?Transistor? proper circuit to pass voltage

A power transistor capable of passing >10A without damage will do the job. Remember to put a flywheel diode across the solenoid coil, reverse-biased so as to prevent high voltages appearing at the transistor terminals when the circuit switches off. Use a NPN transistor for +24V and a PNP transistor for -24V. A current-limiting resistor in series with the base would be a good idea. Connect the emitter to the 0V rail, apply the 5V voltage when needed between the current-limiting resistor and the 0V rail, and put the solenoid and its flywheel diode between the 24V rail and the collector.

Now it's play time!

PWSlack gave you all you need. I'f it needs to be a little more rugged, I might use an SCR. The component is larger and more stout. It's basically a fat transistor. (npn & pnp sandwich) This isn't a nuclear trigger?

James

...I'f it needs to be a little more rugged, I might use an SCR. ..

SCR can be switched on DC but cannot be switched-off by just removing the bias of Gate.
It is latched & can only be switched-off by:
Removing the Power or

"Forced-Commutation" which has a very complicated circuit & was used in Inverters only.

Transistor or a Relay is the only solution to energise a solenoid valve or any load on DC.

And put also a flywheel diode across the Collector & Emitter of transistor, in-spite of the built-in Diode in Darlington-Transistor is there.

SCR can be switched on DC but cannot be switched-off by just removing the bias of Gate.

Yes, but there are ways to switch it off if you can come to a good current that is almost the load current (you need to pass a lower current through the "on" scr than that the sustaining current) for the right amount of time. Looking at the specs will make you decide. You can do this with only another scr.

Hello indel!

Yes but I mentioned the ways to switch-off the SCR which too complicated for the application under discussion:

switched-off by:
"Forced-Commutation" which has a very complicated circuit & was used in Inverters only.

GTO [Gate-turn-off] was introduced for simple COMMUTATION but failed & dead now.

Regards

Dear Haajee,

I am not talking about forced commutation but of a simple technique that I have used a long time ago, and which I just copied from a GE circuit book. The idea (and practical implementation) is simple and requires, besides the main scr, another scr, a resistor and a capacitor. The rest is just calculating the capacitor size and a time constant.

My dear indel this is the Forced-commutation, shutting-down forcibly by applying REVERSE voltage of sufficient level & energy to the conducting SCR ; one of the ways to shut-down an SCR.

The other on zero-crossing [No-votage for suuficint time to let SCR to shut-down]

Regards

If you think battery, than think auto 24V or two 12V ones. This solenoid draws a large current, and if you need to keep it "open" for some time, than you need a good reserve of Ah.

Now, for the circuit. As PWSlack mentioned, a power transistor will do it:

-Must be a Darlington, in order to minimize the necessary base current, I assume that you drive it with a 5V like a TTL signal. A TTL signal has a current capability in "high" state of less than 1 mA and the voltage you can count on is 2.4V. So, from this value to the necessary 600mA base current for a regular transistor (not Darlington) it is a long way.

If you just connect the base through a resistor (of 6 or 7 Ohm) to 5V via a SPDT switch it will work, too, but "manually".

There is, also, the SCR variant but you will need two of those, to have the "reset" function (I mean the closing of the valve).

And don't forget the heat sink, as your transistor will dissipate more than 2W.