Water often gets pumped across long distances and elevated terrain. Any failure or emergency condition that halts active pumping can result in a flow reversal where gravity forces the flow back down the line towards the pump. This causes the pump to spin backwards. To prevent this, there is typically a check valve on the discharge side of the pump installation. In some cases, a check valve may be combined with an actuator to serve as both the in-line check and control valve package.

Commonly used actuator technologies do not represent the most reliable options available and typically require frequent maintenance. A need exists for a more reliable alternative that requires lower cost of ownership.

Pneumatic-based systems employ a central compressor system that generates air pressure fed to multiple pneumatic cylinders driving valves. Air is a compressible medium, so it is not a rigid form of actuation. As such, pneumatic actuators are susceptible to “sticking” and “sliding” (also known as deadtime and overshoot), resulting in poor response and control.

Hydraulics also present a new set of concerns regarding the oil medium itself. In any hydraulic system, roughly 80% of all failures are attributed to the breakdown of oil. Maintaining oil within these systems is of critical importance. Hydraulic actuators require periodic oil changes, as well as a method of filtering that also requires periodic attention. This task can be quite burdensome in larger pumping stations where massive volumes of oil may be required in these systems.