Electrical Engineering Department

Control Lab
Experiment #2
Introduction to pneumatic systems

Objectives:
1. To become familiar with the Pneumatics Trainer.
2. To identify the various system components.
3. To be aware of the safety rules to follow when using Pneumatics Trainer.
4. To investigate a basic pneumatic circuit.
5. To learn about pneumatic power characteristics, applications, advantages and disadvantages.

Introduction
Identifying the Trainer Components:

1. Conditioning unit
It consists of a main shutoff valve, filter, pressure regulator, pressure gauge and a 4-port manifold
as shown in Fig(1).

Conditioning unit P/N(6411) Simplified symbol

Fig(1)
2. Pressure gauge
Pressure gauges convert pressure into a dial reading, Fig(2) show pressure gauge and their symbol.

Fig(2): Pressure gauges

4
3. Valve
Valves are used to control flow and/or direction. Some valves have two ports others have more. Fig (3)
show some types of valves used in the trainer.

Fig (3-a): Flow control valve. Fig(3-b):Directional valve-:push-bottom operated.

4. Directional valve, double air pilot operated

The operation of a double-piloted,4-way,2-position directional control valve is illustrated in Fig (3-
c).When pilot port A is pressurized, ports 1 and 2 are interconnected through the valve, supplying the
branch circuit with compressed air. Ports 3 and 4 are also interconnected through the valve,
connecting the branch circuit to atmosphere. When the spool is shifted by pressurizing pilot port 6,
ports 1 and 4 are interconnected to supply the branch circuit with compressed air. Compressed air is
exhausted from the branch circuit to atmosphere through interconnected ports 2 and 3. Pilot-operated
valves can have manual overrides to move the spool without pilot pressure for setup troubleshooting.

Fig( 3-C): Directional valve, double air pilot operated.

5. Cylinders and load device

Cylinders are actuators that convert fluid energy into linear mechanical power. One of the cylinders
of your trainer is a double-acting type because it works in both the extension and retraction stroke of
the piston rod, the other cylinder is a spring return-type. The load device is used to measure the force
generated by the cylinders. Fig (4) shows the type used in the lab.

5
 Fig(4-a):Single Acting Cylinder.

Fig(4-b):Single end rood double acting cylinder.

Fig(4-c):Double end rood acting cylinder.

6. Accumulator

Accumulators are receivers that are used to store pressurized: air in a pneumatic system as shows
in Fig(5).

Fig(5):Accumulator.

6
7. Long line device
The long line device is used to generate friction in a circuit as shows in Fig(6).

Fig(6): Long line device

8. Pneumatic Motor
Pneumatic motors convert fluid energy into mechanical rotational energy. When a pressure
differential is created within a pneumatic motor the higher pressure air expands. This expanding air
acts upon the internal surfaces of the motor to cause the motor output shaft to turn.

Experimental procedure:

A) Fundamental Pneumatic Circuit

1. Construct the circuit shown in Fig(7).

Fig(7)

2. On the Conditioning Unit, open the main shutoff valve and the branch shutoff valve adjust
the regulator to set the pressure at 300kPa.

è Does the rod of the cylinder extend when the button is pressed? What happens to the cylinder
when the button is released? Explain

Exercise#1
Construct and implement pneumatic circuit in which cylinder cannot extended until two switches
pushed as:
a) AND operation.
b) OR operation.

7
B) Air conditioning and distributing equipment

1. Connect the circuit shown in Fig(8).

Fig(8)
2. Open the main shutoff valve and set the pressure regulator at 300 kPa on the regulated pressure
gauge.
3. Open the branch shut off valve. Push the button on the directional control valve and observe
the time taken for a full extension of the cylinder rod Wait a few seconds and repeat.

4. Close the shut off valves and modify the circuit to add an accumulator in the proximity of the
cylinder as shown in Fig(9).

Fig(9)

5. Open the shutoff valves and set the pressure regulator at 300 kPa .

6. Wait until the accumulator is filled with compressed air (30 sec approximately), then push the
button on the directional control valve and observe the time taken for a full extension of the
cylinder rood. Wait a few seconds and repeat.

Question# 1: What change do you observe in the time taken by the rod to fully extend?
Explain.

C) Speed contract of cylinder

1. Connect the circuit shown Fig(10).

2. Close contract valve completely.
3. Set the pressure to100KPa and open the main shut off.
4. Open flow contract valve according to the Table(1).
5. Observe the speed of the extension and retraction of the piston. Is it increase, decrease or stay
the same.

8
 Fig(10)

Flow control valve Extension speed Retraction speed

2 turn
4 turn
5 turn

Table(1)

Question#2: Explain the relationship between the setting of the flow control and extension time of the
rod.

Question#3: What do you observe about the retraction time of the rod? Explain.

D) Indirect control using pilot operated valve

1. Connect the circuit shown in Fig(11).

Fig(11)

2. Open the main shutoff valve and the branch shutoff valves at the manifold and set the pressure
regulator at 100 KPa on the regulated pressure gauge.

3. Push down the button on the directional control valve DCV2 to set the spool in the pilot
operated valve as illustrated in Fig(13).

9
Question# 4: Explain what happen to the piston?

4. Actuate the cylinder using the directional control valves DCV1and DCV2.

Question#5: Do the valves DCV1and DCV2 control the extension and retraction of the cylinder piston
rod? Explain why and how.

5. Push down the button on the directional control valve DCV2 and maintain this position. With
your other hand, push down the button on the directional control valve DCV1.

Question#6: Explain what happen to the piston?

6. Release the button on the directional control valveDCV2 then push down the button on the
directional control valve DCV1and maintains this position. With your other hand, push down the
button on the directional control valve DCV2.

Question#7: What happens?

E) Pneumatic Motor Performance

1. connect circuit shown in Fig(12).

2. Open the branch shutoff valve number 1 and keep number 2 closed.
3. Use a tachometer to measure the rotational speed of motor
4. Complete the following Table(2).

Fig(12)

Pressure Speed Flow rate

30psi
35 psi
40 psi
45 psi
Table(2)

10
F) Directional and speed control of pneumatic Motor

1. Construct the circuit as shown in Fig(13).

Fig(13)

2. Open the flow control valves FCVl and FCV2, by turning the control knobs fully counter
clockwise.

3. Open the shutoff valves and set the pressure regulator at 400 kPa .

4. Use the required directional control valve to set the motor rotation in the counter clockwise
direction.

5. Adjust the flow control valve FCV1 to obtain a rotational speed as in the Table(3).

6. Push down the button on the directional control valve DCV2 to set the motor rotation in the
clockwise direction.

7. Adjust the flow control valve FCV2 to obtain a rotational speed as in the Table(3).

Flow rate Speed(clockwise) Speed(counter clockwise)

30
35
40
45

Table(3)

Question#8: Draw relationship between flow rate and speed.

Question#9: From the values indicated in Table(3) what can you conclude about the operation of the
circuit?

11
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) The fluid power devices that convert the energy of a pressurized fluid into
mechanical energy to do work are called
a. activators b .actuators c. accumulators d. converters.

2) Which gas is commonly used in pneumatics?

a. Oxygen b. Air c. Hydrogen d. Nitrogen.

3) Which two properties of compressed air make possible smooth acceleration and
reversal of direction of mechanical motions?
a. Easy to store and very fast working medium. B. Elastic and very fast working medium
c. Compressible and elastic D. Efficient and compressible

4) Which of the following is not considered as an advantage of compressed air

a. Offers little risk of explosion B. No return line necessary.
c. Humidity may not be present. D. Enables high working speed to be obtained.

5) Mechanical energy is converted into fluid power when air is

a. compressed b. exhausted c. absent d. extended.

6) Which component is used to measure the pressure in a pneumatic circuit?

A. Lubricator B. Pressure gauge C. Flow control valve D. Regulator.

7) Relief valves are used to

A. limit the minimum pressure in a system B. to control the flow rate in a system
C. limit the maximum pressure in a system. D. to control the pressure in a system.

8) Which component is used to set the pressure in a pneumatic circuit?

A. Lubricator. B. Pressure gauge.
C. Flow control valve. D. Pressure regulator.

9) Accumulators are used to

A. provides a short term supply of compressed air. B. compressed air before entering the circuit.
C. Compress air to a particular value. D. maintain a constant pressure in a circuit.

10) Which of the following components is not a part of the conditioning unit?
A. Shutoff valve. B. Pressure gauge.
C. Flow control valve. D. Pressure regulators

12