FLUID POWER ENGINEERING 18ME55

MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO FLUID POWER SYSTEMS

Fluid Power is the technology that deals with the generation, control, and transmission of
power, using pressurized fluids. Fluid power is called hydraulics when the fluid is a liquid
and is called pneumatics when the fluid is a gas.

Hydraulic systems use liquids such as petroleum oils, synthetic oils, and water. Pneumatic
systems use air as the gas medium because air is very abundant and can be readily exhausted
into the atmosphere after completing its assigned task.

COMPONENTS OF A FLUID POWER SYSTEM:

Hydraulic System:

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There are six basic components required in a hydraulic system:

1) A tank (reservoir) to hold the hydraulic oil.

2) A pump to force the oil through the system.

3) An electric motor or other power source to drive the pump.

4) Valves to control oil direction, pressure, and flowrate.

5) An actuator to convert the pressure of the oil into mechanical force to do the useful work.

6) Piping to carry the oil from one location to the other.

Pneumatic System:

Pneumatic systems have components that are similar to those used in hydraulic systems.

1) An air tank to store a given volume of compressed air.

2) A compressor to compress the air that comes directly from the atmosphere.

3) An electric motor or other prime mover to drive the compressor.

4) Valves to control air direction, pressure and flowrate.

5) Actuators, which are similar in operation to hydraulic actuators.

6) Piping to carry the pressurized air from one location to another.

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ADVANTAGES OF FLUID POWER SYSTEM:

The advantages of a fluid power system are as follows:

1) Fluid power systems are simple, easy to operate and can be controlled accurately: Fluid
power gives flexibility to equipment without requiring a complex mechanism. Using fluid
power, we can start, stop, accelerate, decelerate, reverse or position large forces/components
with great accuracy using simple levers and push buttons.

2) Multiplication and variation of forces: Linear or rotary force can be multiplied by a

fraction of a kilogram to several hundreds of tons.

3) Multifunction control: A single hydraulic pump or air compressor can provide power and
control for numerous machines using valve manifolds and distribution systems.

4) Low-speed torque: Unlike electric motors, air or hydraulic motors can produce a large
amount of torque while operating at low speeds.

5) Constant force or torque: Fluid power systems can deliver constant torque or force
regardless of speed changes.

6) Economical: Not only reduction in required manpower but also the production or
elimination of operator fatigue, as a production factor, is an important element in the use of
fluid power.

7) Low weight to power ratio: The hydraulic system has a low weight to power ratio
compared to electromechanical systems. Fluid power systems are compact.

8) Fluid power systems can be used where safety is of vital importance: Safety is of vital
importance in air and space travel, in the production and operation of motor vehicles, in
mining and manufacture of delicate products.

APPLICATIONS OF FLUID POWER:

1) Agriculture: Tractors and farm equipments like ploughs, movers, chemical sprayers,
fertilizer spreaders.

2) Aviation: Fluid power equipments like landing wheels on aeroplane and helicopter,
aircraft trolleys, aircraft engine test beds.

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3) Building Industry: For metering and mixing of concrete ingredients from hopper.

4) Construction Equipment: Earthmoving equipments like excavators, bucket loaders,

dozers, crawlers, and road graders.

5) Defence: Missile-launch systems and Navigation controls

6) Entertainment: Amusement park entertainment rides like roller coasters

7) Fabrication Industry: Hand tools like pneumatic drills, grinders, bores, riveting machines,
nut runners

8) Food and Beverage: All types of food processing equipment, wrapping, bottling

9) Foundry: Full and semi-automatic moulding machines, tilting of furnaces, die casting
machines

10) Material Handling: Jacks, Hosts, Cranes, Forklift, Conveyor system

TRANSMISSION OF POWER AT STATIC AND DYNAMIC STATES:

A hydrostatic system uses fluid pressure to transmit power. Hydrostatics deals with the
mechanics of still fluids and uses the theory of equilibrium conditions in fluid. The system
creates high pressure, and through a transmission line and a control element, this pressure
drives an actuator (linear or rotational). The pump used in hydrostatic systems is a positive
displacement pump. An example of pure hydrostatics is the transfer of force in hydraulics.

Hydrodynamic systems use fluid motion to transmit power. Power is transmitted by the
kinetic energy of the fluid. Hydrodynamics deals with the mechanics of moving fluid and
uses flow theory. The pump used in hydrodynamic systems is a non-positive displacement
pump. An example of pure hydrodynamics is the conversion of flow energy in turbines in
hydroelectric power plants.

In oil hydraulics, we deal mostly with the fluid working in a confined system, that is, a
hydrostatic system.

PASCAL’S LAW (MULTIPLICATION OF FORCE):

Pascal’s law reveals the basic principle of how fluid power systems perform useful work.
This law can be stated as follows:

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Pressure applied to a confined fluid is transmitted undiminished in all directions throughout

the fluid and acts perpendicular to the surface in contact with the fluid.

The above figure shows how Pascal’s law can be applied to produce a useful amplified output
force. Consider an input force of 10N is applied to a 1-m2 area piston. This develops a
10N/m2 pressure throughout the oil within the housing. This 10N/m2 pressure acts on a 10-m2
area piston producing a 100N output force. This output force performs useful work as it lifts
the 100N weight.

F1 F2
From Pascal’s law we know that, P P i.e., 
1 2
A1 A2

10 F2
 F2  100N
1 10

FLUIDS FOR HYDRAULIC SYSTEM:

The most important material in a hydraulic system is the working fluid itself. Hydraulic fluid
characteristics have a crucial effect on equipment performance and life. It is important to use
a clean, high-quality fluid in order to achieve efficient hydraulic system operation.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF HYDRAULIC FLUIDS:

1) Water: The least expensive hydraulic fluid is water. Water is treated with chemicals before
being used in a fluid power system. This treatment removes undesirable contaminates.

2) Petroleum Oils: These are the most common among the hydraulic fluids which are used in
a wide range of hydraulic applications. The characteristic of petroleum based hydraulic oils
are controlled by the type of crude oil used.

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3) Water Glycols: These are solutions contains 35 to 55% water, glycol and water soluble
thickener to improve viscosity. Additives are also added to improve anticorrosion, anti-wear
and lubricity properties.

4) Water Oil Emulsions: These are water-oil mixtures. They are of two types’ oil-in-water
emulsions or water-in-oil emulsions. The oil-in-water emulsion has water as the continuous
base and the oil is present in lesser amounts as the dispersed media. In the water-in-oil
emulsion, the oil is in continuous phase and water is the dispersed media.

5) Phosphate Ester: It results from the incorporation of phosphorus into organic molecules.
They have high thermal stability. They serve an excellent detergent and prevent building up
of sludge.

PROPERTIES OF HYDRAULIC FLUIDS:

1) Viscosity: It is a measure of the fluid’s internal resistance offered to flow.

2) Viscosity Index: This value shows how temperature affects the viscosity of oil. The
viscosity of the oil decreases with increase in temperature and vice versa. The rate of change
of viscosity with temperature is indicated on an arbitrary scale called viscosity index.

3) Oxidation Stability: The most important property of hydraulic oil is its oxidation stability.
Oxidation is caused by a chemical reaction between the oxygen of the dissolved air and the
oil. The oxidation of the oil creates impurities like sludge, insoluble gum and soluble acidic
products. The soluble acidic products cause corrosion and insoluble products make the
operation sluggish.

4) Demulsibility: The ability of a hydraulic fluid to separate rapidly from moisture and
successfully resist emulsification is known as Demulsibility.

5) Lubricity: The ability of the hydraulic fluid to lubricate the moving parts efficiently is
called Lubricity.

6) Rust Prevention: The moisture entering into the hydraulic system with air causes the parts
made of ferrous materials to rust. This rust if passed through the precision made pumps and
valves may scratch the nicely polished surfaces. So inhibitors are added to the oil to keep the
moisture away from the surface.

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7) Pour Point: The temperature at which oil will clot is referred to as the pour point i.e. the
lowest temperature at which the oil is able to flow easily.

8) Flash Point and Fire Point: Flash point is the temperature at which a liquid gives off
vapour in sufficient quantity to ignite momentarily or flash when a flame is applied. The
minimum temperature at which the hydraulic fluid will catch fire and continue burning is
called fire point.

9) Neutralization Number: The neutralization number is a measure of the acidity or

alkalinity of a hydraulic fluid. This is referred to the PH value of the fluid. High acidity
causes the oxidation rate in an oil to increase rapidly.

10) Density: It is that quantity of matter contained in unit volume of the substance.

11) Compressibility: All fluids are compressible to some extent. Compressibility of a liquid
causes the liquid to act much like a stiff spring. The coefficient of compressibility is the
fractional change in a unit volume of liquid per unit change of pressure.

SELECTION OF HYDRAULIC FLUIDS:

A hydraulic fluid has the following four primary functions:

1) Transmit Power

2) Lubricate moving parts

3) Seal clearances between mating parts

4) Dissipate heat

In addition a hydraulic fluid must be inexpensive and readily available. From the selection
point of view, a hydraulic fluid should have the following properties:

1) Good lubricity

2) Ideal viscosity

3) Chemical stability

4) Compatibility with system materials

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5) High degree of incompressibility

6) Fire resistance

7) Good heat-transfer capability

8) Low density

9) Foam resistance

10) Non-toxicity

11) Low volatility

This is a challenging list, and no single hydraulic fluid possesses all of these desirable
characteristics. The fluid power designer must select the fluid that is the closest to being ideal
overall for a particular application.

ADDITIVES:

Various additives are added to the fluid to sustain the important characteristics. Few such
additives are:

1) Anti-foaming: They are added to reduce foaming of fluid.

2) Anti-wear: Wear resistant chemicals are added to the fluid to protect critical hydraulic
components from wear.

3) Corrosion inhibitor: Chemicals are added to protect surfaces from chemical attack by
water.

4) Biocide: Emulsifying chemicals are added to the fluid to inhibit growth of water-borne
bacteria.

5) Emulsifier: These are added to facilitate formation and stabilisation of an emulsion.

6) Lubrication Oiliness agents: Extreme Pressure (EP) agents are added to the fluid to
enhance lubrication characteristics for effective full film boundary lubrication between the
mating parts.

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7) Flocculants: Chemicals added to dispersion of solids in a liquid to combine fine particles

to form floe or small solid masses in the fluid.

8) Deionisation: Elements which provide hardness like calcium, manganese, iron, and
aluminium salts are removed through deionisation of the water.

9) Oxidation inhibitor: Anti-oxidation additives are added to provide anti-oxidation

characteristics. Oxidation changes the chemical characteristics of the fluid.

10) Vapour phase inhibitor: Prevention of oxidation or corrosion of metals in contact with
the vapour phase of the fluid is ensured by addition of appropriate chemicals.

EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE ON HYDRAULIC FLUID:

Viscosity is the most important property of a hydraulic fluid. Temperature has an adverse
effect on the viscosity of hydraulic oil. Hence it has to be seen that the operating temperature
of a hydraulic system is kept at a reasonably constant level. Otherwise there will be
tremendous losses in the system which will reduce the overall efficiency.

A hydraulic fluid that is too viscous generates more friction and heat and usually causes high-
pressure drop, sluggish operation, low-mechanical efficiency, and high-power consumption.
On the other hand low-viscosity fluids permit efficient low-drag operation, but tend to
increase wear, reduce volumetric efficiency, and promote leakage.

SEAL:

The seal is an agent which prevents leakage of oil from the hydraulic elements and protects
the system from dust/dirt. The major function of the seal is to maintain pressure, prevent loss
of fluid from the system and to keep out contamination in the system to enhance its working
life and functional reliability over a longer period.

CLASSIFICATION OF SEALS:

According to the method of sealing:

1. Positive sealing: A positive seal prevents even a minute amount of oil from getting past.
A positive seal does not allow any leakage whatsoever (external or internal).

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2. Non-positive sealing: A non-positive seal allows a small amount of internal leakage, such
as the clearance of the piston to provide a lubrication film.

According to the relative motion existing between the seals and other parts:

1. Static seals: These are used between mating parts that do not move relative to one another.
These are relatively simple. They are essentially non-wearing and usually trouble-free if
assembled properly.

2. Dynamic seals: These are assembled between mating parts that move relative to each
other. Hence, dynamic seals are subject to wear because one of the mating parts rubs against
the seal.
According to geometrical cross-section:

1. O-rings: O-ring is the most widely used seal for hydraulic systems. It is a moulded
synthetic rubber seal that has a round cross-section in its free state. O-ring can be used for the
most static and dynamic conditions. It gives effective sealing through a wide range of
pressures, temperatures and movements.

2. V-ring seal and U-ring seal: V- and U-ring seals are compression-type seals used in
virtually all types of reciprocating motion applications. These include piston rods and piston
seals in pneumatic and hydraulic cylinder, press rank, jacks and seals on plungers and piston
in reciprocating pumps.

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3. T-ring seal: T-ring seal is a dynamic seal that is extensively used to seal cylinder-pistons,
piston rods and other reciprocating parts. It is made of synthetic rubber moulded in the shape
of the cross-section T and reinforced by backup rings on either side. The sealing edge is
rounded and seals very much like an O-ring.

4. Piston cup packings: Piston cup packings are designed specifically for pistons in
reciprocating pumps and pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders. They offer the best service life
for this type of application, require a minimum recess space and minimum recess machining,
and can be installed easily and quickly.

5. Piston rings: Piston rings are seals that are universally used for cylinder pistons. Piston
rings offer substantially less opposition to motion than synthetic rubber (elastomer) seals.

SEALING MATERIALS:

Various metallic and non-metallic materials are used for fabrication of seals that are used in
hydraulic systems. Leather, metals and elastomers are very common seal materials.

1) Leather: This material is rugged and inexpensive. However, it tends to squeal

(scream/screech) when dry and cannot operate above 90C, which is inadequate for many
hydraulic systems. Leather does operate well at cold temperatures to about -50C.

2) Buna-N: This material is rugged and inexpensive and wears wells. It has a rather wide
operating temperature range (-45C to 110C) during which it maintains its good sealing
characteristics.

3) Silicone: This elastomer has an extremely wide operating temperature range (-65C to
232C). Hence it is widely used for rotating shaft seals and static seals. Silicone has low tear
resistance and hence not used for reciprocating seal applications.

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4) Neoprene: This material has a temperature range of 50C to 120C. it is unsuitable above
120C because of its tendency to vulcanize.

5) Viton: This material contains 65% fluorine. It has become almost a standard material for
elastomer-type seals for use at elevated temperatures up to 240C. Its minimum operating
temperature is 28C.

6) Tetrafluoroethylene: This material is the most widely used plastic for seals of hydraulic
systems. It is a tough, chemically inert, waxy solid, which can be processed only by
compacting and sintering. It has excellent resistance to chemical breakdown up to
temperatures of 370C.
Types of Pipes
Pipe Types based on Material
Pipes are normally classified based on the material which is used to produce the pipe during
manufacturing. In general, there are two types of pipes:

1. Metallic Pipes and

2. Non-metallic Pipes

Type of Pipes made from ferrous materials:

These types of pipes are stronger and heavier. These pipes have iron as their main constituent
element. Common examples of pipes made from ferrous materials are

Carbon steel pipes

Stainless steel pipes
Alloy steel pipes
DSS pipes
Cast Iron pipes
Ductile Iron pipes, etc

Type of Pipes made fr om Non-ferr ous materials:

In this group of pipes, iron is not the main constituent element. They are usually made of
copper, aluminum, brass, etc. Common pipes made from non-ferrous materials are

 Aluminum and Aluminum alloy pipes.

 Copper and copper alloy pipes.

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 Nickel and Nickel alloy pipes.

 Titanium and titanium alloy pipes.
 Zirconium and Zirconium alloy pipes.

Non-metallic Pipes

 PE/HDPE Pipes
 uPVC/PVC/CPVC Pipes
 PP pipes
 Reinforced thermoplastic pipes or RTPs
 ABS Pipes
 Composite pipes like GRE/GRP/FRP Pipes
 Cement and Asbestos Cement Pipes
 Vitrified clay pipes

Types of Pipes depending on the industry they are used

Depending on the type of industry there are three types of pipes.

 Pipes for Chemical and Power Piping industries.

 Pipes for Plumbing industry.
 Pipes for Pipeline industry.

Types of Pipes for Chemical and Power Piping Industries

These types of pipes are suitable for high-temperature and pressure applications. Mainly pipes
made from ferrous materials are used in chemical, power, petrochemical, steel, oil, and gas
industries. They are usually designed following codes like ASME B31.3, ASME B31.1, and
various other international codes. They are usually selected based on their ability to sustain
pressure, temperature, corrosion resistance, etc.

Types of Pipes for the Plumbing industry

Common plumbing pipes are PVC pipes, PEX pipes, Copper pipes, ABS pipes, Cast Iron and
galvanized steel pipes, etc. They are mainly used for water distribution purposes.

Types of Pipes based on the fluid they transport

Depending on the type of fluid they transport, pipes are categorized as follows:

 Water Pipes those transporting water.

 Gas pipes transporting gaseous substances.
 Vapor pipes carrying different vapors of products.

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 Oil pipes transporting crude or processed oils.

 Steam pipes transporting steam.
 Hydrogen pipes carrying hydrogens.

Types of Hoses
Hoses are a key part to the proper functioning of many industries. Industrial hoses are used for
the transfer of chemicals, petroleum, fuel, air, water, bulk material and for water suction and
discharge. Choosing the right hose to transfer materials for your project is important. Choosing
the wrong hose can be catastrophic. The wrong material and pressure rating can ruin your
reputation and even cause injury. Let’s look at the most common types of industrial hoses and
their applications.
Chemical Transfer Hoses
These hoses are used to transfer a variety of industrial chemicals, and are most often used in
pressure, gravity flow, and suction service. Working with chemicals can be very dangerous, so
your hose must withstand the pressures you are putting upon it.
Petroleum Transfer Hoses
Petroleum transfer hoses and tubes are used to transfer oil, gas, and petroleum based solvents in
a variety of industries.
You’ll find these hoses commonly used in industries such as agriculture, ship building, quarries,
mines, railroads, factories, and construction. These heavy duty tubes are perfect for the transfer
of high temperature petroleum based materials such as tar, asphalt, and hot oils.
They are also suitable for suction and discharge service on tank trucks, tank cars, or at bulk
stations. Petroleum transfer hoses are generally made of a synthetic rubber, and have a medium
to high oil resistance.
Steams Hoses
Steam hoses are rugged hoses are used for all-around steam service.
Steam hoses can be used for steam-cleaning, pressure washing, heat control, fire prevention,
pumping, thawing, blow-out service, steam pumps, hoists, chemical plants, and refineries. They
are typically made of synthetic rubber, and reinforced with steel wire.
Food & Beverage Hoses
Food and beverage hoses are sanitary transfer hoses used to handle the transfer of edible
materials from tank trucks, and into plant service. These are suction and discharge hoses that
handle most every type of dry bulk material, liquid in gravity flow and vacuum service in the
food and beverage industries.

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Food hoses are often made of synthetic rubber and must be in compliance with FDA and
USDA. Some common materials used in food are Nitrile, white and clear PVC and Neoprene.
Abrasive Material Hoses
Abrasive material hoses are sturdy, heavy duty hoses that convey non-oily abrasive or coarse
materials such as rocks, chips, slurry, mud, sand, limestone, and plastic pellets.
Abrasive material hoses are recommended where static buildup can be a problem, so you can
often find them used in tank trucks for in-plant service used as a static dissipating/static
conductive hose.
These hoses are typically made of thick pure gum rubber, but over the years improved
engineering and compounding has permitted lighter weight and more flexible hoses, such as
those made of urethane, to enter the market. Abrasive material hoses have a finite life cycle and
should be rotated during use for even wear. Service life varies depending on operating
conditions, hours of use and material or product being conveyed.

Air Hoses
Air hoses are used for industrial air service, compressor lines, pneumatic tools, low pressure
spray and other applications. Air hose assemblies can be easily coupled or fitted with quick
disconnects to make line connections simple and efficient for your needs.
You can often find air hoses in agricultural fields, construction, warehouses, garages, and other
industrial multipurpose applications. They are often nonconductive, and resistant to oil.

Water Hoses
Water hoses are used for the transport of water in many industries.
You can find water hoses used for beverages, agricultural hand sprayers, construction, and fire
departments. They are often nonconductive, and resistant to oil. You may also use these hoses
septic tank cleaning and other general industrial and agricultural applications where chemical
resistance may be required.

Pressure Drop in Hose

As liquid is forced through a hose pressure is lost due to the friction between the liquid and the
inside wall of the hose. When a large amount of flow (gallons per minute) is forced through a
small hose, the velocity (speed) the liquid must travel through the hose is increased and the
friction is also increased causing a great amount of pressure drop. The liquid carrying capacity

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of hose Is determined by its cross section or area rather than its diameter. Increasing hose size
by 2 times increases its area by 4 times.

Pipe Pressure Drop Calculations

When fluid flows through a pipe there will be a pressure drop that occurs as a result of
resistance to flow. There may also be a pressure gain/loss due a change in elevation between the
start and end of the pipe. This overall pressure difference across the pipe is related to a number
of factors:

 Friction between the fluid and the wall of the pipe

 Friction between adjacent layers of the fluid itself
 Friction loss as the fluid passes through any pipe fittings, bends, valves, or components
 Pressure loss due to a change in elevation of the fluid (if the pipe is not horizontal)
 Pressure gain due to any fluid head that is added by a pump

QUICK ACTING COUPLINGS:

Couplings are precision components, engineered for specific uses with exact dimensions and
close tolerances. There are a variety of applications in modern industrial plants for quick
connect (QC) couplings both for pneumatically operated tools as well as other fluid power
equipments which can be connected rapidly to their power source to permit wide versatility
for production needs. For instance, in connecting or disconnecting a tractor and its
hydraulically actuated agricultural component.

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QCs make changes simple, do not require additional hand tools, take little time and do not
require the help of additional trade or skill. They are devices which permit the rapid
connection or disconnection of fluid conductors.

FLUID CONDITIONING THROUGH FILTERS AND STRAINERS:

Hydraulic components are very sensitive to contamination. The cause of majority of

hydraulic system failures can be traced back to contamination. Hence for proper operation
and long service life of a hydraulic system, oil cleanliness is of prime importance. Strainers
and filters are designed to remove foreign particles from the hydraulic fluid.

Filters are devices whose primary function is the retention of insoluble contaminants from
fluid, by some fine porous medium. Filters are used to pick up smaller contaminant particles
because they are able to accumulate them better than a strainer. Particle sizes removed by
filters are measured in microns. The smallest sized particle that can be removed is as small as
1 μm.

A strainer is a coarse filter, whose function is to remove large particles from a fluid using a
wire screen. Fluid flows more or less straight through it. It does not provide as fine a
screening action as filters do, but offers less resistance to flow. The smallest sized particle
that can be removed by a strainer is as small as 0.15 mm or 150 μm.

CLASSIFICATION OF FILTERS:

Based on filtering methods:

1. Mechanical: This type normally contains a metal or cloth screen or a series of metal disks
separated by thin spacers. Mechanical filters are capable of removing only relatively coarse
particles from the fluid.

2. Absorbent: These filters are porous and permeable materials such as paper, wood pulp,
cloth, cellulose and asbestos. Paper filters are impregnated with a resin to provide added
strength. In this type of filters, the particles are actually absorbed as the fluid infiltrates the
material. Hence, these filters are used for extremely small particle filtration.

3. Adsorbent: Adsorption is a surface phenomenon and refers to the tendency of particles to

cling to the surface of the filters. Thus, the capacity of such a filter depends on the amount of

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surface area available. Adsorbent materials used include activated clay and chemically treated
paper.

Depending on the amount of oil filtered by a filter:

1. Full flow filters: In this type, complete oil is filtered. Full flow of oil must enter the filter
element at its inlet and must be expelled through the outlet after crossing the filter element
fully. This is an efficient filter. However, it incurs large pressure drops. This pressure drop
increases as the filter gets blocked by contamination.

2. Proportional filters (bypass filters): In some hydraulic system applications, only a

portion of oil is passed through the filter instead of entire volume and the main flow is
directly passed without filtration through a restricted passage.

BETA RATIO OF FILTERS

Filters are rated according to the smallest size of particles they can trap. By mathematical
definition, the beta ratio equals the number of upstream (before the filter) particles of size
greater than Nμm divided by the number of downstream (after the filter) particles having size
greater than Nμm. Where, N is the selected particle size for the given filter.

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No. of upstream particles of size > Nm

Beta Ratio =
No. of downstream particles of size > Nm

A beta ratio of 1 would mean that no particles above specified N are trapped by the filter. A
beta ratio of 50 means that 50 particles are trapped for every one that gets through. Most
filters have a beta ratio greater than 75.

No. of upstream particles - No. of downstream particles

Beta Efficiency =
No. of upstream particles
1
Beta Efficiency = 1 -
Beta Ratio

CAUSES OF CONTAMINATION:

1. Contaminants left in the system during assembly or subsequent maintenance work.

2. Contaminants generated when running the system such as wear particles, sludge and
varnish due to fluid oxidation and rust and water due to condensation.

3. Contaminants introduced into the system from outside. These include using the wrong
fluid when topping up and dirt particles introduced by contaminated tools or repaired
components.

PROBLEMS CAUSED BY CONTAMINATION:

1. Accelerate component wear, decreasing system performance and service life.

2. Result in sluggish operation and cause moving parts to seize.

3. Damages seals resulting in leakage.

4. Act as a catalyst to accelerate hydraulic fluid oxidation and breakdown thereby shortening
fluid life and reducing the useful operating temperature range of the fluid.

CONTAMINATION CONTROL:

There are many ways to reduce the effects of contaminants in a system.

1. Plumb the system with pipes, tubing and fittings that are reasonably free from rust, scale,
dirt and other foreign matter.

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2. Flush the entire hydraulic system, preferably with the same type of fluid to be used, before
normal system operation is begun.

3. Filter the hydraulic oil before using, to minimize introducing contaminants into the system.

4. Provide continuous protection from airborne contamination by sealing the hydraulic

system, or installing air filter/breather.

5. Clean or replace filter elements on a routine basis.

6. Maintain fluid viscosity and pH level within fluid suppliers’ recommendations.

7. Minimize sources of water entry into the hydraulic system.

8. Avoid introducing thread sealants into the fluid stream.

HEAT EXCHANGERS:

Fig 1.Water cooled Heat Exchanger Fig.2 Air cooled Heat Exchanger
The steady-state temperature of fluid of a hydraulic system depends on the heat-generation
rate and the heat-dissipation rate of the system. If the fluid operating temperature in a
hydraulic system becomes excessive, it means that the heat-generation rate is too large
relative to the heat-dissipation rate. Assuming that the system is reasonably efficient, the
solution is to increase the heat-dissipation rate. This is accomplished by the use of coolers,
which are commonly called “heat exchangers.”

In some applications, the fluid must be heated to produce a satisfactory value of viscosity.
This is typical when, for example, mobile hydraulic equipment is to operate below 0C. In
these cases, the heat exchangers are called “heaters.” However, for most hydraulic systems,
the natural heat-generation rate is sufficient to produce high enough temperatures after an
initial warm-up period.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 20

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Basically, there are two types of heat exchangers: Air cooled heat exchangers and Water
cooled heat exchangers. Air coolers are used where water is not readily available and the air
is at least 3 to 5C cooler than the oil. But water coolers are more compact, reliable, and
efficient and use simple temperature controls.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 21

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QUESTIONS FROM PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION PAPERS:

DEC 2015/JAN 2016

1) With a neat sketch, explain the hydraulic circuit and laws plugged to develop the circuit.
2) What are the various functions performed by the hydraulic fluid and list its desirable
properties and types of hydraulic fluid.
3) Explain Beta ratio and Beta efficiency.
4) Explain the common location of mounting filters in the hydraulic system.

JUNE/JULY 2016

1) Sketch and explain structure of a hydraulic control system.

2) What are the desirable properties of hydraulic oil? Explain them.
3) Sketch and explain full flow filter.

DEC 2016/JAN 2017

1) State Pascal’s law. Explain its applications, with a neat sketch.

2) How are hydraulic seals classified? Explain positive and non-positive seals.
3) With the aid of sketches, explain the following: i) Return line filtering ii) Suction line
filtering iii) Pressure line filtering

JUNE/JULY 2017
1) State Pascal’s law. With a neat sketch explain basic hydraulic power system.
2) What are the desirable properties of hydraulic fluids? Explain briefly.
3) How hydraulic seals are classified? Explain any one method.
4) What is a filter? What are the methods of filtering? Explain briefly.

DEC 2017/JAN 2018

1) With a neat block diagram, explain the structure of hydraulic power system.
2) What are the advantages of hydraulic system?
3) Write any five desirable properties of a hydraulic fluid.
4) Explain three basic types of filtering methods used in hydraulic system.
5) Explain static seals and dynamic seals with examples.

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JUNE/JULY 2018
1) State Pascal’s law.
2) What is seal and what are its functions? Explain sealing devices used in hydraulic systems.
3) What is a filter and how they are classified?

ONE TIME EXIT SCHEME – APRIL 2018

1) Define hydraulic system. What are its advantages and disadvantages?
2) Draw a structure of hydraulic system and explain the parts.
3) For a simple hydraulic jack the following data is given. F1 = 100N, A1 = 50cm2, S1 = 10cm
Find load F2 and displacement S2 if area of piston that to be lifted is 500cm2. Also find
energy input and energy output.
4) What are the desirable properties of hydraulic oils?
5) Sketch and explain different filtering systems in a circuit.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 23

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MODULE 2: PUMPS AND ACTUATORS

Pumps: Classification of pumps, pumping theory of positive displacement pumps,

construction and working of Gear pumps, Vane pumps, Piston pumps, fixed and variable
displacement pumps, Pump performance characteristics, pump selection factors, problems on
pumps.
Accumulators: Types, selection/ design procedure, applications of accumulators. Types of
Intensifiers, Pressure switches /sensor, Temperature switches/sensor, Level sensor.
Actuators: Classification cylinder and hydraulic motors, Hydraulic cylinders, single and
double acting cylinder, mounting arrangements, cushioning, special types of cylinders,
problems on cylinders. Construction and working of rotary actuators such as gear, vane,
piston motors, and Hydraulic Motor. Theoretical torque, power, flow rate, and hydraulic
motor performance; numerical problems. Symbolic representation of hydraulic actuators
(cylinders and motors).

PUMPS

A pump, which is the heart of hydraulic system, converts mechanical energy into hydraulic
energy. The mechanical energy is delivered to the pump using a prime mover such as an
electric motor. Due to the mechanical action, the pump creates a partial vaccum at its inlet.
This permits atmospheric pressure to force the fluid through the inlet line and into the pump.
The pump then pushes the fluid into the hydraulic system.

CLASSIFICATION OF PUMPS:

Pumps are broadly classified into two types

1) Dynamic (non-positive displacement) pumps
2) Positive displacement pumps

1) Dynamic (non-positive displacement) pumps: This type is generally used for low-
pressure, high-volume flow applications. Because they are not capable of withstanding high
pressures, they are of little use in the fluid power field. Normally their maximum pressure
capacity is limited to 250-300psi. This type of pump is primarily used for transporting fluids
from one location to another. The two most common types of dynamic pumps are the
centrifugal and axial flow propeller pumps.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 1

 FLUID POWER ENGINEERING 18ME55

2) Positive displacement pumps: This type is universally used for fluid power systems. As
the name implies, a positive displacement pump ejects a fixed amount of fluid into the
hydraulic system per revolution of pump shaft rotation. Such a pump is capable of
overcoming the pressure resulting from the mechanical loads on the system as well as the
resistance to flow due to friction.

Positive displacement pumps are further classified into:

i) Fixed displacement pumps: It is the one in which the amount of fluid ejected per
revolution (displacement) cannot be varied.

ii) Variable displacement pumps: In this type of pumps, the displacement can be varied by
changing the physical relationships of various pump elements. This change in pump
displacement produces a change in pump flow output even though pump speed remains
constant.

The advantages of positive displacement pumps over non-positive displacement pumps

are as follows:

1. They can operate at very high pressures of up to 800 bar (used for lifting oils from very
deep oil wells).

2. They can achieve a high volumetric efficiency of up to 98%.

3. They are highly efficient and almost constant throughout the designed pressure range.

4. They are a compact unit, having a high power-to-weight ratio.

5. They can obtain a smooth and precisely controlled motion.

6. By proper application and control, they produce only the amount of flow required to move
the load at the desired velocity.

7. They have a great flexibility of performance. They can be made to operate over a wide
range of pressures and speeds.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 2

 FLUID POWER ENGINEERING 18ME55

PUMPING THEORY OF POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMPS:

Pumps operate on the principle whereby a partial vaccum is created at the pump inlet due to
the internal operation of the pump. This allows atmospheric pressure to push the fluid out of
oil tank (reservoir) and into the pump intake. The pump then mechanically pushes the fluid
out the discharge line. This action can be best described by reference to a simple piston pump
shown in Fig.

1. As the piston moves to the left, a partial vacuum is created in the pump chamber that holds
the outlet valve in place against its seat and induces flow from the reservoir that is at a higher
(atmospheric) pressure. As this flow is produced, the inlet valve is temporarily displaced by
the force of fluid, permitting the flow into the pump chamber (suction stroke).

2. When the piston moves to the right, the resistance at the valves causes an immediate
increase in the pressure that forces the inlet valve against its seat and opens the outlet valve
thereby permitting the fluid to flow into the system. If the outlet port opens directly to the
atmosphere, the only pressure developed is the one required to open the outlet valve (delivery
stroke).

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 3

 FLUID POWER ENGINEERING 18ME55

CLASSIFICATION OF POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMPS:

1. Gear Pumps
 External Gear pump
 Internal Gear pump
2. Vane Pumps
 Balanced vane pump
 Unbalanced vane pump
3. Piston Pumps
 Axial type
 Radial type

GEAR PUMPS:

Gear pumps are less expensive but limited to low pressures. It is noisy in operation than
either vane or piston pumps. Gear pumps are invariably of fixed displacement type, which
means that the amount of fluid displaced for each revolution of the drive shaft is theoretically
constant.

EXTERNAL GEAR PUMPS:

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 4

 FLUID POWER ENGINEERING 18ME55

External gear pumps are the most popular hydraulic pumps in low-pressure ranges due to
their long operating life, high efficiency and low cost. They are generally used in a simple
machine. The external gear pump consists of a pump housing in which a pair of precisely
machined meshing gears runs with minimal radial and axial clearance. One of the gears,
called a driver, is driven by a prime mover. The driver drives another gear called a follower.
As the teeth of the two gears separate, the fluid from the pump inlet gets trapped between the
rotating gear cavities and pump housing. The trapped fluid is then carried around the
periphery of the pump casing and delivered to outlet port. The teeth of precisely meshed
gears provide almost a perfect seal between the pump inlet and the pump outlet.

INTERNAL GEAR PUMPS:

Internal Gear Pumps consist of two gears: An external gear and an internal gear. The crescent
placed in between these acts as a seal between the suction and discharge. When a pump
operates, the internal gear drives the external gear and both gears rotate in the same direction.
The fluid fills the cavities formed by the rotating teeth and the stationary crescent. Both the
gears transport the fluid through the pump. The crescent seals the low-pressure pump inlet
from the high-pressure pump outlet. These pumps have a higher pressure capability than
external gear pumps.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 5

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ADVANTAGES OF GEAR PUMPS:

1. They are self-priming.

2. They give constant delivery for a given speed.

3. They are compact and light in weight.

DISADVANTAGES OF GEAR PUMPS:

1. The liquid to be pumped must be clean, otherwise it will damage pump.

2. Variable speed drives are required to change the delivery.

3. If they run dry, parts can be damaged because the fluid to be pumped is used as lubricant.

VANE PUMPS:

Vane Pumps are classified into

1. Unbalanced vane pump

 Fixed displacement type
 Pressure compensated variable displacement type
2. Balanced vane pump

UNBALANCED FIXED DISPLACEMENT VANE PUMP:

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 6

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The main components of the pump are the cam surface and the rotor. The rotor contains
radial slots splined to drive shaft. The rotor rotates inside the cam ring. Each radial slot
contains a vane, which is free to slide in or out of the slots due to centrifugal force. The cam
ring axis is offset to the drive shaft axis. When the rotor rotates, the centrifugal force pushes
the vanes out against the surface of the cam ring. The vanes divide the space between the
rotor and the cam ring into a series of small chambers. During the first half of the rotor
rotation, the volume of these chambers increases, thereby causing a reduction of pressure.
This is the suction process, which causes the fluid to flow through the inlet port. During the
second half of rotor rotation, the cam ring pushes the vanes back into the slots and the trapped
volume is reduced. This positively ejects the trapped fluid through the outlet port. The
delivery rate of the pump depends on the eccentricity of the rotor with respect to the cam
ring.

UNBALANCED PRESSURE COMPENSATED VARIABLE DISPLACEMENT VANE PUMP:

Variable displacement feature can be brought into vane pumps by varying eccentricity
between the rotor and the cam ring. Here in this pump, the stator ring is held against a spring
loaded piston. The system pressure acts directly through a hydraulic piston on the right side.
This forces the cam ring against a spring-loaded piston on the left side. If the discharge
pressure is large enough, it overcomes the compensated spring force and shifts the cam ring
to the left. This reduces the eccentricity and decreases the flow. If the pressure continues to
increase, there is no eccentricity and pump flow becomes zero.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 7

 FLUID POWER ENGINEERING 18ME55

BALANCED VANE PUMP:

The constructional features of a balanced vane pump is as shown in the fig. The rotor and the
casing are on the same centre line. Vanes are provided in the slots of the rotor. There are two
inlet and outlet chambers around the elliptical cam ring surface. The inlet and outlet
chambers are positioned diagonally opposite to each other. The cam ring is elliptical in shape,
so that the vanes stroke twice per revolution of the pump shaft. Thus the volume increase and
decrease at the inlet and outlet chambers also occur twice per revolution. In fact, the inlet and
outlet ports are connected to a common inlet and outlet within the pump housing. In
operation, due to the elliptical shape of the cam ring, the oil suction at the inlets and the
pumping at the outlets occurs simultaneously. This situation results in equal pressure on the
opposite sides of the pump shaft, and the net force acting on bearing will be zero. Thus, it is
termed the balanced vane pump.

PISTON PUMPS:
Piston pumps are of following types
1. Axial Piston Pump
 Swash plate type piston pump
 Bent axis type piston pump
2. Radial Piston Pump

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 8

 FLUID POWER ENGINEERING 18ME55

SWASH PLATE TYPE PISTON PUMP:

In this type, the cylinder block and drive shaft are located on the same center line. The
pistons are connected to a shoe plate that bears against an angled swash plate. As the cylinder
rotates, the pistons reciprocate because the piston shoes follow the angled surface of the
swash plate. The outlet and inlet ports are located in the valve plate so that the pistons pass
the inlet as they are being pulled out and pass the outlet as they are being forced back in. This
type of pump can also be designed to have a variable displacement capability.

BENT AXIS TYPE PISTON PUMP:

In constryction it consists of a cylinder block with arrayed cylindrical openings, housing,

pistons and drive shaft. The housing design is such that it creates an offset angle between the
centreline of the drive shaft and the centre line of the cylinder block. The pistons are
connected to the drive plate with ball and socket joints. The drive plate and the cylinder block

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 9

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are connected with an universal joint, so that the motion is transmitted through the bent axis.
The bent axis of the drive shaft leads to the reciprocatory motion of the pistons in the cylinder
block. The housing end at the cylinder block is sealed with an end cap, having inlet and outlet
ports with feed grooves.

PUMP PERFORMANCE:

The performance of a pump is a function of the precision of its manufacture. An ideal pump
is one having zero clearance between all mating parts. Since this is not possible, working
clearances should be as small as possible while maintaining proper oil films for lubrication
between rubbing parts. The performance of a pump is determined by the following
efficiencies:
1) Volumetric efficiency ( v ): It is the ratio of actual flow rate of the pump to the
theoretical flow rate of the pump.

Actual flow rate

v = 100
Theoretical flow rate
Q
= A 100
QT

2) Mechanical Efficiency (  m): It refers to the efficiency of the pump due to energy losses
other than due to leakages.

Pump output power (no leakage condition)

m = 100
Actual power input to pump
PQT
= 100
2NT

Where, P = Pump discharge pressure, Pa

QT = Theoretical flow rate, m3/s

T = Torque input to pump, N.m

N = Pump speed, rps

3) Overall Efficiency ( o ): Overall efficiency refers to the overall performance of the

pump considering possible losses including the leakage loss, friction loss, etc. it is given
by the relation:

Actual power output by pump

o = 100
Actual power input to pump

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 10

 FLUID POWER ENGINEERING 18ME55

It can also be given by,

 
o = v m
100
PQ A
 = 100
o
2NT

PUMP SELECTION FACTORS:

The main parameters affecting the selection of a particular type of pump are as follows:

1) Maximum operating pressure.

2) Maximum delivery.

3) Type of control.

4) Pump drive speed.

5) Type of fluid.

6) Pump contamination tolerance.

7) Pump noise.

8) Size and weight of a pump.

9) Pump efficiency.

10) Cost.

11) Availability and interchangeability.

12) Maintenance and Spares.

ACCUMULATORS:

A hydraulic accumulator is a device that stores the potential energy of an incompressible

fluid held under pressure by an external source. The stored potential energy in the
accumulator is a quick secondary source of fluid power capable of doing useful work.

CLASSIFICATION OF HYDRAULIC ACCUMULATORS:

1) Weight loaded or gravity accumulator

2) Spring-loaded accumulator
3) Gas-loaded accumulator
a) Non-seperator type

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b) Seperator type
i) Piston type
ii) Diaphragm type
iii) Bladder type

WEIGHT LOADED OR GRAVITY ACCUMULATOR:

It is a vertically mounted cylinder with a large weight. When the hydraulic fluid is pumped
into it, the weight is raised. The weight applies a force on the piston that generates a pressure
on the fluid side of piston. The advantage of this type of accumulator over other types is that
it applies a constant pressure on the fluid throughout its range of motion. The main
disadvantage is its extremely large size and heavy weight. This makes it unsuitable for
mobile application.

SPRING LOADED ACCUMULATOR:

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 12

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A spring-loaded accumulator stores energy in the form of a compressed spring. A hydraulic

fluid is pumped into the accumulator, causing the piston to move up and compress the spring.
The compressed spring then applies a force on the piston that exerts a pressure on the
hydraulic fluid. This type of accumulator delivers only a small volume of oil at relatively low
pressure.

GAS LOADED ACCUMULATOR:

A gas-loaded accumulator is popularly used in industries. Here the force is applied to the oil
using compressed air. A gas accumulator can be very large and is often used with water or
high water-based fluids using air as a gas charge.

There are two types of gas-loaded accumulators:

 Non-separator-type accumulator: Here the oil and gas are not separated. Hence, they
are always placed vertically.
 Separator-type accumulator: Here the oil and gas are separated by an element. Based
on the type of element used to separate the oil and gas, they are classified as follows:
a) Piston type accumulator: It consists of a cylinder with a freely floating piston with
proper seals. Its operation begins by charging the gas chamber with a gas (nitrogen) under
a pre-determined pressure. This causes the free sliding piston to move down. Once the
accumulator is pre-charged, a hydraulic fluid can be pumped into the hydraulic fluid port.
As the fluid enters the accumulator, it causes the piston to slide up, thereby compressing
the gas that increases its pressure and this pressure is then applied to the hydraulic fluid
through the piston.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 13

 FLUID POWER ENGINEERING 18ME55

b) Diaphragm type accumulator: In this type, the hydraulic fluid and nitrogen gas are
separated by a synthetic rubber diaphragm. The advantage of a diaphragm accumulator
over a piston accumulator is that it has no sliding surface that requires lubrication and can
therefore be used with fluids having poor lubricating qualities. It is less sensitive to
contamination due to lack of any close-fitting components.

c) Bladder type accumulator: Here the gas and the hydraulic fluid are separated by a
synthetic rubber bladder. The bladder is filled with nitrogen until the designed pre-charge
pressure is achieved. The hydraulic fluid is then pumped into the accumulator, thereby
compressing the gas and increasing the pressure in the accumulator.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 14

 FLUID POWER ENGINEERING 18ME55

ACTUATORS:
An actuator is used to convert the energy of fluid back into the mechanical power. The
amount of output power developed depends upon the flow rate, the pressure drop across the
actuator and its overall efficiency. Thus, hydraulic actuators are devices used to convert
pressure energy of the fluid into mechanical energy.
Depending on the type of actuation, hydraulic actuators are classified as follows:
1) Linear actuator: For linear actuation (hydraulic cylinders)
2) Rotary actuator: For rotary actuation (hydraulic motor)
Hydraulic linear actuators, as their name implies, provide motion in a straight line. They are
usually referred to as cylinders, rams and jacks. The function of hydraulic cylinder is to
convert hydraulic power into linear mechanical force or motion. Hydraulic cylinders extend
and retract a piston rod to provide a push or pull force to drive the external load along a
straight-line path.
Hydraulic cylinders are of the following types:
 Single-acting cylinders
 Double-acting cylinders
 Double rod cylinders
 Tandem cylinders
 Telescopic cylinders
 Cushioned cylinders

SINGLE-ACTING CYLINDERS:

A single-acting cylinder is simplest in design and consists of a piston inside a cylindrical

housing called barrel. On one end of the piston there is a rod, which can reciprocate. At the
opposite end, there is a port for the entrance and exit of oil. Single-acting cylinders produce

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 15

 FLUID POWER ENGINEERING 18ME55

force in one direction by hydraulic pressure acting on the piston during extension stroke. The
retraction is done either by gravity or by a spring.

DOUBLE ACTING CYLINDERS:

(a)

(b)
Figure shows the operation of a double-acting cylinder with a piston rod on one side. To
extend the cylinder, the pump flow is sent to the blank-end port as in Fig.(a). The fluid from
the rod-end port returns to the reservoir. To retract the cylinder, the pump flow is sent to the
rod-end port and the fluid from the blank-end port returns to the tank as in Fig.(b).

DOUBLE ROD CYLINDERS:

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 16

 FLUID POWER ENGINEERING 18ME55

A double-acting cylinder with a piston rod on both sides is a cylinder with a rod extending
from both ends. This cylinder can be used in an application where work can be done by both
ends of the cylinder, thereby making the cylinder more productive. Double-rod cylinders can
withstand higher side loads because they have an extra bearing, one on each rod, to withstand
the loading.

TANDEM CYLINDERS:

A tandem cylinder is used in applications where a large amount of force is required from a
small-diameter cylinder. Pressure is applied to both pistons, resulting in increased force
because of the larger area. The drawback is that these cylinders must be longer than a
standard cylinder to achieve an equal speed because flow must go to both pistons.

CUSHIONED CYLINDERS:

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 17

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When the cylinder piston is actuated, the fluid enters the cylinder port and flows through the
little check valve so that the entire piston area can be utilized to produce force and motion.
For the prevention of shock due to stopping loads at the end of the piston stroke, cushion
devices are used. Cushions may be applied at either end or both ends. They operate on the
principle that as the cylinder piston approaches the end of stroke, an exhaust fluid is forced to
go through an adjustable needle valve that is set to control the escaping fluid at a given rate.
This allows the deceleration characteristics to be adjusted for different loads.

TELESCOPIC CYINDERS:

It has multiple cylinders that are mounted concentrically one within the other. The design is
such that the inner most cylinder extends first, while the next cylinder extends after
completion of the full stroke of the cylinder. Thus, each cylinder extends in stage, one after
the other. Each stage of the cylinder has a sleeve that fits into the previous stage of the
cylinder. The total stroke length achieved will be sum of the strokes of all the stages.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 18

 FLUID POWER ENGINEERING 18ME55

QUESTIONS FROM PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION PAPERS:

DEC 2015/JAN 2016

1) Explain the working and design of a vane pump.

2) A pump has a displacement volume of 120cm3. It delivers 1.5×10 -3 m3/s at 1440RPM and
60bar. If the prime mover input torque is 130 N-m and overall efficiency 88%, find
theoretical discharge of the pump, volumetric efficiency of the pump, mechanical
effieciency of the pump, overall efficiency.
3) A pump supplies oil at 0.0016 m3/s at a 40mm diameter double acting hydraulic cylinder.
If the load is 500N and the rod dia is 20mm, find i) cylinder power during extension
stroke ii) cylinder power during retraction stroke iii) pressure during extension and
retraction stroke iv) piston velocity during extension and retraction stroke.

JUNE/JULY 2016
1) Explain the construction and working of an external gear pump.
2) Determine the volumetric efficiency of a gear pump of external diameter and internal
diameter of gears 75mm and 50mm respectively and width of gear teeth 50mm, if the
actual discharge is 30LPM at 1800rpm. [LPM = Litres per minute]
3) Sketch and explain double acting cylinder.

DEC 2016/JAN 2017

1) Explain the working of unbalanced vane pump. Also obtain an expression for its
theoretical discharge.
2) A pump having a displacement of 25cm3, operates with a pressure of 250bar and speed of
1390rpm. Volumetric efficiency of 0.85 and mechanical efficiency of 0.80. calculate i)
pump delivery in LPM ii) input power at pimp shaft in KW iii) Drive Torque at pump
shaft
3) An 8cm diameter hydraulic cylinder has 4cm diameter rod. If the cylinder receives the
flow at 100LPM and 12Mpa. Find i) extension and retraction speeds ii) extension and
retraction load carrying capacities.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 19

 FLUID POWER ENGINEERING 18ME55

JUNE/JULY 2017

1) With neat sketch explain the construction and working of a gear pump.
2) Determine the volumetric efficiency of a gear pump of external and internal diameters
75mm and 50mm respectively. Width of the gear teeth is 50mm. if the actual discharge is
30×10-3 m3 /min at 1800rpm.
3) With a neat sketch explain the working of linear actuator for single acting cylinder.

DEC 2017/JAN 2018

1) A gear pump has a 75mm outside diameter, a 50mm inside diameter and a 25mm width.
If the volumetric efficiency is 90% at rated pressure, what is the corresponding actual
flow rate? The pump speed is 1000rpm.
2) A pump has a displacement volume of 100 cm3. It delivers 0.0015 m3/s at 1000rpm and
70bars. If the prime mover input torque is 120N-m. Determine
i) What is the overall efficiency of the pump?
ii) What is the theoretical torque required to operate the pump?
3) A pump supplies oil at 75.8 litres/min to a 50.8mm diameter double-acting hydraulic
cylinder. If the load is 4448 N (extending and retracting) and the rod diameter is 25.4mm,
find
i) The hydraulic pressure during the extension and retraction stroke
ii) The piston velocity during the extension and retraction stroke
iii) The cylinder power during extension and retraction stroke
4) Explain with a neat sketch a Gear Pump.

JUNE/JULY 2018

1) With a neat diagram, explain the working principle of a typical hydraulic gear pump.
2) What is actuator? State its broad classification.
3) Explain the following single acting cylinders with neat sketches.
i) Gravity Type ii) Spring Type iii) Telescopic iv) Tandem

CRASH COURSE – MAY 2017

1) What is the pressure compensated vane pump? How does it work? Explain with neat
sketch.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 20

 FLUID POWER ENGINEERING 18ME55

2) A pump supplies oil at 0.0016m3/s to a 40mm double acting hydraulic cylinder. If the
load is 5000N (extending and retracted) and the rod diameter is 20mm, find the hydraulic
pressure during extension and retraction stroke, piston velocity during extension and
retraction stroke, cylinder power during the extension and retraction stroke.

ONE TIME EXIT SCHEME – APRIL 2018

1) Give the classification of pumps. With a neat sketch explain swash plate type piston
pump.
2) A pump has a displacement of 98.4cm3. It delivers 0.00152 m3/s of oil at 1000rpm and
70bar. If the prime mover input torque is 124.3N-m. Find i) Overall efficiency of pump;
ii) theoretical torque required to operate the pump.
3) With a neat sketch, explain external gear pump.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 21

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MODULE 3: COMPONENTS AND HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT DESIGN

Components: Classification of control valves, Directional Control Valves-symbolic

representation, constructional features of poppet, sliding spool, rotary type valves solenoid
and pilot operated DCV, shuttle valve, and check valves.
Pressure control valves - types, direct operated types and pilot operated types.
Flow Control Valves - compensated and non-compensated FCV, needle valve, temperature
compensated, pressure compensated, pressure and temperature compensated FCV, symbolic
representation.
Hydraulic Circuit Design: Control of single and Double -acting hydraulic cylinder,
regenerative circuit, pump unloading circuit, double pump hydraulic system, counter balance
valve application, hydraulic cylinder sequencing circuits, cylinder synchronizing circuit using
different methods, hydraulic circuit for force multiplication; speed control of hydraulic
cylinder metering in, metering out and bleed off circuits. Pilot pressure operated circuits.
Hydraulic circuit examples with accumulator.

COMPONENTS
One of the most important consideration in any fluid power systems is the control. If the
control components are not properly selected, the entire system will not function as required.
Fluid power is controlled primarily through the use of control devices called valves. There
are three types of valves:
1. Direction control valves
2. Pressure control valves
3. Flow control valves
 The direction control valves determine the path through which fluid traverses in a
given circuit.
 The pressure control valves protect the system against the excessive pressure, which
may occur due to higher actuator loads or closing of valves.
 The flow control valves are used to control flow rate in various lines of a hydraulic
circuit to control the actuator speeds.

DIRECTION CONTROL VALVES:

Symbolic Representation:

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Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 2

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3/2-way valve: 3ports and 2 position DCV

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 3

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Actuating Devices:

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Check Valve:
The simplest DCV is a check valve. A check valve allows flow in one direction, but blocks
the flow in the opposite direction. Figure shows the graphical symbol of a check valve along
with its no-flow and free-flow directions.

Poppet Check Valve:

Figure shows the operation of a poppet check valve. A poppet is a specially shaped plug
element held on a valve seat by a light spring. Fluid flows through the valve in the space
between the seat and poppet. In the free flow direction, the fluid pressure overcomes the
spring force. If the flow is attempted in the opposite direction, the fluid pressure pushes the
poppet in the closed position. Therefore, no flow is permitted.

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Pilot operated check valve (Pilot operated DCV):

The pilot-operated check valve can permit flow in both the directions. In the normal
operation, it functions like a check valve allowing free flow in one direction and blocking the
flow in reverse direction. But when the pilot pressure is applied at the pilot port, it opens up
the check valve and thus allows flow in the reverse direction. To achieve this function, the
pilot piston is attached to the main poppet valve. The poppet is kept in normally closed
condition with the help of a light spring.

Shuttle Valve:

A shuttle valve allows two alternate flow sources to be connected in a one-branch circuit. The
valve has two inlets P1 and P2 and one outlet A. Outlet A receives flow from an inlet that is
at a higher pressure. Figure shows the operation of a shuttle valve. If the pressure at P1 is
greater than that at P2, the ball slides to the right and allows P1 to send flow to outlet A. If
the pressure at P2 is greater than that at P1, the ball slides to the left and P2 supplies flow to
outlet A.

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Sliding Spool Valve:

A spool is a step machined cylinder member, having 2 or 3 lands. The lands are machined to
close dimensional tolerances and will have a sliding fit in the bore of the valve body. The
openings formed between the lands on the spool act as the flow passages between the
connecting ports.

3/2 Spool valve:

It has a cylindrical body with three ports P, T and A. Port P receives the fluid into the
cylinder, Port A is connected to an actuation system and Port T is connected to the return
line.

In operation, in the position 1, the fluid supply under pressure is connected to port P and port
T is closed. That means pressure now flows through port A, and activates the device
connected in that line. When the spool is moved to the position 2, the port P is closed, there
by cutting the supply, while port is opened. Since there is pressure in the line (through port
A), the pressure is relieved through the open port T and the fluid freely flows out the sump.

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4/2 Spool Valve:

In position 1, the spool is connecting ports P to A, and ports B to T. This allows the pressure
flow from P to A, while return from B to T. In position 2, the spool is connecting ports P to B
and ports A to T. This allows the pressure flow from P to B, while return from A to T. Such a
valve is used in double acting cylinder. Thus, position 1 causes the extension of the cylinder,
while position 2 causes the retraction of the cylinder.

PRESSURE CONTROL VALVES:

Pressure Relief Valves:

The most widely used type of pressure control valve is the pressure-relief valve because it is
found in practically every hydraulic system. It is normally a closed valve whose function is to
limit the pressure to a specified maximum value by diverting pump flow back to the tank. A
poppet is held seated inside the valve by a heavy spring. When the system pressure reaches a
high enough value, the poppet is forced off its seat. This permits flow through the outlet to
the tank as long as this high pressure level is maintained.

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Compound Pressure Relief Valve (Pilot Operated Pressure Control Valve):

The pilot-operated pressure-relief valve has a pressure port that is connected to the pump line
and the tank port is connected to the tank. The pilot relief valve is a poppet type. The main
relief valve consists of a piston and a stem. The main relief piston has an orifice drilled
through it. The piston has equal areas exposed to pressure on top and bottom and is in a
balanced condition due to equal force acting on both the sides. It remains stationary in the
closed position. The piston has a light bias spring to ensure that it stays closed. When the
pressure is less than that of relief valve setting, the pump flow goes to the system. If the
pressure in the system becomes high enough, it moves the pilot poppet off its seat. A small
amount of flow begins to go through the pilot line back to the tank. Once flow begins through
the piston orifice and pilot line, a pressure drop is induced across the piston due to the
restriction of the piston orifice. This pressure drop then causes the piston and stem to lift off
their seats and the flow goes directly from the pressure port to the tank.

Flow Control Valves:

Non-Pressure Compensated Flow Control Valves:

Non-pressure-compensated flow-control valves are used when the system pressure is
relatively constant and motoring speeds are not too critical. The operating principle behind
these valves is that the flow through an orifice remains constant if the pressure drop across it

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remains the same. In other words, the rate of flow through an orifice depends on the pressure
drop across it.

It is the simplest type of flow-control valve. It consists of a screw (and needle) inside a tube-
like structure. It has an adjustable orifice that can be used to reduce the flow in a circuit. The
size of the orifice is adjusted by turning the adjustment screw that raises or lowers the needle.
For a given opening position, a needle valve behaves as an orifice.

Pressure Compensated Flow Control Valve:

A pressure-compensated flow-control valve consists of a main spool and a compensator
spool. The adjustment knob controls the main spool’s position, which controls the orifice size
at the outlet. The upstream pressure is delivered to the valve by the pilot line A. Similarly, the
downstream pressure is ported to the right side of the compensator spool through the pilot
line B. The compensator spring biases the spool so that it tends toward the fully open
position. If the pressure drop across the valve increases, that is, the upstream pressure
increases relative to the downstream pressure, the compensator spool moves to the right
against the force of the spring. This reduces the flow that in turn reduces the pressure drop
and tries to attain an equilibrium position as far as the flow is concerned.

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In the static condition, the hydraulic forces hold the compensator spool in balance, but the
bias spring forces it to the far right, thus holding the compensator orifice fully open. In the
flow condition, any pressure drop less than the bias spring force does not affect the fully open
compensator orifice, but any pressure drop greater than the bias spring force reduces the
compensator orifice. Any change in pressure on either side of the control orifice, without a
corresponding pressure change on the opposite side of the control orifice, moves the
compensator spool. Thus, a fixed differential across the control orifice is maintained at all
times. It blocks all flow in excess of the throttle setting. As a result, flow exceeding the pre-
set amount can be used by other parts of the circuit or return to the tank via a pressure-relief
valve.

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HYDRAULIC CIRCUITS:

Control of a Single-Acting Hydraulic Cylinder:

The circuit has a filter, pump, pressure relief valve, a DCV and a spring return single acting
cylinder. In operation, with the cylinder in normally retracted position (under spring
pressure), when the valve is operated manually, the pressure port opens, the pump flow is
directed to the piston end of the cylinder and causes extension of cylinder. Once, the
extension is achieved, PRV opens-out and flow starts to pass through the PRV in the bypass
line. When the DCV is deactuated, the pressure port is blocked, and the oil from the piston
end of cylinder is routed to tank line. The cylinder starts retracting under spring pressure, and
the oil flows back to the tank.

Control of a Double-Acting Hydraulic Cylinder:

Four-way DCVs are commonly used to control the operation of double acting cylinders. Here
the valve shown in three positions: under extension (left envelope), neutral position (central
envelope) and under retraction (right envelope).

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With the envelope in neutral position, the pump flow will continuously flow back to the tank
through the DCV. Hence with this, the actuator and the pump are not pressurised. When the
valve is actuated to the left envelope position, the pressure line is connected to the piston end
cylinder port, while rod-end cylinder port is directed to the tank line. Under the pump
pressure the cylinder extends and at the same time, the oil from the rod end freely flows back
to the tank through the DCV. At the end of the stroke until the DCV is deactivated, the flow
goes through the PRV. When the valve is actuated to the right envelope position, the pressure
line is connected to the rod-end port, and the piston-end port is connected to the tank line.
This causes cylinder retraction, with the oil from piston-end flowing freely back into the tank.
At the end of the stroke, the pressure builds up, the PRV opens out and the fluid flows
through the relief line.

Regenerative Cylinder Circuit:

Figure shows a regenerative circuit that is used to speed up the extending speed of a double-
acting hydraulic cylinder.

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Note that the pipelines to both ends of the hydraulic cylinder are connected in parallel and
that one of the ports of the four-way valve is blocked. Fluid flows through the DCV via the
right envelope during retraction. In this mode, fluid from the pump bypasses the DCV and
enters the rod end of the cylinder. Fluid in the blank end drains back to the tank through the
DCV as the cylinder retracts.

When the DCV is shifted into its left envelope configuration, the cylinder extends. The speed
of extension is greater than the that for a regular double-acting cylinder because flow from
the rod end regenerates with pump flow to provide a total flow rate, which is greater than the
pump flow rate to the blank end of the cylinder.

Meter-in Circuit:

Cylinder speeds can be controlled with the use of Flow Control Valves (FCV). The use of
FCV to control the inlet flow to the cylinder hence the speed control is termed meter-in
control.

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The operation of the cylinder to control its extension speed is explained with respect to two
valve positions. When the DCV is actuated manually to its right envelope mode, the flow
from the pressure line is directed to the piston-end port of the cylinder through the FCV. Note
that though there is a check valve, it is in closed position and the flow is forced to pass
through the metering orifice. Thus depending upon the orifice opening the flow is metered to
the inlet port. Hence the extending speed of the cylinder is controlled.

When the DCV is actuated manually to its left envelope mode, the flow lines are reversed.
The pressure line is directed to the rod-end port in the cylinder while piston-end port is
connected to the tank line. The cylinder starts retracting as the flow enters the rod-end port,
and at the same time the flow from the piston-end passes through the FCV. Note that the
check valve opens-out, thus the flow bypasses the orifice valve and passes through the least
resistance path, that is through the check valve without any restriction. Thus in retraction, the
cylinder moves back at its full design speed.

Meter-out Circuit:

The use of FCV to control the outlet flow from the cylinder hence its speed is termed as
meter-out circuit. The operation of the cylinder to control its extension speed is explained
with respect to two valve positions.

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When the DCV is actuated manually to its right envelope mode, the flow from the pressure
line is directed directly to piston-end port of the cylinder. As the cylinder extends, the fluid
from the rod-end of the cylinder is forced out of the port. Since there is a FCV, the flow has
to pass through it. As there is a restriction to the flow through the FCV, the flow rate is
metered. Though the piston is pushing the fluid out with full force, it is resisted by the FCV
hence the extension speed is controlled. Note that though there is a check valve along with
the FCV, it is a one-way valve and remains closed when the fluid is being forced out of rod-
end port to the tank line.

When the DCV is actuated to the left envelope mode, the flow lines are reversed. The
pressure line is directed to rod-end port of the cylinder, while the piston-end port is connected
to the tank line. The fluid under pressure enters rod-end port through the FCV, but bypassing
the orifice. Instead it flows through the check valve, which now opens out due to favourable
direction of flow. There is no restriction of flow through the check valve in this direction,
hence full flow enters the cylinder, and it retracts with full design speed.

Pump Unloading Circuit:

An unloading valve is used to unload a pump in the circuit. The unloading valve opens when
the cylinder reaches the end of its extension stroke because the check valve keeps high
pressure oil in the pilot line of the unloading valve. When the DCV is shifted to retract the
cylinder, the motion of the piston reduces the pressure in the pilot line of the unloading valve.

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This resets the unloading valve until the cylinder is fully retracted, at which point the
unloading valve unloads the pump.

Double-Pump Hydraulic Circuit:

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It uses a high pressure, low flow pump in conjunction with a low pressure, high flow pump.
A typical application is a sheet metal punch press in which the hydraulic ram must extend
rapidly over a great distance with very low pressure but high flowrate requirements. This
rapid extension of the cylinder occurs under no load as the punching tool (connected to the
end of the cylinder piston rod) approaches the sheet metal strip to be punched. However,
during the short motion portion when the punching operation occurs, the pressure
requirements are high due to the punching load. During the punching operation, the cylinder
travel is small and thus the flowrate requirements are low.

The circuit eliminates the necessity of having a very expensive high pressure high flow
pump. When the punching operation begins, the increased pressure opens the unloading valve
to unload the low pressure pump. The purpose of the relief valve is to protect the high
pressure pump from overpressure at the end of the cylinder stroke and when the DCV is in
spring centred mode. The check valve protects the low pressure pump from hig pressure,
which occurs during the punching operation, at the end of cylinder stroke, and when the DCV
is in its spring centred mode.

Counterbalance Valve Application Circuit:

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Here a counterbalance or backpressure valve is used to keep a vertically mounted hydraulic

cylinder in the upward position while the pump is idling. The counterbalance valve is set to
open at somewhat above the pressure required to prevent the vertical cylinder from
descending due to the weight of its load. This permits the cylinder to be forced downward
when pressure is applied on the top. The open centre directional control valve unloads the
pump.

Hydraulic Cylinder Sequencing Circuits:

A sequence valve causes operations in a hydraulic circuit to behave sequentially. 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 then shifted into its right envelope mode, the right
cylinder retracts fully, and then the left cylinder retracts. This sequence of cylinder operation
is controlled by the sequence valves. The spring centered position of the DCV locks both
cylinders in place.

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QUESTIONS FROM PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION PAPERS:

DEC 2015/JAN 2016

1) Write the symbols representing various centre flow paths for two position four way
valves.
2) Explain the operational features of the compound pressure relief valve.
3) Explain the construction and operation of a simple needle valve and also explain the
expression for the flow rate through flow control valve.
4) Explain the concept of Meter in and Meter out circuit. List the advantages and limitations
of each of the circuit
5) Explain regenerative circuit with a neat diagram and deuce regenerative speed of the
cylinder.

JUNE/JULY 2016

1) Briefly classify valves based on the type of function performed.

2) Sketch and explain the constructional features of poppet valve.
3) Sketch and explain pressure compensated flow control valve.
4) Sketch and explain the operation of a hydraulic circuit for the control of a spring return
single acting cylinder.
5) What is regenerative circuit? Sketch schematically regenerative circuit to increase the
extension speed of a double acting cylinder.

DEC 2016/JAN 2017

1) Explain the working principle of pilot operated check valve with a neat sketch. Illustrate
the graphical symbol of the valve.
2) Explain with the aid of sketches:
i) Non-compensated flow control valve
ii) Compensated flow control valve
3) Explain the concept of Meter In and Meter Out circuit.
4) With a neat sketch, explain hydraulic circuit for sequencing of two cylinders.

JUNE/JULY 2017
1) Explain pressure reducing valve with graphical symbol.

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2) Explain with a sketch non-compensated flow control needle valve.

3) With circuit diagram explain meter in circuit for controlling the speed of hydraulic
cylinders.
4) Describe with a circuit diagram the construction and working of a counterbalance valve in
hydraulic circuit.

DEC 2017/JAN 2018

1) Explain with neat sketch of 3/2 poppet valve with symbolic representation.
2) Explain with neat sketch of pilot operated pressure relief valve.
3) Explain with a neat sketch the working of shuttle valve with symbolic representation.
4) Explain with a neat circuit diagram, the working of double pump hydraulic system.
5) Explain with a neat circuit diagram, the counter balance valve application.

JUNE/JULY 2018
1) How control valves are classified?
2) Explain with a neat sketch the working of a Direct Acting Pressure Relief valve.
3) Describe the working of 5/3 DC valve with 4 ways with neat sketches. Also draw its
graphical symbol.
4) What is the principle and purpose of regenerative circuit? Explain the working of a
typical regenerative circuit with neat sketch.

CRASH COURSE – MAY 2017

1) With the aid of an appropriate hydraulic circuit explain the principle of unloading valve.
2) With the aid of neat sketch explain briefly the following:
i) Pressure reducing valve
ii) Pressure compensated flow controlled valve.
Give the graphic symbol for each.
3) Describe with the aid of an appropriate hydraulic circuit hydraulic cylinder sequencing.

ONE TIME EXIT SCHEME – APRIL 2018

1) Give the classification of hydraulic control valve. With a neat sketch, explain simple
pressure relief valve and give its graphical symbol.
2) Explain compensated and non-compensated flow control valve. Also draw the symbol.

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3) With a neat sketch, explain pump unloading circuit.

4) With neat sketch, explain hydraulic cylinder sequencing circuit used in hydraulic drill
press.

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MODULE 4: PNEUMATIC POWER SYSTEMS

INTRODUCTION

The working concept of a pneumatic system is similar to that of a hydraulic power system.
Pneumatic systems use pressurized gas, mostly air, to transmit motion and power.

CHOICE OF WORKING MEDIUM:

The choice of the working medium depends basically on the type of application. Some of the
general, broad rules followed in the selection of a working medium are listed below:

i) When a system needs high speed, medium pressure and less accuracy a pneumatic
system is good. If the system requires high pressure and high accuracy, a fluid system
with oil is good.
ii) When the power requirements are very high, like in a power press, oil hydraulics is
the option.
iii) Location of the system also plays a role in the selection of a working medium. For
location with severe temperature variations, oil hydraulic system will do better, where
an air system may lead to severe condensation problems.
iv) Another issue related to the selection of working medium is that of fire/electric
hazards. Air being non-explosion in nature, it is preferred where fire/electric hazards
are expected. Oil systems are more prone to fire and electrical hazards and are not
recommended in such areas.

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CHARACTERISTICS/ADVANTAGES OF COMPRESSED AIR (PNEUMATIC

SYSTEMS):

i) Air is available in abundance at all locations.

ii) Air can be transported from the source to the point of utilisation very conveniently
through piping layout, and there are no limitations on the distance.
iii) Compressed air can be stored conveniently in a reservoir and used whenever required.
iv) Compressed air is free from explosion and electrical hazard problems.
v) Air is clean and has no leakage/messy problems like hydraulic fluids.
vi) Generally, temperature variations do not affect the performance of air systems, as
long as good air treatment systems (filter, regulator, lubricator) are maintained.
vii) Most components of air system are simple and compact in design.

DISADVANTAGES OF COMPRESSED AIR (PNEUMATIC SYSTEMS):

i) Power: Air as a working medium is not useful for high power and high precision
applications, since it is compressible in nature.
ii) Lubrication: Air is not a good lubricating medium unlike the hydraulic fluid.
iii) Heat Dissipation: Air due to its low conductivity, cannot dissipate heat as much as a
hydraulic fluid.
iv) Sealing: Air cannot seal the fine gaps between the moving parts unlike the hydraulic
fluid.
v) Noise & Condensation: Air as a working medium is always noisy, and is prone to
severe condensation problems with temperature variations.

STRUCTURE OF A PNEUMATIC SYSTEM:

In this system, an electric motor drives an air compressor. The atmospheric air is sucked by
the compressor through the filter. The purpose of the filter is to separate air from suspended
and other dust particles. The compressor line is provided with a pressure switch, to protect
the system pressure rising beyond the safe level by stopping the electric motor supply. Since
the compression process increases the temperature of the compressed air, the air is passed
through an air cooler to cool the air to environmental condition. This air is then stored in a
storage reservoir, usually a large cylindrical steel container. From the reservoir, the
compressed air is supplied to various systems for use.

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PRODUCTION OF COMPRESSED AIR:

Compressed air is produced using compressors and stored in a reservoir. Before the
atmospheric air is drawn into the compressor, it passes through a filter to remove the
atmospheric dirt and other particles so that only clean air enters the compressor. In the
compressor unit run by an electric motor, the volume of the drawn air is reduced so that its
pressure increases. This increase in pressure is associated with an increase in temperature of
the compressed air. Hence an air cooler is use to cool the air before it is sent to reservoir.

Since the atmospheric air is humid, after compression and cooling, it condenses into small
droplets. This moisture causes corrosion and operational problems. A separator is used to
remove water particles from the compressed air. This air after cooling and separation (i.e.,
primary treatment) is sent to the reservoir. Once the reservoir is filled with compressed air
and pressure reaches a safe limit value, it is sensed by a pressure switch, which in turn

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switches the compressor-motor off. With usage the pressure drops down, which is again
sensed by the pressure switch, and in turn switches the motor on.

In pneumatic systems, unlike the hydraulic systems, the compressed air has no lubricating
ability. Thus, the stored air before being sent to do some work is mixed with an oil mist. This
not only provides lubrication to mating parts, but also reduces the corrosive problems. In
practice, the compressed air after mixing with oil mist is further subjected to filtering and
moisture separation again to make the air further clean. This treated air is then sent to the
control valves and to the actuators to do the work.

PERFECT GAS LAWS:

The laws that determine the interactions of pressure, volume and temperature of a gas are
called the “perfect gas laws”. Even though perfect gases do not exist, air behaves very closely
to that predicted by Boyle’s law, Charle’s law, Gay-Lussac’s law and general gas law for the
pressure and temperature ranges experienced by pneumatic systems.

Boyle’s Law:

It 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.

V1 P2

V2 P1

Charles’ Law:

It 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.

V1 T1

V2 T2

Gay-Lussac’s Law:

It 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.

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P1 T1

P2 T2

General Gas Law:

It contains all three gas parameters (pressure, temperature and volume), since none are held
constant during a process from state 1 to state 2. It is defined as

P1V1 P2 V 2

T1 T2

COMPRESSORS:

Compressors are the source of pneumatic power. These can be classified into two categories:
positive displacement and non-positive displacement type. Piston-type and screw-type are
positive displacement type and most widely used compressors for small and medium power
pneumatic applications, while centrifugal and axial type are non-positive type.

Piston-type Compressor:

This is the most widely used type of compressor in the industry for production of compressed
air. It has a piston-cylinder arrangement, with inlet and outlet valves. The piston is driven by
a crank and connecting rod, which converts the rotary motion of the motor into reciprocating
motion of the piston. In operation, in the first cycle (the half revolution of the shaft) the inlet
valve opens, the atmospheric air is drawn-in by the piston as it moves down. In the next cycle

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(the second half revolution of the crank shaft), the inlet valve gets closed, the outlet valve
opens and the air is compressed as the piston moves up in the cylinder. The air compression
process is accompanied with an increase in temperature. The air is cooled by providing fins
around the cylinder.

Screw-type Compressor:

A screw compressor is a rotary type compressor, which is simple in construction and

operation. It has two intermeshing rotating screws with close working tolerances. These
screws are housed in a casing with inlet and outlet ports. In operation as the screw rotate, the
atmospheric air is drawn-in, trapped between the rotating/meshing screws, which is carried
along the screws up to the outlet port. Since, the screws mesh continuously, the air
compression and delivery occurs continuously without any pulsation. For wear free and
reduced noise operation some kind of lubrication forming a thin oil film is used. The oil
injected to the chamber lubricates the screw surfaces and forms a seal so that air is
compressed efficiently, as the screws mesh continuously.

FLUID CONDITIONERS:

The compressed air gets contaminated due to atmospheric dust, lubricant, moisture and so on.
If this air is used directly it may block the control valves, damage the components and/or
cause corrosion related problems. Hence, before it is actually used for pneumatic application
the air is prepared by removing various contaminants. Fluid conditioners include filters,
regulators, lubricators and air dryers.

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Air Filters:

Filters are provided both at the compressor inlets and in the pneumatic lines before the
valves/actuators. Intake filters are mostly paper type elements, which prevent the entry of
atmospheric contaminants into the compressor and minimise damage to the compressor
components. The other filter, termed the air-line filter is used in the pneumatic lines to
remove contaminants, mainly fine dirt and moisture. The air-line filters protect the pneumatic
control valves and other devices.

Air Dryer:

The air filter can only remove condensed water particles from air. The vapour passes through
the air-filter and causes problems as it condenses at other components. In a compressed air,
the relative humidity (RH) and dew point are higher. Both the RH and the dew point are
dependent on the temperature and pressure. Whenever the temperature drops and/or the
pressure increases the water condenses. This problem can be reduced by keeping the
humidity of air below 100%, for which air-dryers are used.

Lubricators:

Unlike the hydraulic systems, the dry air in the pneumatic systems cannot provide a
lubrication effect in the devices. Generally, oil in the form of fine mist is added to the clean
dry air during the secondary treatment. For this air lubricators are used.

Air Pressure Regulator:

In pneumatic systems the flow velocities are quite high, which may lead to considerable
pressure drops between the air receiver and the loading point. Hence, it is a common practice
to maintain a higher pressure in the reservoir than that is required at the actuator. The
required pressure at the loading point is then achieved using pressure regulation locally using
air pressure regulators.

Air pressure regulators are similar to pressure reducing valves used in hydraulic systems. Air
pressure regulators in pneumatic systems are used to adjust the supply pressure to a required
level for a given load irrespective of the air flow, i.e., to maintain a constant pressure at the
load: that means, if the air flow is higher, it senses the pressure and reduces the flow rate to

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the required level to maintain the pressure. Similarly, if the supply pressure drops, the
regulator increases the flow rate so as to increase the pressure to the required level.

PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS

Pneumatic actuators convert the air pressure into linear or rotary motion depending upon their
design. Similar to hydraulic actuators, pneumatic cylinders are also use for gripping/moving
of objects in various industrial applications. Pneumatic actuators which are designed to
produce linear motion are termed linear air cylinders. Actuators which are designed to
produce rotary motion are termed rotary cylinders or more popularly air motors.

Linear Cylinders:

Classification of Air Cylinders:

Linear pneumatic cylinders, popularly known as air cylinders are used for the generation of
straight rectilinear motion. Thus, they are useful to move an object or apply a force on an
object in a straight line.

Pneumatic cylinders are briefly classified as follows:

1) Single acting cylinder: It is a cylinder in which air pressure is applied on to the piston
side only and extension takes place by the air pressure in one direction. The return stroke
is mostly by gravity.
2) Spring Return Cylinder: It is a single acting cylinder in which movement in one
direction is under air pressure, while the return stroke is accomplished by a spring.
3) Ram Cylinder: in this the cylinder rod itself forms the movable element termed as ram.
It is usually single acting and return stroke is either under gravity or assisted by return
cylinders.

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4) Double acting cylinder: it is a cylinder in which the ait pressure is applied alternately on
either side, so that
5) Double rod or through-rod cylinder: In a double-rod or through-rod cylinder, the
piston-rod extends/retracts on either end of the cylinder.
6) Rod-less cylinder: In this, there is no rod connected to the piston. Usually, the piston is a
magnetic type, while an external follower (magnetic) follows the piston due to magnetic
coupling.
7) Diaphragm Cylinder: For short stroke lengths, small cylinders with a rubber or metal
diaphragm is used instead of a piston. The main advantage of such cylinders is that there
is no leakage between the inlet and outlet chambers; and there is no frictional loss.

SEALS:

Seals are used to avoid leakage and for smooth, wear free operation. Depending upon the
type of construction, seals are used at different locations in a linear cylinder.

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1) Piston Seals: Piston seals or piston rings are used between the piston and the barrel.
These rings can be either metallic or non-metallic. Steel rings coated with zinc phosphate
or manganese phosphate give a good life and operate smoothly. Non-metallic rings made
of PTFE (polyterafloroethylene), widely known as Teflon is chemically stable and tough.
Because of its very low coefficient of friction (0.04), it is ideal in pneumatic cylinders,
and can perform well without lubrication also.
2) Piston Cups: In some constructions, the piston is provided with piston cup seals.
Compared to piston with rings, cup seals are much simpler in design and easy to
assemble. They have an L-section, held on either side of a backing plate. For a single
acting cylinder one cup is used on the pressure side, while for a double acting cylinder
two cups, one on either side are used. The cups are held between the backing plate and
retainer clamp. Leather or some synthetic materials are used for sealing cups.
3) Rod Seals: Rods are provided with three varieties of seals: (i) a dynamic seal (synthetic
material) to prevent leakage of air; (ii) a rod bearing (Teflon) to support the rod in the end
cap: and (iii) a rod wiper (synthetic) to prevent entry of atmospheric contaminants. In
very dusty environments, rubber bellows are also used to protect the cylinder from the
dust and other external particles.
4) End Cap Seal: Depending upon the design, either O-rings or die-cut gaskets are used to
seal the end cap and the barrel. Synthetic rubbers and leather are commonly used for this
purpose.

END POSITION CUSHIONING:

Normal single-acting and double-acting cylinders, while moving heavy loads, may undergo
sudden impacts at the end of strokes. This sudden deceleration may cause damage to the load,

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or cylinder or to the pneumatic system itself. To avoid this problem, end-position cushioning
is provided in cylinders.

In this, the piston end is provided with a plunger (or a cushioning piston), the air inlet port is
such that it matches with the cushioning plunger size. At the end of stroke, the cushioning
piston mates with the inlet port and blocks the direct flow path for the air.

The exhaust air now passes through a small, adjustable restricted opening. Since air cannot
pass out easily, the restricted flow through small openings provides a cushioning effect to the
decelerating cylinder. Thus, in the last part of the stroke, the piston speed gets reduced
gradually, which otherwise would have been stopped instantly. The area of the restricted flow
path, hence the cushioning effect can be adjusted with an adjustable screw.

For the onward stroke, since the main entry is blocked by the cushioning plunger, a by-pass
check valve is provided. The air passes freely through the check valve against a bias spring
pressure. During cushioning action (in the retraction mode), the check valve is non-
operational, hence no air can escape through it.

RODLESS CYLIDERS:

As the name suggests, these are cylinders without any rod extending from them. A rodless
cylinder has a barrel with rodless piston. In some applications, where there is not enough
space is available for the rod extension, or where the stroke length required is too high, then
rodless cylinders are quite useful.

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In this, the piston is rodless, and is freely movable within the cylinder barrel. The piston has
no positive/rigid connection to the external member for actuation. The piston has a set of
annular magnets fitted around it. The external member/actuator is a magnetic follower, and it
is linked to the piston due to magnetic coupling between them. As the piston moves under
fluid pressure, the external sliding member moves in synchronisation with it. The load to be
moved is mounted on a carriage, which in turn is connected to the magnetic slide. Hence,
when the slide moves the carriage along with the load moves in the direction of movement of
the piston.

Advantages:

1) The construction of the cylinder is simple as the barrel is sealed from both ends.
2) Such a cylinder has no rod extending from the cylinder and convenient for space
contained applications.
3) The cylinder can be used for extreme stroke lengths
4) Flatbed carriages can be used for carrying the loads.
5) The construction can be made compact by concealing the cylinder below the carriage.

PNEUMATIC CONTROL VALVES

Classification of Pneumatic valves:

1) Direction Control Valves

a) Poppet Valves
b) Spool (slide) Valves
2) Flow control Valves
3) Pressure control Valves

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4) Non-return Valves
a) Check Valve
b) Shuttle Valve
c) Quick Exhaust Valve

Poppet Valves:

In poppet valves (also termed seat valves) are used to control the air flow. In a simple poppet
valve, the poppet is operated manually. It has a cylindrical arrangement with two ports (1 and
2). The ports are separated by a poppet, seated on a valve seat. The poppet is held in a closed
position (in the normally closed valve) under the action of a spring. Port 1 is connected to the
high pressure air supply, while port 2 is connected to the actuator or other pneumatic device.
When the push rod is pressed down against the spring pressure, the poppet opens up from the
seat, and allows the air to flow from port 1 to port 2.

In a pilot operated poppet valve, the poppet is moved under the action of a pilot pressure.
This has the advantage of remote operation, and also application of higher pressure for large
size poppet valves.

Suspended Seat type valve:

It has a suspended disc seat which performs the port opening and closing operations. The
advantage of the suspended seat valve is that the sealing can be performed with relatively
small switching movement.

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In this the main disc seat seal connects port P to either to port A or port B. The secondary seat
discs seal the exhaust port B whichever is not functional. Such valves are generally provided
with manual override buttons at each end of the spool to manually move the spool.

NON-RETURN VALVES:

Check valve:

Check valves allow free flow of air in one direction and block any flow in the reverse
direction.

The ball and poppet are held under light bias spring pressure against the seat. The valve
opens at low cracking pressures in the forward direction and allows the free flow of air. If the
air is stopped, the ball/poppet closes the valve under spring pressure and hence do not permit
any flow in the reverse direction. Check valves are quite useful in fluid power circuits and are
widely used in by pass lines to permit flow in one direction.

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Quick Exhaust Valve (QEV):

Quick exhaust valve is a special purpose valve used in pneumatic systems. It is designed to
increase the actuation speed of a cylinder, above that of the normal speed by the unrestricted
increased flow rate of air.

The basic principle of a quick exhaust valve is to allow a normal flow to the cylinder in the
supply line, while increase the flowrate (above the normal rate) in the return line. It basically
eliminates the entry of return/exhaust air through the usual DCV route, where flow passes
through the constraints of the tubes and valves.

It consists of a cylindrical body with three ports. The port P is connected to the pressure line
(inlet), the port A is connected to the cylinder, and port R is connected to the exhaust. Though
all the ports are interconnected, there is an intermediate resilient disc, which allows the flow
between only two ports at a time.

In operation, when the inlet line pressure is applied to the port P, the disc under pressure
opens-up to port A, while sealing the exhaust port. The openings in the disc are sufficient
enough to allow a normal flow rate from port P to port A, which causes the cylinder actuation
at the normal design speed. When the cylinder performs the return stroke the supply line is
blocked, because of this resilient disc springs back to its NC position thus blocking the port P.
at this position port A allows the return air, by connecting to the exhaust line (R). Since, it
gives a large opening between the cylinder return and exhaust port, under spring return (in a
single acting cylinder) or under the return line pressure (in a double acting cylinder), the air is

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exhausted freely through the valve. Due to this unrestricted excess flow rate the cylinder
retracts at a higher speed than the normal design speed.

Time Delay Valve:

The principle of construction of a time delay valve is similar to a 3/2 pilot operated valve.
The pilot valve is designed to operate against a spring pressure, once the pilot chamber
pressure exceeds the spring pressure. The main valve is held in a closed position (in a NC
type valve) by a bias spring. The flow rate can be set by the needle valve screw.

In operation, the air is allowed to the pilot chamber reservoir through the needle valve. The
reservoir size and the flow rate through the needle valve decide the time required to build-up
a pressure in the reservoir. Once the pressure reaches the spring pressure, it actuates the main
poppet valve and allows the main line pressure (P) to enter the cylinder port (A).

When the pilot pressure is removed, a flap check valve opens up and the pilot valve is vented
quickly to atmosphere. At the same time, the pilot valve retracts under spring pressure, the
main poppet valve closes (stopping the air supply from P to A), while the port A us connected
to the exhaust line R.

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QUESTIONS FROM PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION PAPERS:

DEC 2015/JAN 2016

1) Explain the laws for a perfect gas that governs the compressible nature of air.
2) Explain the basic structure of pneumatic system with its components.
3) Explain briefly with a neat sketch 3/2-way spool type direction control valve.
4) With a neat diagram, explain the construction and the functioning of the spool valve or
quick exhaust valve employed in pneumatic system.

JUNE/JULY 2016

1) What are the characteristics of compressed air? Explain them.

2) Sketch and explain structure of pneumatic control system.
3) Sketch and explain rod less cylinder.
4) What are flow control valves? Draw graphical symbols of FCV
5) Sketch and explain construction and principle of operation of a quick exhaust valve.
6) List different types of compressor. Explain with a neat sketch production of compressed
air.

DEC 2016/JAN 2017

1) Sketch and explain the cushion assembly for a pneumatic cylinder.

2) Differentiate between hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
3) Write short notes on:
i) Cylinder mounting arrangement
ii) Rod less cylinder
4) Explain with a suitable sketch:
i) Shuttle valve
ii) Quick Exhaust valve

JUNE/JULY 2017
1) What are the types of pneumatic actuators? With sketch explain the construction and
working principle of single acting cylinder.
2) Differentiate hydraulic and pneumatic system.
3) What is cushioning? Sketch and explain the cushioning of cylinder.

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4) With a neat sketch and symbol explain 3/2 direction control poppet valve.
5) Explain quick exhaust valve with circuit diagram.
6) Explain the three stages of preparation of compressed air.

DEC 2017/JAN 2018

1) State five disadvantages of using air instead of hydraulic oil.

2) Explain with schematic sketch of FRL unit with ANSI symbol.
3) Explain the characteristics of compressed air.

JUNE/JULY 2018

1) What is cushioning of cylinders? Why cushioning is necessary? Explain the working of a

typical cushioned cylinder.
2) Explain the different operational type principles used for the construction of Rod less
cylinders.
3) What is the function of a time delay valve? Explain the constructional features of a
typical time delay valve with neat sketch.

CRASH COURSE – MAY 2017

1) Give complete classification of pneumatic cylinder.
2) What is an FRL unit? Give the graphic symbol of it.
3) Explain with neat sketch solenoid controlled pilot operated direction control valve.

ONE TIME EXIT SCHEME – APRIL 2018

1) With a neat sketch explain the structure of pneumatic system.
2) Write a neat sketch explain FRL unit.
3) With a neat sketch explain rod-less cylinder.
4) Explain with a neat sketch:
i) Time delay valve
ii) Shuttle valve
iii) Poppet valve
iv) Solenoid valve

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MODEL QUESTION PAPER – 1

1) Sketch and explain the mechanism of end position cushioning.
2) State the advantages and disadvantages of pneumatic systems.
3) Explain the different types of seals with neat sketch.
4) Explain with a neat sketch the construction and operation of a typical quick exhaust valve
to increase the actuation speed of a cylinder in a pneumatic system.
5) Explain the working of suspended seat type valve with a neat sketch.

MODEL QUESTION PAPER – 2

1) Explain the characteristics of compressed air.
2) Explain with a neat sketch the working of single and double acting pneumatic cylinder.
3) Explain with a neat diagram the structure of Pneumatic control system.
4) Explain with a suitable circuit diagram the application of a memory valve.
5) Explain the working of shuttle valve and time delay valve with a neat sketch.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, BrCE 19