Module 4 Notes

Fluid Power Systems/Engineering 2020
Module 4
Pneumatic Power System
 Pneumatic technology deals with the study of behavior and applications of compressed air in
manufacturing automation. From factory machines and road drills to paint-spraying robots and
power tools, all kinds of everyday stuffs rely on pneumatics.
 The English word pneumatic is derived from the Greek word Pneuma meaning breath or air.
Pneumatic systems use air as the medium which is abundantly available and can be exhausted
into the atmosphere after completion of the assigned task.
 Any gas can be used in pneumatic system but air is the most preferred for obvious reasons. Pure
nitrogen may be used if there is a danger of combustion in a work environment. In Pneumatic
control, compressed air is used as the working medium, normally at a pressure from 6 bar to 10
bar. Using Pneumatic control, maximum force up to 50 KN can be developed
Basic Pneumatic Power System
Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 1

Important components of a pneumatic system are shown in fig
Functions of components
1. Air filters are used to filter out the contaminants from the air.
2. Air coolers are used to reduce the temperature of the compressed air.
3. Compressor is used to compress the fresh air drawn from the atmosphere.
4. External power supply (Motor) is used to drive the compressor.
5. Storage reservoir is used to store a given volume of compressed air.
6. Control valves are used to control the direction, flow rate and pressure of compressed air.
7. Pneumatic actuator converts the fluid power into mechanical power to perform useful
work.
8. Piping system carries the pressurized air from one location to another.
Atmospheric air is drawn through air filter and raised to required pressure by an air compressor.
As the pressure rises, the temperature of air will also rise and hence air cooler is provided to cool
the air with some preliminary treatment to remove the moisture.
The treated pressurized air is stored in the storage reservoir to maintain the required pressure.
With the storage reservoir, a pressure switch is fitted to start and stop the electric motor when
pressure falls and reaches the required level, respectively.
The cylinder movement is controlled by pneumatic valve. One side of the pneumatic valve is
connected to the compressed air and silencers for the exhaust air and the other side of the
valve is connected to port A and Port B of the cylinder.
Position of the valve is as follows
Raise: To lift the weight, the compressed air supply is connected to port A and the port B is
connected to the exhaust line, by moving the valve position to the "Raise".
Lower: To bring the weight down, the compressed air line is connected to port B and port A
is connected to exhaust air line, by moving the valve position to the "lower".
Off: The weight can be stopped at a particular position by moving the valve to position to
"Off" position. This disconnects the port A and port B from the pressurized line and the
retrieval line, which locks the air in the cylinder.

The advantages of pneumatic systems

1. High effectiveness: Many factories have equipped their production lines with
compressed air supplies and movable compressors. There is an unlimited supply of air in
our atmosphere to produce compressed air. Moreover, the use of compressed air is not
restricted by distance, as it can easily be transported through pipes. After use, compress
air can be released directly into the atmosphere without the need of processing
2. High durability and reliability: Pneumatic components are extremely durable and
cannot be damaged easily Compared to electromotive components, pneumatic
components are more durable and reliable.
3. Simple design: The designs of pneumatic components are relatively simple. They are
thus more suitable for use in simple automatic control systems.
4. High adaptability to harsh environment: Compared to the elements of other systems,
compressed air is less affected by high temperature, dust, corrosion, etc.
5. Safety: Pneumatic systems are safer than electromotive systems because they can work in
inflammable environment without causing fire or explosion. Apart from that, overloading
in pneumatic system will only lead to sliding or termination of operation. Unlike
electromotive components, pneumatic components do not burn or get overheated when
overloaded.
6. Easy selection of speed and pressure: The speeds of rectilinear and oscillating
movement of pneumatic systems are easy to adjust and subject to few limitations. The
pressure and the volume of air can easily be adjusted by a pressure regulator.
7. Environmental friendly: The operation of pneumatic systems does not produce
pollution. The air released is also processed in special ways. Therefore, pneumatic
systems can work in environments that demand high level of cleanliness. One example is
the production lines of integrated circuits.
8. Economical: As pneumatic components are not expensive, the costs of pneumatic
systems are quite low. Moreover, as pneumatic systems are very durable, the cost of
repair is significantly lower than that of other systems.
Limitations of Pneumatic power systems

Although pneumatic systems possess a lot of advantages, they are also subject to many
limitations.
1. Noise: Noise will be produced when compressed air is released from the pneumatic
components.
2. Processing required before use: Compressed air must be processed before use to ensure
the absence of water vapour or dust. Otherwise, the moving parts of the pneumatic
components may wear out quickly due to friction.

3. Relatively low accuracy: As pneumatic systems are powered by the force provided by
compressed air, their operation is subject to the volume of the compressed air.As the
volume of air may change when compressed or heated, the supply of air to the system
may not be accurate, causing a decrease in the overall accuracy of the system.
4. Low loading. As the cylinders of pneumatic components are not very large, a pneumatic
system cannot drive loads that are too heavy.
5. Uneven moving speed: As air can easily be compressed, the moving speeds of the
pistons are relatively uneven.
The application of pneumatic systems

The application of pneumatic systems is very extensive. New uses for pneumatics are
constantly being discovered. In construction, it is indispensible source of power for such tools
as air drills, hammers, wrenches, and even air cushion supported structures, man) vehicles
using air suspension , braking and pneumatic tires.
In manufacturing, air is used to power high speed clamping, drilling, grinding, and
assembly using pneumatic wrenches and riveting machines. Plant air is also used to power
hoists and cushion support to transport loads through the plant. .
Many recent advances in aircushion support are used in the military and commercial
marine transport industry.
Some industrial applications employing pneumatics are listed below:

Material handling applications:
 Positioning
 Clamping
 Shifting
 Branching of material flow
 Turning and inverting of parts
 Transfer of materials
 Stacking of components
 Sorting of parts
 Stamping and embossing of components
General applications:
 Machine tools
 Chemical plants
 Coal mines
 Aircraft
 Vehicle manufacturing
 Packaging industry
 Paper mills
 Oil refineries
Choice of working medium.

The choice of medium depends on the application. Some of the common, extensive
rules followed in the selection of a working medium are listed below.
1. The Pneumatic system is preferred, when the system requirement is high
speeds medium pressure (usually 6 to 10 bar) and less accuracy of position. If
the system requirement is high pressure and high precision, a fluid system with
oil is good.
2. Air is used where quick response of actuator is required.
3. If temperate variation range in the system is large, then use of air system may
run into condensation problems and oil is preferred.
4. When high positional accuracy and medium pressure is required then hydro -
pneumatic system is preferred.
5. Air is non-explosive, hence it is preferred where fire/electric hazard are
expected.
6. Oil systems are more prone to fire and electrical hazards and are not
recommended in such applications.
7. Because air contains oxygen (about 20%) and is not sufficient alone to provide
adequate lubrication of moving parts and seals, oil is usually introduced into
the air stream near the actuator to provide this lubrication preventing excessive
wear and oxidation.
8. When the power requirement is high like in forging presses, sheet metal press,
it is impossible to use air system. Oil hydraulics is the only choice.

Distinguish Characteristics of Compressed air
Properties of air:
 Air is actually a mixture of gases containing about 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, and 70% other
gases such as argon and carbon dioxide. The preceding percentage values are based on volume.
 Air also contains up to 4% water vapor depending on the humidity. The earth is surrounded by
the blanket of air called the atmosphere. Because air has weight, the atmosphere exerts a pressure
at any point due to column of air above that point.
 Atmospheric pressure of 101 KPa is used as a standard for making pneumatic circuit
calculations. The corresponding standard weight density value for air is 11.8 N/m3 at 101 KPa
and 20° C.
 Air is not only readily compressible, but its volume will vary to fill the vessel containing it
because the air Molecules have substantial internal energy and are at a considerable distance
from each other. This accounts for the sensitivity of density changes with respect to changes in
pressure and temperature

Air compressors
It is a mechanical device which compresses air or another type of gas from a low inlet
pressure to a higher desired pressure level. The compressor increases the air pressure by
reducing its volume which also increases the temperature of the compressed air. The
compressor is selected based on the pressure it needs to operate and the delivery volume.
The compressor can be classified into two main types
a. Positive displacement compressors

b. Dynamic displacement compressor
Positive displacement compressors include piston type, vane type, diaphragm type and screw
type.
Piston compressors
 Piston compressors are commonly used in pneumatic systems. The simplest form is
single cylinder compressor. It produces one pulse of air per piston stroke.
 As the piston moves down during the inlet stroke the inlet valve opens and air is drawn
into the cylinder.
 As the piston moves up the inlet valve closes and the exhaust valve opens which allows
the air to be expelled.
 The valves are spring loaded. The single cylinder compressor gives significant amount of
pressure pulses at the outlet port. The pressure developed is about 3-40 bar.

Double acting compressor
 The pulsation of air can be reduced by using double acting compressor as shown in
Figure.
 It has two sets of valves and a crosshead. As the piston moves, the air is compressed on
one side whilst on the other side of the piston, the air is sucked in.
 Due to the reciprocating action of the piston, the air is compressed and delivered twice in
one piston stroke. Pressure higher than 30 bar can be produced.
Multistage compressor
 As the pressure of the air increases, its temperature rises. It is essential to reduce the air
temperature to avoid damage of compressor and other mechanical elements.
 The multistage compressor with intercooler in-between is shown in Figure. It is used to
reduce the temperature of compressed air during the compression stages. The
compressed air from the first stage enters the intercooler where it is cooled. This air is
given as input to the second stage where it is compressed again. The multistage
compressor can develop a pressure of around 50 bar.

Combined two stage compressors
 In this type, two-stage compression is carried out by using the same piston.
 Initially when the piston moves down, air is sucked in through the inlet valve. During the
compression process, the air moves out of the exhaust valve into the intercooler. As the
piston moves further the stepped head provided on the piston moves into the cavity thus
causing the compression of air. Then, this is let out by the exhaust port.
Diaphragm compressor
 These are small capacity compressors. In piston compressors the lubricating oil from the
piston walls may contaminate the compressed air.
 The contamination is undesirable in food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. For
such applications diaphragm type compressor can be used. Figure shows the construction
of Diaphragm compressor.

 The piston reciprocates by a motor driven crankshaft. As the piston moves down it pulls
the hydraulic fluid down causing the diaphragm to move along and the air is sucked in.
When the piston moves up the fluid pushes the diaphragm up causing the ejection of air
from the outlet port. Since the flexible diaphragm is placed in between the piston and the
air no contamination takes place.
Screw compressor
 Piston compressors are used when high pressures and relatively low volume of air is
needed. The system is complex as it has many moving parts.
 For medium flow and pressure applications, screw compressor can be used. It is simple in
construction with less number of moving parts.
 The air delivered is steady with no pressure pulsation. It has two meshing screws. The air
from the inlet is trapped between the meshing screws and is compressed.
 The contact between the two meshing surface is minimum, hence no cooling is required.
These systems are quite in operation compared to piston type. The screws are
synchronized by using external timing gears.

Rotary Compressor
 The principle of operation of vane compressor is similar to the hydraulic vane pumP.
 Figure shows the working principle of Rotary vane compressor.
 The unbalanced vane compressor consists of spring loaded vanes seating in the slots of
the rotor. The pumping action occurs due to movement of the vanes along a cam ring.
 The rotor is eccentric to the cam ring. As the rotor rotates, the vanes follow the inner
surface of the cant ring. The space between the vanes decreases near the outlet due to the
eccentricity. This causes compression of the air. These compressors are free from
pulsation. If the eccentricity is zero no flow takes place.
Liquid ring vane compressor

 Liquid ring vane compressor is a variation of vane compressors.
 Figure shows the construction of Liquid ring compressor. The casing is filled with liquid
up to rotor center. The air enters the compressor through the distributor fixed to the
compressor.
 During the impeller rotation, the liquid will be centrifuged along the inner ring of the
casing to form the liquid ring. There are two suction and discharge ports provided in the
distributor. During the first quarter of cycle, the air is sucked in both suction chambers of
the casing and during the second quarter of the cycle, the air is compressed and pushed
out through the two discharge ports. During the third and fourth quarters of the cycle, the
process is repeated. This type of compressor has no leakage and has minimal friction. For
smooth operation, the rotation speed should be about 3000rpm. The delivery presure is
low (about 5 bar).
lobe compressor
 The lobe compressor is used when high delivery volume but low pressure is needed, It
consists of two lobes with one being driven and the other driving.
 Figure shows the construction and working of Lobe compressor. It is similar to the Lobe
pump used in hydraulic systems.
 The operating pressure is limited by leakage between rotors and housing. As the wear
increases during the operation, the efficiency falls rapidly.

Dynamic compressors
 When very large volume of compressed air is required in applications such as ventilators,
combustion system and pneumatic powder blower conveyors, the dynamic compressor
can be used.
 The pressure needed is very low in such applications. Figure shows a typical Centrifugal
type blower. The impeller rotates at a high speed. Large volume of low pressure air can
be provided by blowers.
 The blowers draw the air in and the impeller flings it out due to centrifugal force. Positive
displacement compressors need oil to lubricate the moving parts, whereas the dynamic
compressors have no such need. The efficiency of these compressors is better than that of
reciprocating types
Fluid conditioners
Air treatment stages
 Compressed air needs to be cleaned and dried for satisfactory operation of the pneumatic
system. The Atmospheric air is polluted with dust, smoke and is humid. These particles
can cause wear of the system components and presence of moisture may cause corrosion
Hence it is essential to treat the air to get rid of these impurities. The air treatment can be
divided into three stages as shown in Figure.

 In the.first stage, the large sized particles are prohibited from entering the compressor by
an intake filter. The air leaving the compressor may be humid and may be at high
temperature.
 The air from the compressor is treated in the second stage. In this stage temperature of the
compressed air is lowered using a cooler and the air is dried using a dryer. Also an inline
filter is provided to remove any contaminant particles present. This treatment is called
primary air treatment.
 In the third stage which is the secondary air treatment process, further filtering is carried
out. A lubricator introduces a fine mist of oil into the compressed air. This will help in
lubrication of the moving components of the system to which the compressed air will be
applied.
Filters
 To prevent any damage to the compressor, the contaminants present in the air need to be
filtered out. This is done by using inlet filters.
 These can be dry or wet filters. Dry filters use disposable cartridges. In the wet filter, the
incoming air is passed through an oil bath and then through a fine wire mesh filter. Dirt
particles cling to the oil drops during bubbling and are removed by wire mesh as they
pass through it. In the dry filter the cartridges are replaced during servicing. The wet
filters are cleaned using detergent solution.
Cooler
 As the air is compressed, the temperature of the air increases. Therefore the air needs to
be cooled. This is done by using a cooler. It is a type of heat exchanger.

 There are two types of coolers commonly employed viz. air cooled and water cooled. In
the air cooled hype, ambient air is used to cool the high temperature compressed air,
whereas in the water Cooled type, water is used as cooling medium. These are counter
flow type coolers where the cooling medium flows in the direction opposite to the
compressed air. During cooling, the water vapor present will condense which can be
drained away later.
Main Line Filters
These filters .e used to remove the water

vapors or solid contaminants present in the
Pneumatic systems main lines. These filters
are discussed in detail as follows
Air filter and water trap
Air filter and water trap is used to
 Prevent any solid contaminants from

entering in the system.
 Condense and remove water vapor
that is present in the compressed air.
 The filter cartridge is made of sintered brass. The schematic of the filter is shown in
Fig.
 The thickness of sintered cartridge provides random zigzag passage for the air to
flow-in which helps in arresting the solid particles. The air entering the filter swirls
around due to the deflector cone.
 The centrifugal action causes the large contaminants and water vapor to be flung out,
which hit the glass bowl and get collected at the bottom. A baffle plate is provided to
prevent the turbulent air from splashing the water into the filter cartridge. At the

bottom of the filter bowl there is a drain plug which can be opened manually to drain
off the settled water and solid particles.
Dryer
The function of the dryer is to lower the dew point of the compressed air by removing the
moisture from it. For simple applications, to remove excess humidity, we need simple after
cooler, an air receiver, and a filter with condensate traps. However, to get high quality
compressed air additional means of dehydration must be provided using dryer.
Generally four basic types of air dryers are used in Industries.
1. Refrigerated dryer
2. Chemical dryer
3. Membrane dryer
Refrigerated dryers
 It consists of two heat exchangers, refrigerant compressor and a separator. The system
circuitry is shown in Figure.
 The dryer chills the air just above 0°C which condenses the water vapor. The condensate
is collected by.the separator. However such low temperature air may not be needed at the
application. Therefore this chilled air is used to cool the high temperature air coming out
from the compressor at heat exchanger 2.
 The moderate temperature dry air coming out from the heat exchanger 2 is then used for
actual application; whilst the reduced temperature air from compressor will further be
cooled at heat exchanger 1. Thus, the efficiency of the system is increased by employing
a second heat exchanger.

Chemical dryers
When absolute dry air is needed chemical dryers are used. These dryers are of two types
namely adsorption dryer and absorption dryer.
Adsorptiondryers

 In Adsorption dryers, the moisture collects on the sharp edges of the granular material.
The adsorbing materials can be silicon dioxide (silica gel) or other materials which exist
in hydrated and dehydrated state (copper sulphate, activated alumina). Moisture from the
adsorbing material can be released by heating in the column as shown in Fig. At a given
time, one column will dry the air while the other column will regenerate the adsorption
material by heating and passing low purge air. The column B dries the air and column C
regenerates. The rotary valves are opened using time clock at regular interval to reverse
the process. These dryers are also called regenerative dryers.
Absorption dryers
 These are also called as deliquescent dryers. Figure shows a
schematic of the same.
 It uses chemical agents like phosphoric pentoxide or calcium
chloride as drying agents. The moisture in the compressed air
chemically reacts with the drying agent. The agent dissolves to
form a liquid compound which collects at the bottom of the dryer
where it can be drained out. The deliquescent agent has to be
replenished regularly as it gets consumed during the drying process
Membrane dryers
Membrane dryers are yet another type of dryer to remove moisture from compressed air. It
consists of three stages.
Stage 1: Contains a filter which removes the water and contaminants down to 5 micron.
Stage 2: High efficiency coalescing filter removes oil and sub micron particles down to 0.01
micron.
Stage 3: membrane module removes the remaining moisture in the vapour form

Lubricators
 The compressed air is first filtered and then passed through a lubricator in order to form a
moist oil and air to provide lubrication to the mating components.
 Figure shows the schematic of a typical lubricator. T
 he principle of working of venturimeter is followed in the OPeration of lubricator.
 The compressed air from the dryer enters in the lubricator. Its velocitY increases due to a
pressure differential between the upper and lower changer.
 Due to the low pressure in the upper chamber the oil is pushed into the upper 0hl,amber
from the oil reservoir through a siphon tube with check valve. The main function the
valve is to control the amount of oil passing through it. The oil drops inside the throttled
zone where the velocity of air is much higher and this high velocity air breaks the oil
drops into tiny particles.
 Thus a mist of air and oil is generated. The pressure differential across chambers is
adjusted by a needle valve. It is difficult to hold an oil mixed air in the air receiver as oil
may settle down. Thus air is lubricated during secondary air treatment process. Low
viscosity oil forms better mist than high viscosity oil and hence ensures that oil is always
present in the air.

Presure Regulation
In pneumatic systems, during high velocity compressed air flow, there is flow-dependent
pressure drop between the receiver and load (application). Therefore the pressure in the
receiver is always kept higher than the system pressure. A regulator keeps the operating
pressure constant regardless of fluctuations in line pressure or demand flow. As shown in Fig.
a spring holds a diaphragm in place. When the outlet pressure increases, the diaphragm
moves downward to partly close the valve seat. Pressure drop through the regulator increases,
and the outlet pressure is reduced. When the outlet pressure decreases, the opposite occurs. If
the pressure at the outlet increases beyond the regulator set maximum pressure, the
diaphragm deforms enough that the center hole is opened, and air flows through the vent
holes to atmosphere.
Relief valve
 Relief valve is the simplest type of pressure regulating device. The schematic of its
construction and working is shown in the Figure .
 It is used as a backup device if the main pressure control fails. It consists of ball type
valve held on to the valve seat by a spring in tension.

 The spring tension can be adjusted by using the adjusting cap. When the air pressure
exceeds the spring tension pressure the ball is displaced from its seat, thus releasing
the air and reducing the pressure. A relief is specified by its span of pressure between
the cracking and full flow, pressure range and flow rate. Once the valve opens
(cracking pressure), flow rate depends on the excess pressure. Once the pressure falls
below the cracking pressure, the valve seals itself.
Non-Relieving Pressure Regulator

 In a non-relieving pressure regulator the outlet pressure is sensed by a diaphragm
which is preloaded by a pressure setting spring.
 If outlet pressure is too low, the spring forces the diaphragm and poppet to move
down thus opening the valve to admit more air and raise outlet pressure. If the outlet
pressure is too high the air pressure forces the diaphragm up hence reduces the air
flow and causing a reduction in air pressure. The air vents away through the load. At
steady state condition the valve will balance the force on the diaphragm from the
outlet pressure with the preset force on the spring.

Service units FRL Units

During the preparation of compressed air, various processes such as filtration, regulation and
lubrication are carried out by individual components. Preparatory functions can be combined
into one unit which is called as 'service unit'. Several manufacturers supply a filter, regulator,
and lubricator assembled in one housing. The complete and abbreviated symbols for this
component are shown in Fig.

Pneumatic Actuators:
Pneumatic systems make use of actuators in a fashion similar to that of hydraulic systems.
However, because air is the fluid medium rather than the hydraulic oil, pressures are lower,
and hence pneumatic actuators are of lighter construction. Air cylinders make extensive use
of aluminum and other nonferrous alloys to reduce weight, improve heat transfer
characteristics, and minimize corrosive action of air.
Actuators can be classified into two types.
1. Linear actuators: used to convert pneumatic energy into linear motion.

2. Rotary actuators: used to devices convert pneumatic energy into rotary motion.
The construction of hydraulic and pneumatic linear actuators is similar. However they
differ at their operating pressure ranges. Typical pressure of hydraulic cylinders is about 100
bar and of pneumatic system is around 10 bar.
Single acting cylinder
 Single acting cylinders produce work in one direction of motion hence they are named as
single acting cylinders.
 Figure shows the construction of a single acting cylinder. The Compressed air pushes the
piston located in the cylindrical barrel causing the desired motion. The return stroke takes
place by the action of a spring. Generally the spring is provided on the rod side of the
cylinder.

Diaphragm cylinder
 In diaphragm cylinder, piston is replaced by a diaphragm of hard rubber, plastic or metal

clamped between the two halves of a metal casing expanded to form a wide, flat
enclosure. Schematic diagram of diaphragm cylinder is shown in Figure.
 The operating system which takes place of the piston rod in diaphragm cylinder can also
be designed as a surface element so as to act directly as a clamping surface. Only short
operating strokes can be executed by a diaphragm cylinder, up to a maximum of 50 mm.
This makes the diaphragm type of cylinder particularly adaptable to clamping operations.
 Return stroke is accomplished by a spring built into the assembly or by the tension of
diaphragm itself in the case of very short stroke.
 Diaphragm cylinders are used for short stoke application like clamping, riveting, lifting,
embossing and riveting.

Rolling diaphragm cylinder
 Rolling diaphragm cylinders also contain a diaphragm instead of piston, which rolls out
along the inner walls of the cylinder. When air pressure is applied through the inlet, the
operating stem moves outwards. Compared with the standard diaphragm type, a rolling
diaphragm cylinder is capable of executing appreciably longer operating strokes
(averaging from 50 mm to 800mm).
 Materials used for rolling diaphragms in present day designs ensure good durability under
normal operating conditions. On the other hand, even very small cracks or cuts in the
diaphragm will generally lead to early failure because if high stresses are imposed on the
flexible material as it unrolls at each stroke.
Double acting cylinder
 The main parts of a hydraulic double acting cylinder are: piston, piston rod, cylinder tube,
and end caps. These are shown in Figure. The piston rod is connected to piston head and
the other end extends out of the cylinder. The piston divides the cylinder into two
chambers namely the rod end side and piston end side. The seals prevent the leakage of
oil between these two chambers. The cylindrical tube is fitted with end caps.
 The pressurized oil, air enters the cylinder chamber through the ports provided. In the rod
end cover plate, a wiper seal is provided to prevent the leakage of oil and entry of the
contaminants into the cylinder. The combination of wiper seal, bearing and sealing ring is

called as cartridge assembly. The end caps may be attached to the tube by threaded
connection, welded connection or tie rod connection. The piston seal prevents metal to
metal contact and wear of piston head and the tube. These seals are replaceable. End
cushioning is also provided to prevent the impact with end caps.
Seals
Seals are used in pneumatic cylinders to prevent the losses caused by leakage and to make the
effective use of the compressed air energy medium. Important characteristics needed for seals
are
1. Long life
2. Low friction
3. Resistance to heat
4. Stability of structure
5. Higher range of working pressure

6. Higher Range of temperature
7. Mechanical strength

Classification of Seal
1. Static seals
 Static seals are used to provide a sealing between the stationary parts of a cylinder. For
example, end cap and barrel.
 0 rings is most commonly used static seal. 0 rings are used for small cylinders.
2. Dynamic seals
 Dynamic seals are used provided for surfaces which are moving. Dynamic seals are
used provided for surfaces which are moving.
 Cup seals and Z seals are commonly used dynamics seals. There are a variety of seals
required within a pneumatic cylinder. Single acting cylinders use less number of seals.
Double acting cylinders use at least five different types of seals as shown in Figure
1. Cushion seals
2. Wear ring
3. Piston seals
4. Barrel seals
5. Piston rod/wiper seal

Cushion seals:
 Cushioning protects a cylinder and its load by absorbing energy at the end of the stroke. When
the piston moves to the left of pneumatic cylinder, the air on the left side of the piston in the left
chamber must be exhausted to allow full travel of the piston and rod.
 In a cushioned cylinder, this air cannot escape from the port by virtue of the cushion seals which
seals against the piston rod. The only escape path is through the cushion orifice, which is
normally a small hole. When the piston reaches the cushion seal, the piston travel is slow down
due to cushioning of the air. Thus the cushion seals perform a dual role of a seal and non-return
valve.
Wear ring
 It is an open band fixed around the piston. It is made from a hard plastic material normally
Teflon compounded with polyphenylene sulphide or good quality bearing bronze to provide
best wear resistance and excellent bearing support. Wear ring also guards the rod
against scoring by piston.
Piston seal:
 A 0-ring piston seal is used for small bore sizes. For medium and large bore double
acting cylinders cup seals are used. They are cheap and easy to fit but may be easily
damaged by dirt.
Barrel seal:
 0-ring piston seal is used as barrel seal. It is used in the near the end caps and it is tight fit
in the grooves location
Piston rod seal/ Wiper seal:
 A piston rod seals, also known as wiper seal, is used for harsh environment. This seals acts as
pressure seal and wiper seal. The external body of this seal is a pressure-tight fit within the
bearing housing. Cleaning action of the seal removes abrasive particles that can settle on the rod
during the outward stroke of the cylinder or due to some other operations
Mounting arrangements
Cylinder mountings
The way in which the pneumatic cylinder is mounted similar to hydraulic cylinders
influences service life, maintenance frequency and success of the entire installation. Poor
mounting design can cause excessive side loads and stresses which will bring about early

failure of some vital component. There are three main categories of cylinder mounting. The
selection of these mountings depends on the application and machine configuration.
1. Fixed Centerline mountings

2. Pivoted centerline mountings
3. Fixed non centerline mountings
1. Fixed Centerline mountings: In this mounting, the cylinder is supported along its
centre line. The mounting bolts are thus subjected to shear or simple stress. This
mounting needs accurate alignment. Misalignment is not tolerable.
2. Pivot centerline mounting: Many applications need rotational degree of freedom for
a cylinder as it reciprocates. The pivot mounting can be clevis type or trunnion type.
This mounting permits rotational freedom in one plane. If universal joint is used,
greater degrees of freedom are possible.
3. Fixed non centerline mounting: This mounting of cylinder introduces torque under
loaded condition. The cylinder may rotate or bend about its mounting bolt when
loaded. The stress level on the cylinder is higher as compared to the centre line
mounting.
Rotary Motors
 Pneumatic motors convert compressed air to rotary motion. These motors can be utilized to
provide a smooth source of power. They are not susceptible to overload damage and can be
stalled for long periods of time without any heat problems.
 They can be started and stopped very quickly and with pressure regulation and metering of flow
can provide infinitely variable torque and speed. Several of the common types are discussed
below.
Gear motor
Gear motor consists of two inter meshing gears inside a housing with one gear attached to the
drive shaft. Figure shows a schematic diagram of Gear motor. The air enters from the inlet,
causes the rotation of the meshing gear due to difference in the pressure and produces the
torque. The air exits from the exhaust port. Gear motors tend to leak at low speed, hence are
generally used for medium speed applications

Piston Motors
 Piston motors are either radial or axial and are available in the power range of 2 to 25 hp.
Maximum speed is around 5000 rpm. The axial piston motor has axial pistons, which act
on a swash plate and produce rotary motion just as an axial piston hydraulic motor. The
key to the radial piston motor is the valving, which directs compressed air to the correct
piston. The radial pistons act on the cam in sequence to produce rotary motion.
Sliding-Vane Motor
Sliding-vane motors are simple in construction, are lightweight, and are widely used. As
might be anticipated, their principle of operation is the opposite of the sliding-vane
compressor. Like the sliding-vane compressor, the vanes are forced out against the housing
by centrifugal force. Small amounts of compressed air are ported to the vane slots to force the
vanes against the housing for a good seal. Compressed air flows into the chambers formed by
the housing and two successive vanes. (Sliding-vane motors will have 3 to 10 vanes.) This air
expands and causes the rotor to turn. Air is exhausted as the leading vane passes the exhaust
port. Rotor speeds of 3000 to 8500 rpm are typical, and reversible units are available.
Limited rotation actuators
 It consists of a single rotating vane connected to output shaft as shown in Figure. It is
used for double acting operation and has a maximum angle of rotation of about 270°.
These are generally used to actuate dampers in robotics and material handling
applications.

Pneumatic Controls
To control the to and fro motion of a pneumatic cylinder the air energy has to be
regulated, controlled, and reversed with a predetermined sequence in a pneumatic
system.
Similarly one may have to control the pressure and flow rate to generate the desired
level of force and speed of actuators. To achieve these functions valves are used.
Pneumatic valves fluid power elements used for controlling and regulating the
compressed air.
Broadly valves are used to
i. Start and stop pneumatic energy.

ii. Control the direction of flow of compressed air.
iii. Control the flow rate of compressed air.
iv. Control the pressure rating of the compressed air.
There are various types of valves available in the family of compressed air system but
according to their main function, they may be divided into four broad groups.
1. Direction control valves

2. Non return valves
3. Flow control valves
4. Pressure control valves
Poppet type DCV

In a poppet valve, discs, cones or balls are used to control flow. Figure shows the
construction of a simple two-way two-position, normally closed direction control
valve. If the push button is pressed, ball will lift off from its seat and allows the air to
flow from port P to port A. When the push button is released, spring force and air
pressure keeps the ball back and closes air flow from port P to port A
Two-Way Directional Valve
A Two-way directional valve consists of two ports connected to each other with
passages which are open or closed. In one extreme spool position, a passage from port
A is open to port B; the flow paths though the valve is open. In the other extreme, the
large diameter of the spool closes the path between A and B: the flow path blocked, A
two-way directional valve has an on-off motion similar to a water faucet's action.
This function may be used to interlock or isolate and connect various portions of the
circuit.

Three way directional valve

A Three way directional valve consists of three ports connected through passages
within a valve body. They are shown as port A, port P, and port R. if port A is
connected to an actuator, port P is connected to source of pressure and port R is open
to exhaust, the valve will allow -the flow of air to, or exhaust from, a cylinder
connected to port A.
Four-way Valve
Most common valves used in pneumatic system are four-way valves. A common
application of 4-way valve is to cause reversible motion of a cylinder or motor. To
perform this function, the sliding spool connects pressure port with one of the actuator
port (port A). At the same time, the other port of the actuator (port B) is connected to
the exhaust port

Suspended seat type slide valve
These valves are quite similar to sliding spool valve. Figure shows the suspended seat
type four-way two-position directional control valve. In this design a disc is used
instead of a spool. This suspended disc can be moved by pilot pressure or by solenoid
or by mechanical means. In the design, main disc connects port 1 to either port 4 or 2.
The secondary seat discs seal the exhaust port 3 whichever is not functional. These
values are generally provided with manual override to manually move the cylinder.
The advantages of this type DCV's include:
i. Short actuation movement

ii. Quick in operation because of small switching movement
iii. If signals are applied at both ports, first signal will be dominant

Various actuating Mechanism
Check valve
The simplest type of non-return valve is the check valve , which completely blocks air
flow in one direction while permitting flow in the opposite direction with minimum
pressure loss across the valve.
As soon as the inlet pressure in the direction of free flow develops a force greater than
that of the internal spring, the check is lifted clear of the valve seat. The check in such
valve may be plug, ball, plate or diaphragm. Check valves are similar in operation to
electronic diodes.

A shuttle valve is shown in figure. The shuttle valve consists of a valve body and a
synthetic ball or a cuboid valuing element moving inside the bore in the valve
housing.
There are three openings P1, P2, and A. if an air signal is fed to port P1, the ball
moves, closing port P2 and air passes to 'A'. If the air is fed to port P2, port P1 is
closed and moves to 'N. If air is fed simultaneously to port P1 and P2 then also air
moves to port A, either from P1 or P2 or from both. This element is also called an OR
Gate.

Quick exhaust valve
A quick exhaust valve is a typical shuttle valve. The quick exhaust valve is used to
exhaust the cylinder air quickly to atmosphere. Schematic diagram of quick exhaust
valve is shown in Figure.
In many applications especially with single acting cylinders, it is a common practice

to increase the piston speed during retraction of the cylinder to save the cycle time.
The higher speed of the piston is possible by reducing the resistance to flow of the
exhausting air during the motion of cylinder. The resistance can be reduced by
expelling the exhausting air to the atmosphere quickly by using Quick exhaust valve.
The construction and operation of a quick exhaust valve is shown in Figure. It consists
of a movable disc (also called flexible ring) and three ports namely, Supply port 1,
which is connected to the output of the directional control valve. The Output port 2 of
this valve is directly fitted on to the working port of cylinder. The exhaust port 3 is left
open to the atmosphere.
Forward Motion: During forward movement of piston, compressed air is directly

admitted to cylinder inlet through ports 1 and 2. Port 3 is closed due to the supply
pressure acting on the diaphragm. Port 3 is usually provided with a silencer to
minimize the noise due to exhaust.

Return Motion: During return movement of piston, exhaust air from cylinder is
directly exhausted to atmosphere through opening 3 (usually larger and fitted with
silencer) .Port 2 is sealed by the diaphragm. Thus exhaust air is not required to pass
through long and narrow passages in the working line and final control valve
Time Delay Valve

The time delay valve consists of an in-built air reservoir, an in-built non-return flow
control valve and a pilot controlled spring return 3-way 2-position direction control
valve. This valve is used in the pneumatic system to initiate a delayed signal.
When the compressed air is supplied to the port 'P' of the valve, it is prevented from
flowing to port 'A' from 'P', as this is blocked by the spring actuated spool. Air is
accumulated in an in-built reservoir of the valve from the pilot control port 'Z', the
control passage of the same being controlled by the needle of the in-built throttle
valve. Pressure starts building up here. When the pressure needed to push the spool is
built up in the reservoir, the pilot spool of the 3/2 direction control valve shifts, thus
opening port `P' of the main valve to 'A' and closing `It'. The time required to build up
the pressure in the reservoir, is the amount of delay time offered by the time delay
valve. With further increase of pressure, the in-built check valve opens, the air from
the reservoir gets exhausted and the valve spool returns to its original position.

Two pressure valve

This valve is also called as pneumatic AND valve. A two pressure valve requires two
pressurized inputs to allow an output from itself. The cross sectional views of two
pressure valve in two positions are given in Figure.
As shown in the figure, this valve has two inputs X and Y and one output A. If the
compressed air is applied to either X or input Y, the spool moves to block the flow,
and no signal appears at output A. If signals are applied to both the inputs X and Y,
the compressed air flows through the valve, and the signal appears at output A.
Memory valve
A Five-way two-position valve is shown in the figure can work like a memory device.
When a pressure pulse is input into the pressure control port P, the spool will move to
the left, connecting inlet 'P' and work passage B. Work passage 'A' will then make a
release of air through 'R1' and `R2'. The directional valves will remain in this
operational position until signals of the contrary are received. Therefore, this type of
directional control valves is said to have the function of memory.

Flow control valves

Flow control valves regulate the piston speed of pneumatic drives during advance and
return strokes. This is done through suitable restriction of the flow rate of compressed
air in exhaust air or supply air direction.
The flow control function creates an adjustable annular gap inside the valve. This gap
can be increased or decreased by turning the knurled screw or slotted head screw,
which is also often referred to as a needle or choke valve.
Flow control valves are available in two modes:
a. fixed flow control and

b. variable flow control

In fixed flow controlling, the control passage is not adjustable. A valve of this type is
shown in figure. But in the variable control valve, an adjustable control needle is
positioned at any place of the flow passage to regulate the flow as per need of flow
quantity. This is done by screwing a taper needle inside the control passage
Flow control valves can be applied in two different ways; meter-in or meter-out.
Meter-in is the method of controlling the rate of airflow as it enters a motor or
cylinder. When metering in, a cylinder will move rapidly with high force and
efficiency, but the motion of the piston is prone to spongy and unpredictable
movement. When metering out, the cylinder velocity is more stable and repeatable,
but efficiency and dynamic force are lost to the energy required to push past the flow
control. Regardless, most pneumatic applications operate using meter out flow
controls, because the disadvantages are easy to overcome by increasing upstream
pressure

Pressure control valves
Compared with hydraulic systems, few pressure control valves are brought into use in
pneumatics. Pressure control valves control the pressure of the air flowing through
the valve or confined in the system controlled by the valve.
There are three types of pressure control valves
1. Pressure limiting valve

2. Pressure sequence valve
3. Pressure regulator or pressure reducing valve
Pressure limiting valve prevents the pressure in a system from rising above a
permissible maximum pressure. These valves perform a safety relief function by
opening to the atmosphere if a predetermined pressure is exceeded in the
system, thus releasing the excess pressure. As soon as the pressure is relieved to
the desired level, the valve will be closed again by spring force.
Function of the sequence valve is very similar to that of a pressure limiting valve.
It is however used for a different purpose. Outlet of the pressure sequence valve
remains closed until the pressure builds up to a predetermined value. Only then
the valve opens to permit the air from inlet to outlet. Sequence valve must be
incorporated into a pneumatic control where a certain minimum pressure must
be available for a given function and operation is not to be initiated at any
pressure lower than that.
Pressure regulators in pneumatic systems limit pressure downstream of the unit

by blocking pressure upstream at the inlet. Regulators are used in the air
preparation stage, As well as in control of cylinders and motors. The letter R in
the acronym FRL stands for regulator, which is installed downstream of the
receiver tank

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Fluid Power Systems/Engineering 2020

Basic Pneumatic Power System

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 1

Important components of a pneumatic system are shown in fig

Position of the valve is as follows

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 2

The advantages of pneumatic systems

Limitations of Pneumatic power systems

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 3

The application of pneumatic systems

Some industrial applications employing pneumatics are listed below:

Choice of working medium.

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 5

Distinguish Characteristics of Compressed air

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 6

The compressor can be classified into two main types

a. Positive displacement compressors

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 7

Double acting compressor

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 8

Combined two stage compressors

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 9

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 10

Liquid ring vane compressor

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 12

Air treatment stages

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 13

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 14

Main Line Filters

These filters .e used to remove the water

Air filter and water trap

Air filter and water trap is used to

 Prevent any solid contaminants from

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 15

Generally four basic types of air dryers are used in Industries.

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 16

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 17

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 18

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 19

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 20

Non-Relieving Pressure Regulator

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 21

Service units FRL Units

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 22

Actuators can be classified into two types.

1. Linear actuators: used to convert pneumatic energy into linear motion.

Single acting cylinder

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 23

 In diaphragm cylinder, piston is replaced by a diaphragm of hard rubber, plastic or metal

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 24

Rolling diaphragm cylinder

Double acting cylinder

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 25

5. Higher range of working pressure

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 26

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 27

Piston rod seal/ Wiper seal:

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 28

1. Fixed Centerline mountings

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 29

Mohan G, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical, SVIT, Bangalore-64 Page 30

Broadly valves are used to

i. Start and stop pneumatic energy.

1. Direction control valves