Which is quicker, QEV + solenoid or ball valve with spring?

[Doodmens]

Hello,

If you've read the title, you know my dilemma. If you didn't, don't worry, I'll repeat it later. I'm fairly new to using QEV's for an airgun, but I've been building airguns for a while. For my third gun, I want to focus on performance and I need to know which is faster;

a 1/2" QEV with a 1/4" solenoid valve to release it;

or a 1/2" ball valve with a powerful spring attached to the handle.

See the picture below.

My thinking is, that a solenoid valve is relatively slow to dump the air, so that will probably affect the speed of the QEV
opening. A ball valve is much cheaper and I find more elegant to set up.

Thanks in advance

P.S. First post! :bounce:

[Tep]

QEV will hands down out perform a ball valve in every way.
The QEV in your picture is set up wrong. (the solenoid valve is supposed to be where you have written air reservoir).

Pilot volume vs venting speed is the key factor in determining QEV performance (you want the first one low and the second one high incase you haven't worked that out yet)

[Doodmens]

Alright, so maybe I should get a bigger solenoid (with higher flow)
Sorry for the mistake in the drawing... still a noob

[Brian the brain]

Hey Dooiekerel,

QEV will outperform a ballvalve...and it can be modified to give you multiple shots one a single airtank.
You could use a solenoid, but you could also make your own hammervalve ( net als een autoventiel eigenlijk) and work with a mechanical hammer, like a firearm does.

The only advantage of a ballvalve would be high flow...once it is fully open.
Ammo will have left the barrel LOOOOOONG before that ever happens though.

[Tep]

There probably isn't a need to get a solenoid with higher flow it's just a matter of reducing the volume of air that the solenoid valve has to evacuate from the back of the QEV.

Smaller pilot volume or faster pilot venting = faster pressure drop behind the valve = faster valve opening.

[Doodmens]

Maybe if I reduce the pilot volume to a minimum, and then dump it with the 1/2" ball valve + spring for a very high flow - probably the same effect

[Ianbuckwell]

Have a look at Bill Gilmour vis on Youtube of air cannons, ball valve weapons can be very powerful, although he uses very long barrels, iirc he timed his ball valve opening around 30ms.