Ventable, pilot-operated, balanced piston relief valve with drain to port 4

Capacity: 15 gpm60 L/min. | Cavity: T-21A
RVCD : Ventable, pilot-operated, balanced piston relief valve with drain to port 4
Technical Features [ + ]

Ventable, pilot-operated, balanced piston relief cartridges with external drain are normally closed pressure regulating valves. When the pressure at the inlet (port 1) reaches the valve setting, the valve starts to open to tank (port 2), throttling flow to regulate the pressure. They provide a vent port (port 3) that connects between the main piston and pilot stage to provide for remote control by other pilot or 2-way valves and a drain (port 4) that makes them insensitive to back pressure. These valves are accurate, have low pressure rise vs. flow, they are smooth and quiet, and are moderately fast.

  • A remote pilot relief on port 3 (vent) will control the valve below its own setting.
  • Will accept maximum pressure at port 2; suitable for use in cross port relief circuits. If used in cross port relief circuits, consider spool leakage.
  • Main stage orifice is protected by a 150-micron stainless steel screen.
  • Not suitable for use in load holding applications due to spool leakage.
  • Pressure at port 4 is directly additive to the valve setting at a 1:1 ratio and should not exceed 5000 psi (350 bar).
  • Cartridges configured with EPDM seals are for use in systems with phosphate ester fluids. Exposure to petroleum based fluids, greases and lubricants will damage the seals.
  • W and Y controls (where applicable) can be specified with or without a special setting. When no special setting is specified, the valve is adjustable throughout its full range using the W or Y control. When a special setting is specified, this setting represents the maximum setting of the valve.
  • Incorporates the Sun floating style construction to minimize the possibility of internal parts binding due to excessive installation torque and/or cavity/cartridge machining variations.
Technical Data [ + ]
Note: Data may vary by configuration. See CONFIGURATION section.
Cavity T-21A
Series 1
Capacity 15 gpm60 L/min.
Maximum Operating Pressure 5000 psi350 bar
Factory Pressure Settings Established at 4 gpm15 L/min.
Control Pilot Flow 7 - 10 in³/min.0,11 - 0,16 L/min.
Maximum Valve Leakage at 110 SUS (24 cSt) 2 in³/min.@1000 psi30 cc/min.@70 bar
Response Time - Typical 10 ms10 ms
Adjustment - No. of CW Turns from Min. to Max. setting 55
Valve Hex Size 7/8 in.22,2 mm
Valve Installation Torque 30 - 35 lbf ft41 - 47 Nm
Adjustment Screw Internal Hex Size 5/32 in.4 mm
Locknut Hex Size 9/16 in.15 mm
Locknut Torque 80 - 90 lbf in.9 - 10 Nm
Model Weight .40 lb0,20 kg
Seal kit - Cartridge Buna: 990021007
Seal kit - Cartridge EPDM: 990021014
Seal kit - Cartridge Polyurethane: 990021002
Seal kit - Cartridge Viton: 990021006
Performance Curves [ + ]
FAQs [ + ]

One graphic example is on a portable grain auger for silos. When the farmer gets caught in the auger the kick-down relief trips and allows him to escape.

Pressure setting tolerances are listed in our Performance Data page. A link to this page can also be found in the Additional Resources tab of the applicable product page.

There are exactly 250 Sun drops in a cubic inch or 15 in a cc.

Maybe not. We build in a good amount of overlap in the kick-down reliefs to prevent false tripping. This means they are not as fast as our standard pilot-operated reliefs. A direct-acting relief valve set just above the kick-down relief valve would be good insurance.

Direct-acting valves are used to prevent over pressure, and pilot-operated valves are used to regulate pressure. If you are unsure, use a direct-acting valve. Sun's direct acting valves are very fast, dirt tolerant, stable, and robust. Sun's pilot-operated valves are moderately fast, they have a low pressure rise vs. flow curve, and they are easy to adjust.

Only external seals are serviceable.  Sun offers replacement seal kits for all cartridge models. The applicable kit part number can be found in the product page's Technical Data table or by using our Cartridge Seal Kit search function located under Accessories. Please note: Converting the external seals from one material to another does not ensure fluid compatibility with that material due to the existence of internal seals within the cartridge.
Additional Resources [ + ]