Jawad Soomro Physics II (EED 109) 26/November/2010

Introduction
Pneumatics and Hydraulics are the mechanical terms used when any system contains the
property that can be filled with gaseous/elastic-fluid pressure to do work. Motor bike wheel is
one of the basic examples.

A fluid is any material that has an ability to flow e.g. the hydraulic oil being used in
bulldozer. A gas is compressed through solid machines to transmit power from place to other
i.e. from machine to wheel.

The first pneumatic tire was found by John Dunlop in 1887. All the tires are filled with a gas
but the punctures made on the road are troublesome. Dunlop created the inflated tire that can
develop a good understanding between the road and the wheel by providing friction to it and
reduces the wear and tear caused by the road on the wheels.

In the late 19th century, the pneumatic systems were used in the industries with the massive
steam engines to run the compression systems of the time. In later century, more smaller and
efficient motors made industrial usage of pneumatic systems more wide.

It is necessary to transfer the energy to perform work. The pneumatic system stores the
energy in the form of compressed air. The compressed air is expanded when pressure is
applied to it. This increases the kinetic energy of the air particles which leads to the
expansion of air.

Figure 1A Pneumatic Technology

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Pneumatics
The term ‘pneumatic’ refers to the system that can be moved using gas pressure. The
pneumatic system could be any vehicle e.g. the wheels of bicycle, the basketball etc. Any
system that can be filled with gaseous pressure is referred to as a pneumatic system.

It is a derivative of the Greek work “pneuma” which means air, wind, or breath. It can
transmit and control power to actuators.

Pneumatic system is designed using three basic devices: the air cylinder, the vane motor and
the sprayer. The air cylinder contains a piston that is pushed to apply a pressure on the air
inside a cylinder. The air causes the piston to move and this makes the force to be carried
over from one position to another.

The shafts can be connected without using any wiring, drills, screwdrivers etc but they need
high speed to do that. The vane motors can rotate at high speed and this can be used to get
them connected. The speed of motor is around 10,000-20,000 rpm. The sliding vanes in it
radiates from the end of the shaft into the cylinder. The pockets formed by the vane and
cylinder walls are not equal in size, this leads to the escape of the air through the second point
of the cylinder. Pneumatic spray guns utilize an air compressor to move and atomize the
material. These brushes do work faster than do brushes wielded by hand. Most spray guns
operate between 30 and 80 PSI. The maximum air pressure applied into it must be maintained
and failure to regulate the air pressure under the maximum rating can damage the gun.

Another example of a pneumatic system is a

Vacuum Cleaner. A vacuum cleaner has a pump
inside which sucks the air from surroundings to
create a vacuum in it. The dust contained in the air
particles is also sucked with the air into the vacuum
to fill up the vacuumed area inside the vacuum
cleaner.

Figure 1 Vacuum Cleaner

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Pneumatic systems have two main features:

i) They use compressed gas to do a work. E.g. air, nitrogen, hydrogen etc

ii) They are open systems i.e. the compressed air is released to atmosphere after use.

The figure 3 is a pneumatic actuator. It

operates by combination of force created by
air and spring force.

The actuator transfers the stored energy from

the spot to the other point of application. The
energy stored in compressed air is used to
drive mechanisms. The energy is converted
to mechanical energy to obtain the motion in
either linear or rotary form. The air cylinders
are air tight, usually made out of metal,
Figure 2 Pneumatic Actuator
which uses the energy of compressed air in
order to move a piston.

The compressed air is then used for one of the following functions:
 Sensor uses the compressed air to detect the status of the processor (on/off)
 Processor uses this air for processing of data/information around itself
 This air can switch on/off the actuators whenever the signal is detected
 So this compressed air is used to do work in actuators

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Types of pneumatic actuators commonly used in industries are linear motion actuators, rotary
motion actuators, grippers and special purpose pneumatic vacuum grippers for lifting smooth
objects.

a) Linear Actuators
The air is pumped in the cylinder to move the piston out; this leads to release the
pressure by moving the compressed air out of cylinder through release valves.

b) Rotary Actuators
The gases flow past the actuator to generate the
motion. It converts the energy to rotatory motion.

Figure 3A
c) Pneumatic Grippers
It is the collection of Pneumatic actuators which is used to provide the motion for
gripping action. These grippers can lift the heavy objects
e.g. car.
There is a Pneumatic Vacuum Gripper that can also lift
heavy objects but smooth. Advanced pneumatic systems
can lift several objects at a time.

Figure 4B

d) Pneumatic Artificial Muscle (PAM)

It works similar like humans/animals. It contracts and
expands upon the signal sent by the user. It consists of a
balloon in between the cylinder which expands and
contracts according to the force applied from both sides.
The pressure applied from opposite directions may
compress the air. Spring loaded PAMs can work in Figure 4C

single, they will extend when air pressure is released.

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Advantages of Pneumatic Systems

Pneumatic systems have several advantages.

i) They produce less pollutants

Since they use air to transmit the power, they produce less
pollutants e.g. train tracks. The power conserved by the
underground trains through tracks is non-pollutant. The
tracks are electrified with pneumatic tubes to run the train
through it. These tubes contain the compressed gases with
no toxicity and they can withstand high temperatures. No
harmful gas is released by train unlike the trains which
run with coals.
Figure 4 Train Lines

ii) The pneumatic devices are simple

There design is simple and well-constructed. Each part of the pneumatic device is
made in such a way that there are few parts to break and they don’t need to be
maintained everyday i.e. they can be manufactured using standard cylinders &
other components.

iii) Compressed air can be stored in containers

This is the greater advantage that the compressed gases can be saved in the
containers. Even if there is no electricity, the gas is available. If the leak occurs,
there are less chances of getting fire. So they also have little fire hazards.

iv) They are Reliable

Since the gas is likely to absorb shock and excessive force applied to it, the
pneumatic control mechanism has high reliability. But Hydraulic reacts in a very
different way; any stress made on it will damage the mechanical parts.

v) Speed, Pressure and Light Weight

They are light in weight, so they can be easily transferred unlike hydraulic fluids.
Compressed air can attain the high speed of 20 m/s and this can be controlled by
applying various pressures. They are low in cost and air is pure and clean.

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Drawbacks of Pneumatics

i) They are lower in efficiency since the speed of the compressed air cannot be
controlled. So the piston needs to be positioned properly to maintain the system
and makes the speed of the piston constant. So they require fine tuning for
optimum usage.

ii) They do not work with heavy load systems because the output force is about
20KN – 30 KN. While Hydraulics can withstand heavy loads.

iii) Though the air is pure but if air contains any moisture will corrode the equipments
inside the system.

iv) They are extremely noisy while in operation. They also tend to leak oil during
operation.

v) They have limited uses and contain large numbers of actuators.

vi) Unlike electrical motors, pneumatics cannot be plugged in and so require a

compressor and line distributor.

To overcome such drawbacks, pressure switch must be used as inputs to the controller. In
case of gas leak, Teflon tape must be used on tubing and fittings. The compressor should
charge the tanks if no air movement are going on inside it. Use the compressor vibration
isolators to control the vibrations made by gaseous movements at pressures.

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Jackhammers (Pneumatic Drills)

They are used by construction workers to drill

the rocks and ground. It can drill the ground
1500 times a minute.

The jackhammer is connected to the large

yellow portable air compressor. As the worker
presses the handle, the compressor pumps the
air to pass through the valve into the
jackhammer. The hammer consists of circuit of
Figure 5. Worker Drilling The Ground
air tubes, heavy pile driver and a drill bit at the
bottom. The pressure air flows one way round
the circuit forcing the pile driver to drill the ground. In the other round, the pressure air flips
over which causes the jackhammer to move upwards.

So the skilled construction worker can drill the roads within few seconds.

Pneumatic Otoscopy

It is a diagnostic technique to detect the abnormalities in

the ear drum of the human being. It can also be used for
throats and nostrils abnormalities.

The figure shows the two major sections of the

Otoscope; handle and head. The head contains a light
and a magnifying lens that can be used to monitor the
observations of the ear on the screen. The head is
Figure 6 Pneumatic Otoscope
attached to the handle via power source. A rubber bulb is
attached to the head of the Otoscope with a piece of
plastic tubing.

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A pneumatic Otoscope can be used to test the mobility of the eardrum i.e. the distance
between eardrum and the bone. A rubber bulb passes the air through ears to check for excess
fluid or other ear problems.

Hydraulics

Hydraulics is study of the transmission of applied pressure from one place to another using
incompressible fluid. The fluid could be oil and water. The brakes of the car are the basic
example of piston-driven hydraulic system.

When the brake of the car is pressed down, the piston pushes the brake’s master cylinder and
then the four slave pistons on each of the four wheels will actuate the brake pads against the
brake rotor to stop the car.

The basic principles of Hydraulics include the properties of liquid. Liquids have no definite
shape and form the shape of the container. They cannot be compressed unlike gases. Liquids
transmit applied pressure in all directions with greater work force.

Hydraulic systems have two main features:

i) Hydraulic systems use oil and water to perform work processes unlike gases that
uses nitrogen and oxygen.

ii) They are closed systems and the fluid is circulated every time after use.

Hydraulic Multiplication

The piston on the right has a surface area

four times greater than the piston on the
left. When force is applied to the left
piston, it will move four units for every
one unit that the right piston moves, and
the force is multiplied by four on the
right-hand piston. The pumping system

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Figure 7 Hydraulic Multiplication
Jawad Soomro Physics II (EED 109) 26/November/2010

pushes hydraulic fluid through a one-way valve that allows the fluid to pass into the
cylinders, but does not allow the fluid to pass back.

Advantages of Hydraulic System

o Weight

The hydraulic system weighs lighter than pneumatics.

The figure 9 shows the Hydraulic actuator, it is made up
of Aluminium and is extremely light weight.

Figure 8: HLK-11000 series 45mm bore

Hydraulic Actuators
o Reliable

Hydraulic systems are reliable even if they work or not. Consider the oil temperature and
viscosity of the hydraulic system. Every hydraulic system manufacturing company comes
with the range of temperature and viscosity. For example, the viscosity range is 25 to 36 and
maximum temperature is 75 °C. If the system exceeds the range, hydraulic system will stop
working at its optimum point, only the components of the system would be working long last.

o Easy Maintenance

The maintenance of the hydraulic system is easy and simple. It requires preventive
maintenance method to work properly. Failure to do so is cost-effective. The hydraulic filters
need to be changed with the fluid every time for the
maintenance.

o Shock Absorber

This is basic hydraulic system used in vehicles, flyovers and

tall buildings. They are capable of absorbing any kind of
shock or disturbance applied to it. Any system failure in bus
brakes may develop chances of getting fire. So it has less fire
hazards.

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Figure 9: Shock Absorber

Drawbacks of Hydraulic System

o Complexity

It is more complex compared to pneumatic systems. So more complexity reduces the

reliability, this tends to system failure.

o Oil Filtration

The oil in Hydraulic systems must be filtered regularly to ensure the fluid contains no
broken particles and harmful damaging air pockets.

Figure 10: Hydraulic Oil Filtration

o Aeration

Hydraulic systems produce noise that causes the air to enter the hydraulic fluid. The noise
is produced when the fluid is continuously compressed and decompressed. The air can
harm the fluid by degradation and damage internal parts of hydraulic systems.

o Leakage

The Hydraulic systems can catch fire since they are oil based. Any leakage will consume
their internal temperature to catch the fire and damages the things surrounded by the leakage.

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Prevent leaks by using proper plumbing procedures and the correct materials, and by
performing regular preventative maintenance.

Hydraulic Elevators

These are the type of elevators to lift a car using a hydraulic ram and a fluid-driven piston
inside a cylinder. The cylinder is then connected to a fluid-pumping system.

Hydraulic system is then divided in three parts:

i) The fluid reservoir

ii) A pump
iii) A valve between the cylinder and the reservoir

The pump pushes the fluid from the tank to the

cylinder. When the valve is opened, the fluid is
pressurized to move to the reservoir. When the valve is
closed, the fluid is pressurized to move to the cylinder.
The fluid in the cylinder pushes up the piston and
therefore the elevator lifts up the car.

When the car approaches the correct floor, the electric

Figure 11: Elevator Hydraulic System
motor turns off the pump. This stops the flow of fluid
inside the cylinder and cannot move in through pump
nor move out through valves. The piston stays in rest and so the car stays in its position.

Advantages

oThe elevator can travel up the car as much as it can. So there is

no requirement of jack holes.

o Even if the system breaks down, it can be repaired with

lower cost.

o It does not require brakes; they can speed up and down

with pumps.

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Disadvantages

o The space for holding a car is not sufficient.

o They are inefficient; they need lots of power to lift up the car.

o Require larger pistons to supply larger pressures.

Figure 12: Car Lifter

Discussion

In the branch of science, Pneumatics deals with the use of air (e.g. nitrogen and oxygen)
while Hydraulics uses fluids (e.g. oil and water) for the mechanical purposes. In terms of
construction technology both are the methods of transferring the power from one point to
another using gas or liquid.

Linear pneumatics and linear hydraulic actuators are similar in the way they are constructed
but they differ in operation.

1) Pneumatic uses air while hydraulic uses oil.

2) Pneumatic power is less than hydraulic power.

3) Pneumatic components are smaller than Hydraulic components.

4) Leakage in Pneumatic systems releases the air to the atmosphere, whereas the fluid in
the hydraulic systems remains stick to the components around it.

5) Pneumatic obtains power from air compressors while Hydraulics requires a pump.

6) Air is a gas, so it can be compressed while the oil cannot because it is a fluid.

Gases differ from liquids in shape, volume and weight. So only the gas can be compressed
while the liquid needs to be pumped to be pressurized. Both provide power to the pneumatics
and hydraulics to work. In absence of electricity, both of them can still be used.

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Pneumatic is an open circuit and does not circulate the air while Hydraulic is closed circuit
which uses piston to circulate the fluid to send to the cylinder. Pneumatic mechanism is used
in all types of assembly and fabrication installations like hammers, drills, chisels etc

Hydraulics is installed to do heavy work as they can withstand tremendous loads. Small
circuits and heavy materials can be lifted up. Hydraulics is also used for machines doing
pressing, stamping, and rolling work e.g. in a steel industry. Hydraulic circuits are also used
in trucks, cars, and aircraft to provide power to various systems, like brakes, lifts and control
surfaces.

Hydraulic-based applications frequently use pressures that range from 1,000-5,000 psi. In
pneumatics, only 80-100 psi (pounds per square inch) of pressure is used for its industrial
applications.

Conclusion

1. Hydraulics is used in controlling or harnessing power with the use of pressurized

fluids whereas pneumatics studies how pressurized gases influences mechanical
motion or movement.
2. Hydraulics uses an incompressible fluid medium like oil whereas pneumatics uses
a compressible gas like air.
3. Hydraulic applications demand greater pressures during operations that reach
thousands of pounds per square inch whereas pneumatic applications only require
100 psi pressures more or less.
4. Most hydraulic applications generally use bigger components that pneumatic
applications.
5. Hydraulic systems are generally more difficult to operate compared to pneumatic
applications.
6. Pneumatic systems are used to store energy and transfer it to perform work.
7. Pneumatic automation is used in almost every industry for a wide variety of
processes.
8. Pneumatic system and components offer the advantages of speed, low cost,
simplicity of use, and cleanliness.

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9. The basic components of a pneumatic system are the air production system and
the air consumption system.
10. The actuators in robotics behave same like a human being. Just like humans it
gains energy (power) and the energy could be used to do work.

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