BMFA 4223 INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

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Hydraulic
Actuator
Prepared by Dr Nur Aidawaty Rafan | FKP
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Advantages of Hydarulic

 Hydraulic actuators are rugged and suited for high-force

applications. They can produce forces 25 times greater than
pneumatic cylinders of equal size. They also operate in
pressures of up to 4,000 psi.

 • Hydraulic motors have high horsepower-to-weight ratio by 1

to 2 hp/lb greater than a pneumatic motor.

 • A hydraulic actuator can hold force and torque constant

without the pump supplying more fluid or pressure due to the
incompressibility of fluids

 • Hydraulic actuators can have their pumps and motors

located a considerable distance away with minimal loss of
power.
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Disadvantages of Hydraulic

 Hydraulics will leak fluid. Like pneumatic actuators, loss of fluid leads to
less efficiency. However, hydraulic fluid leaks lead to cleanliness
problems and potential damage to surrounding components and areas.

 • Hydraulic actuators require many companion parts, including a fluid

reservoir, motors, pumps, release valves, and heat exchangers, along
with noise-reduction equipment. This makes for linear motions systems
that are large and difficult to accommodate.
 Basic
principle

Pressure applied to piston “A” is

transferred equally to a piston of the same
size “B” because PSI is the same
throughout the system.
 hydraulic
advantage

If the surface area of piston “B” is 10 times

the surface area of piston “A”, then the force
applied to piston “A” is multiplied 10 times as
the force exerted on piston “B”. PSI is equal
throughout the system.
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 A key parameter for most hydraulic and fluid systems is flow

velocity though hose or pipe. Designers usually strive to maximize
flow, optimizing performance while using the smallest possible
hose to save on cost, space, and weight. But too high a fluid bulk
flow velocity may cause excessive pressure drop or damaging
pressure spikes.
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Input / Output
Force input on a hydraulic
system or component
results in transfer of power
to output of force by the
system or component.
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The Hydraulic Power Pack and Symbols

The power pack produces the flow of oil (and consequently the
pressure) for the hydraulic system.

M Electric Motor Pump

Tank Filter
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Rectangles and Squares

Rectangles and squares are generally used to represent components that

direct and control oil in some way.

Valves can be:

One Position Two Position Three Position

Usually control.
Relieving or
Directing the
controlling
flow of oil to
pressure and
various
flow for example.
positions.
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Direction Arrows

Arrows Can Indicate:

Flow in One Flow in Two Rotation Variability

Direction Directions

Arrow at 30 or 60 degrees
through a component that can
be varied.
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Valve Classification
Valves Can Commonly be Classified
as:
Two Port/Two Position Three Port/Two Position Four Port/Two Position
Directional Control Valve (2/2 Directional Control Valve (3/2 Directional Control Valve (4/2
DCV) DCV) DCV)

Four Port/Three Position

Directional Control Valve (4/3
DCV)

4/3 Directional
Control valve
 Differences in Symbols
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Symbols Reminder

Hydraulic Pump Compressor

Pumps and Motors
differ only by filling in
the direction arrow or
leaving it white.

Supply and Pilot

arrows are also filled
in or left white.

Hydraulically Actuated and Pneumatically Actuated

supplied 3/2 Pilot Spring and supplied 3/2 Pilot
Spring
Differences in Symbols
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Cylinders and other actuators also differ with respect to supply and direction
arrows.

Hydraulic Double Acting Cylinder Pneumatic Double Acting Cylinder

Many symbols do not change, for example the Filter symbol.

Hydraulic Filter Pneumatic Filter

Remember however that the physical construction is completely different.

For example, hydraulic filters can be either Suction Strainers (suction side of the
pump), Pressure Filter (pressure side of the pump) or Return Filter (in the return
to tank line). Each filter requires different properties.
Differences in Symbols
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Hydraulic valves have a crossover to Tank.

Pneumatic valves tend to have two

Exhaust outlets to Atmosphere.
Simple Application Example
Hydraulic

DCV

Filter

Tank
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Control of a Single-Acting Hydraulic
Cylinder

 In the spring offset mode, full pump flow goes to the tank
through the pressure-relief valve (PRV).

 The spring in the rod end of the cylinder retracts the

piston as the oil from the blank end drains back into the
tank.

 When the valve is manually actuated into its next

position, pump flow extends the cylinder.

 After full extension, pump flow goes through the relief

valve.

 Deactivation of the DCV allows the cylinder to retract as

the DCV shifts into its spring offset mode.
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Control of a Double-Acting Hydraulic
Cylinder
 1. When the 4/3 valve is in its neutral position (tandem design), the
cylinder is hydraulically locked and the pump is unloaded back to the
tank.

 2. When the 4/3 valve is actuated into the flow path, the cylinder is
extended against its load as oil flows from port P through port A. Oil
in the rod end of the cylinder is free to flow back to the tank through
the four-way valve from portB through portT.

 3. When the 4/3 valve is actuated into the right-envelope

configuration, the cylinder retracts as oil flows from port P through
port B. Oil in the blank end is returned to the tank via the flow path
from port A to port T.

 At the ends of the stroke, there is no system demand for oil. Thus,
the pump flow goes through the relief valve at its pressure level
setting unless the four-way valve is deactivated.
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Regenerative Cylinder Circuit

 a regenerative circuit is used to speed up the extending speed of

a double-acting cylinder.

 The pipelines to both ends of the hydraulic cylinder are connected

in parallel and one of the ports of the 4/3 valve is blocked by
simply screwing a thread plug into the port opening.

 During retraction stroke, the 4/3 valve is configured to the right

envelope.

 During this stroke, the pump flow bypasses the DCV and enters
the rod end of the cylinder. Oil from the blank end then drains
back to the tank through the DCV.

 When the DCV is shifted in to its left-envelope configuration, the

cylinder extends

 The speed of extension is greater than that for a regular double-

acting cylinder because the flow from the rod end regenerates
with the pump flow to provide a total flow rate . p Q T Q
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Automatic Cylinder Reciprocating
System
 Each sequence valve senses the
completion of stroke by the
corresponding build-up pressure. Each
check valve and the corresponding
pilot line prevent the shifting of the
four-way valve until the particular
stroke of the cylinder is completed.

 The check valves are needed to allow

pilot oil to leave either end of the DCV
while the pilot pressure is applied to
the opposite end. This permits the
spool of the DCV to shift as required.
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 In hydraulic operations, it is necessary to control the speed of

the actuator so as to control the force, power, timing and other
factors of the operation. Actuator speed control is achieved by
controlling the rate of flow into or out of the cylinder.

 Speed control by controlling the rate of flow into the cylinder is

called meter-in control.Speed control by controlling the rate of
flow out of the cylinder is called meter-out control.
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SpeedControl of a Hydraulic Cylinder
(Using meter in meter out) circuit
 The speed control of a hydraulic cylinder circuit
can be done during the extension stroke using a
flow-control valve (FCV).

 a hydraulic cylinder circuit can be done during the

extension stroke using a flow-control valve (FCV).
This is done on a meter-in circuit and meter-out
circuit

 When the DCV is actuated, oil flows through the

FCV to extend the cylinder. The extending speed
of the cylinder depends on the FCV setting. When
the DCV is deactivated, the cylinder retracts as oil
from the cylinder passes through the check valve.
Thus, the retraction speed of a cylinder is not
controlled.
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Mechanical hydraulic servo system
 the sequential operation of which occurs as follows:

 • The input or command signal is the turning of the

steering wheel.
• This results in movement of the valve sleeve, which
ports oil to the actuator (steering cylinder).
• The piston rod moves the wheels through the steering
linkage.
• The valve spool is attached to the linkage, thereby
moving it.

 When the valve spool has moved far enough, it cuts off
the oil flow through the cylinder. This stops the motion of
the actuator.

 It is therefore clear that mechanical feedback re-centers

the valve (servo valve) in order to stop motion at the
desired point which in turn is determined by the position
of the steering wheel. Additional motion of the steering
wheel is required to cause further motion of the output
wheels.
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Hydraulic cylinder sequencing circuit
 two sequence valves are used to control
the sequence of operation of two double-
acting cylinders.

 When the DCV is shifted into its left

envelope mode, the left cylinder extends
completely and then the right cylinder
extends. If the DCV is shifted into its right
envelope mode, the right cylinder retracts
fully followed by the left cylinder. This
sequence of the cylinder operation is
controlled by the sequence valves. The
spring centered position of the DCV locks
both the cylinders in place.
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Counterbalance valve application
 a counterbalance or backpressure valve
is used to keep a vertically mounted
cylinder in upward position during pump
idling.

 The counterbalance valve is set to open

at a pressure slightly above the
pressure required to hold the piston up.
This permits the cylinder to be forced
downward, when pressure is applied on
the top. The open center direction
control valve unloads the pump. The
DCV used here is a solenoid-actuated,
spring-centered valve with an open
center flow path configuration.
z Hydraulic Pump unloading circuit
 a circuit used for unloading a pump using an
unloading valve

 In this circuit, the unloading valve opens as the

cylinder reaches the end of its extension stroke.
This is because the check valve keeps the high-
pressure oil in the pilot line of the unloading
valve. When the DCV is shifted to retract the
cylinder, the motion of the cylinder reduces the
pressure in the pilot line of the unloading valve.
This resets the unloading valve until the cylinder
is fully retracted at the point where the unloading
valve unloads the pump. It is thus seen that the
unloading valve unloads the pump at the end of
the extending and retracting strokes as well as
in the spring-centered position of the DCV.
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Fail-Safe Circuits
 Fail-safe circuits are basically designed to prevent injury
to the operator or damage to the equipment. In general
they prevent any accidental fall or overloading of the
equipment.

 The direction control valve 1 is controlled by a push

button three-way valve 2. When overload valve 3 is in its
spring-offset mode, it drains the pilot line of valve 1. If the
cylinder experiences excessive resistance during its
extension stroke, the sequence valve 4 pilot-actuates
overload valve 3. This drains the pilot line of valve 1,
causing it to return to its spring-offset mode. If push
button valve 2 is then operated, nothing will happen
unless the overload valve 3 is manually shifted into its
blocked port configuration. This ensures the protection of
the system components against excessive pressure due
to excessive cylinder load during the extension stroke.
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