Low Power, High Speed Valve Targets Oil Industry

Offshore Europe, Aberdeen
Stand number 465
2 to 5 September 2003

2 September 2003 - Cambridge, UK -- Camcon Technology, the inventor and developer of the Camcon® binary actuator, will demonstrate the world's first valve specifically developed for the oil industry at Offshore Europe, Aberdeen, 2 to 5 September, 2003, stand number 465.

The high speed, low energy consumption and long life characteristics of Camcon® rolling swing valve may have a potential huge impact on the oil production offshore, where power consumption is a major issue.

The Camcon® rolling-swing valve has been developed for applications in the unfiltered fluids environment, in which its unique hardened roller attachment can be used to crush small solid particles.

The rolling-swing valve, based on the principles of ground-breaking Camcon® binary actuating technology, utilises a catapult-like technology based on high power permanent magnets and a spring-loaded armature. A very short electrical pulse (~ 2 milliseconds) disrupts the magnetic field and causes the sprung armature to switch from one position to another, thereby opening or closing the valve. During changeover action the whole armature rolls from one stable position to the opposite position. No power is required to hold the valve in either an open or closed position.

"Our rolling-swing valve will revolutionise the unfiltered fluids industry," said Wladyslaw Wygnanski, inventor of the Camcon® binary actuator and Managing Director, Camcon Technology. "Camcon's binary actuator is being used by customers for designs in which they need to overcome existing product constraints."

Camcon recently received a SMART Award from the Department of Trade and Industry to undertake a potentially world-beating feasibility study aimed at greatly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from gas and liquid fuel turbines.

Camcon® rolling swing valve characteristics:

• fast reaction time: three milliseconds
• low energy: less than one joule per change over, zero current consumption while in either of its two stable positions
• bi-directional flow permitted
• high pressure capability
• large orifice size
• suitable for unfiltered fluids

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About Camcon
Based in Cambridge, UK, Camcon Technology is a small fast growing company focused on the research and development of the Camcon binary actuator. Camcon binary actuating technology has been 15 years in development and is the invention of Camcon founder Wladyslaw Wygnanski.

The high-speed, low energy consumption, low heat dissipation and long life characteristics of the Camcon binary actuator mean that it has applications in a whole new range of areas, as well as being a replacement for existing actuator and valve technologies.

Camcon Technology licenses its technology to customers, typically on a field-of-use basis. The company develops pre-production prototypes for customers on a consultancy basis and then hands over designs either to its customers to manufacture in volume, or to a manufacturing partner.

Camcon is funded by ACUS Management Partners, an active management venture capitalist that specialises in funding early stage technology companies. For further information see: www.acus.co.uk.