A hydraulic flow control valve is a device used for adjusting or manipulating the hydraulic oil flow rate. The hydraulic flow control valve constructs of a flow passage or a port whose flow area can be varied.
Most common applications of flow control valves in hydraulic systems are in controlling the hydraulic oil flow rate to cylinders and motors to regulate their speeds. Any reduction in oil flow will reduce the actuator speed. There are many designs of hydraulic flow control to meet the specific needs.
The figure above shows the symbol of hydraulic fixed flow control valve.
While the adjustable flow control valves or throttling valves are symbolized in hydraulic circuits as
And the pressure-compensated flow control valves represented as:
