Module-IV

ME-503 (Hydraulics & Pneumatic Controls)

Pneumatics Versus Hydraulics

• Pneumatic systems use pressurized gases to transmit and control power.

• Pneumatic systems typically use air (rather than some other gas) as the fluid
medium, because air is a safe, low-cost, and readily available fluid. It is
particularly safe in environments where an electrical spark could ignite leaks
from system components.

 There are several reasons for considering the use of pneumatic systems instead
of hydraulic systems.
• Liquids exhibit greater inertia than do gases. Therefore, in hydraulic systems the
weight of oil is a potential problem when accelerating and decelerating actuators
and when suddenly opening and closing valves.
• Liquids also exhibit greater viscosity than do gases. This results in larger frictional
pressure and power losses.
• Hydraulic systems use a fluid foreign to the atmosphere, they require special
reservoirs and no-leak system designs. Pneumatic systems use air that is
exhausted directly back into the surrounding environment.
• Pneumatic systems are less expensive than hydraulic systems.
• However, because of the compressibility of air, it is impossible to obtain precise,
controlled actuator velocities with pneumatic systems. Also, precise positioning
control is not obtainable.
• In applications where actuator travel is to be smooth and steady against a
variable load, the air exhaust from the actuator is normally metered. Whereas
pneumatic pressures are quite low due to explosion dangers involved if
components such as air tanks should rupture (less than 250 psi), hydraulic
pressures can be as high as 12,000 psi. Thus, hydraulics can be high-power
systems, whereas pneumatics are confined to low-power applications.

Use of Compressed Air

• In pneumatic systems, compressors are used to compress and supply the

necessary quantities of air.
• Compressors are typically of the piston, vane, or screw type.
• Basically, a compressor increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume as
described by the perfect gas laws.
• The pressurized air can be piped from one source to various locations
throughout an entire industrial plant.
• The compressed air is piped to each circuit through an air filter to remove
contaminants, which might harm the closely fitting parts of pneumatic
components such as valves and cylinders.
• The air flows through a pressure regulator, which reduces the pressure to the
desired level for the particular circuit application.

• Free air from the atmosphere contains varying amounts of moisture. This
moisture can be harmful in that it can wash away lubricants and thus cause
excessive wear and corrosion.
• In some applications, air dryers are needed to remove this undesirable moisture.
• Pneumatic systems exhaust directly into the atmosphere, they are capable of
generating excessive noise. Therefore, mufflers are mounted on exhaust ports of
air valves and actuators to reduce noise and prevent operating personnel from
possible injury, resulting not only from exposure to noise but also from high-
speed airborne particles.
Industrial Applications

• Industrial applications of pneumatic systems are growing at a rapid pace. Typical

examples include stamping, drilling, hoisting, punching, clamping, assembling,
riveting, materials handling, and logic controlling operations.
PROPERTIES OF AIR

• Air is a mixture of gases containing about 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, and 1%
other gases such as argon and carbon dioxide.
• Air is compressible.
• Its volume will vary to fill the vessel containing it because the air molecules have
substantial internal energy and are at a considerable distance from each other.
This accounts for the sensitivity of density changes with respect to changes in
pressure and temperature.
THE PERFECT GAS LAWS

• The laws that are used to determine the interactions of pressure, volume, and
temperature of a gas, are called the “perfect gas laws”. Because they were
derived on the basis of a perfect gas.
• Boyle’s law, Charles’ law, Gay-Lussac’s law, and the general gas law for the
pressure and temperature ranges experienced by pneumatic systems.
Boyle’s Law
• Boyle’s law states that if the temperature of a given amount of gas is held
constant, the volume of the gas will change inversely with the absolute
pressure of the gas:

Charles’ Law
• Charles’ law states that if the pressure on a given amount of gas is held
constant, the volume of the gas will change in direct proportion to the
absolute temperature:

Gay-Lussac’s Law

• Gay-Lussac’s law states that if the volume of a given gas is held constant, the
pressure exerted by the gas is directly proportional to its absolute
temperature:

General Gas Law

 COMPRESSORS
• A compressor is a machine that compresses air or another type of gas from a
low inlet pressure (usually atmospheric) to a higher desired pressure level. This
is accomplished by reducing the volume of the gas.
• Air compressors are generally positive displacement units and are either of the
reciprocating piston type or the rotary screw or rotary vane types.

Piston Compressors

• A design contains pistons sealed with piston

rings operating in precision-bored, close-fitting
cylinders.
• The cylinders have air fins to help dissipate
heat.
• Excessive temperature can damage the metal Typical small-sized, two-stage
components as well as increase input power compressor unit.
It contain a compressor, the
requirements. compressed air tank (receiver),
• Portable and small industrial compressors are electric motor and pulley drive,
normally air-cooled, whereas larger units must be pressure controls, and
water-cooled. instrumentation for quick hookup and
use.
Screw Compressors
• There is a current trend toward increased use of the rotary-type compressor
due to technological advances, which have produced stronger materials and
better manufacturing processes.
• Compression is accomplished by rolling the trapped air into a progressively
smaller volume as the screws rotate.

Single-stage screw compressor Unsymmetrical profile of screw rotors.

• The rotors turn freely, with a carefully controlled clearance between both rotors
and the housing, protected by a film of oil.
• Rotor wear will not occur, since metal-to-metal contact is eliminated.
• Single-stage screw compressors are available with capacities up to 1450 cfm
(cubic feet per minute) and pressures of 120 psi (Pound-force per square inch).
Vane Compressors

• In this design, a cylindrical slotted rotor turns inside of a stationary outer casing.
Each rotor slot contains a rectangular vane, which slides in and out of the slot due
to centrifugal force. As the rotor turns, air is trapped and compressed between
the vanes
Air Capacity Rating of Compressors

• Air compressors are generally rated in terms of cfm (cubic feet per minute) of free
air, defined as air at actual atmospheric conditions.
• The equation that allows for this calculation is derived by solving the general gas law for
V1 as follows

• Flow rate
Power Required to Drive Compressors

The theoretical power required to drive an air compressor

To determine the actual power, the theoretical power is divided by the overall
compressor efficiency ƞo.
ACCUMULATORS
• An accumulator is a device that stores potential energy by means of either
gravity, mechanical springs, or compressed gases. The stored potential energy in
the accumulator is a quick secondary source of fluid power capable of doing
useful work as required by the system.

Weight-Loaded Accumulator
• This type consists of a vertical, heavy-wall steel cylinder, which incorporates a
piston with packings to prevent leakage.
• A deadweight is attached to the top of the piston.
• The force of gravity of the deadweight provides the potential energy in the
accumulator.
• This type of accumulator creates a constant fluid pressure throughout the full
volume output of the unit regardless of the rate and quantity of output.
• In the other types of accumulators, the fluid output pressure decreases as a
function of the volume output of the accumulator.
• The main disadvantage of this type of accumulator is its extremely large size and
heavy weight, which makes it unsuitable for mobile equipment.
Weight-Loaded Accumulator

• This type consists of a vertical, heavy-wall steel cylinder,

which incorporates a piston with packings to prevent
leakage.
• A deadweight is attached to the top of the piston.
• The force of gravity of the deadweight provides the
potential energy in the accumulator.
• This type of accumulator creates a constant fluid pressure
throughout the full volume output of the unit regardless
of the rate and quantity of output.
• In the other types of accumulators, the fluid output
pressure decreases as a function of the volume output of
the accumulator.
• The main disadvantage of this type of accumulator is its
extremely large size and heavy weight, which makes it
unsuitable for mobile equipment.
Spring-Loaded Accumulator
A spring-loaded accumulator is similar to the weight-loaded type except that the piston is
preloaded with a spring. The compressed spring is the source of energy that acts against the
piston, forcing the fluid into the hydraulic system to drive an actuator. The pressure
generated by this type of accumulator depends on the size and preloading of the spring. In
addition, the pressure exerted on the fluid is not a constant. The spring-loaded accumulator
typically delivers a relatively small volume of oil at low pressures. Thus, they tend to be heavy
and large for high-pressure, large-volume systems. This type of accumulator should not be
used for applications requiring high cycle rates because the spring will fatigue, resulting in an
inoperative accumulator.
Gas-Loaded Accumulators
• Gas-loaded accumulators (frequently called hydro-pneumatic accumulators) have
been found to be more practical than the weight- and spring-loaded types.
• Gas-loaded accumulators fall into two main categories

Non separator-Type Accumulator

• The non-separator type of accumulator consists of a fully enclosed shell

containing an oil port on the bottom and a gas charging valve on the top.
• The gas is confined in the top and the oil at the bottom of the shell.
• There is no physical separator between the gas and oil, and thus the gas pushes
directly on the oil.
• The main advantage of this type is its ability to handle large volumes of oil.
• The main disadvantage is absorption of the gas in the oil due to the lack of a
separator.
• This type must be installed vertically to keep the gas confined at the top of the
shell.
• This type is not recommended for use with high-speed pumps because the
entrapped gas in the oil could cause cavitation and damage to the pump.
Separator-Type Accumulator

• The commonly accepted design of gas-loaded accumulators is the separator

type. In this type there is a physical barrier between the gas and the oil. This
barrier effectively uses the compressibility of the gas. The three major
classifications of the separator accumulator are
1. Piston type
2. Diaphragm type
3. Bladder type
APPLICATIONS OF ACCUMULATORS

Four basic applications

• An auxiliary power source
• A leakage compensator
• An emergency power source
• A hydraulic shock absorber

An auxiliary power source

A leakage compensator
 Spring
Spindle
Input
flow

Primary Secondary
flow flow

FDV Hydraulic Control

Pressure relief Pp
accumulator valve
valve (PRV) Hydraulic
Primary line Pm motor
Variable

Auxiliary
displacement ωfw
pump

Flywheel
line
M

Electric Check valve

motor
Tank Controller
FLUID CONDITIONERS

• The purpose of fluid conditioners is to make air a more acceptable fluid

medium for the pneumatic system as well as operating personnel.
• Fluid conditioners include filters, regulators, lubricators, mufflers, and air
dryers.
Air Filters

• The function of a filter is to remove contaminants (solid

particles and liquid droplets) from the air before it reaches
pneumatic components such as valves and actuators.
• The filtration process is carried out in two stages.
• The inlet guides force the inlet stream to rotate. The
centrifugal force acting on the solids and water separates
them from the air stream. They are then collected in the
lower part of the filter.
• In the second stage, a fine filter is added to separate
additional impurities. Condensed water is collected by
means of drain valves. Certain air filters come with or
without a water collector. Moreover, filters with water
traps are drained automatically and/or manually.
Air Pressure Regulators

• For supply a constant pressure into a given pneumatic system, a pressure

regulator is used.
• Airflow enters the regulator at A. Turning adjusting knob B clockwise (viewed
from knob end) compresses spring C, causing diaphragm D and main valve E to
move, allowing flow across the valve seat area. Pressure in the downstream
area is sensed through aspirator tube F to the area H above diaphragm D. As
downstream pressure rises, it offsets the load of spring C. Diaphragm D and
valve E move to close the valve against its seat, stopping airflow through the
regulator. The holding pressure of spring C and downstream pressure H are in
balance, at reduced outlet pressure. Any airflow demand downstream, such as
opening a valve, will cause the downstream pressure to drop. Spring C will
again push open valve E, repeating the sequence in a modulating fashion to
maintain the downstream pressure setting. A rise in downstream pressure
above the set pressure will cause diaphragm D to lift off the top of valve stem J,
thus relieving the excess pressure to the atmosphere under knob B. When the
downstream pressure returns to the set pressure, the diaphragm reseats on the
valve stem, and the system is again in equilibrium.
Air Lubricators
• A lubricator ensures proper lubrication of internal moving parts of pneumatic
components.
Combination filter, regulator, lubricator unit
Pneumatic Pressure Indicators

A pneumatic pressure indicator that provides a two-color, two-position visual

indication of air pressure. The rounded lens configuration provides a 180° view of
the indicator status, which is a fluorescent signal visible from the front and side.
This indicator is easily panel-mounted using the same holes as standard electrical
pilot lights.
AIR FLOW-RATE CONTROL WITH ORIFICES

• Since a valve is a variable orifice, it is important to evaluate the flow rate of air
through an orifice.

• Air volume flow rates through orifice

Thank You
 Cylinder
DCV Fload
Load

Qpump

Relief
valve
Tank