
More than 300 actuators are also being fitted to the outlet valves of the solar field loops on the Heat Transfer Fluid pipes that carry the heat transfer oil between the solar concentrating parabolic mirrors, the steam plant and the power generation circuits. The majority of the actuators are IQ3 multi-turn units with Rotork Gears IB gearboxes, providing on/off control.