Reduced-energy-consumption actuator

A valve system includes a piezoelectric transducer mounted on its housing. To change the valve's state, a microcontroller causes a valve driver to drive current through the actuator's coil at a relatively high level. It continues driving current through the coil at the high level until the transducer's output reaches a magnitude characteristic of the disturbance that typically results when the actuator's armature reaches the end of its travel. At that point, the microcontroller reduces coil drive.