To: Nancy Myers

From: Dane Rogers

Date: May 11, 2020
Subject: APLED 121-Instructions Report

HOW TO SIZE A CYLINDER AND FIND THE BASIS FOR A HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT

The cylinder is the most common actuator used in fluid power. They are used to lift, move, push
objects that are many times heavier than it and are incredibly efficient when sized properly. Once the
actuator is sized, the rest of the system can be planned out (like what size pump can be used).

Tools and materials needed:

 Calculator
 Cylinder Sizing chart

A Basic Hydraulic System

Always round up to the nearest thousandth.

1. Find the theoretical blind end area or TBEA.

2. Divide the extend force it by the design pressure to find TBEA.

Rod end side

Blind end side

3. Calculate the diameter, divide the TBEA by .7854 and then square root it.

4. Round up to the nearest bore size on the sizing chart and select a corresponding rod size.

5. Find the actual blind end area (BEA) by squaring our bore size and multiplying it by .7854

6. Calculate the rod end area (REA) we use this formula, ( D 2−d 2) ∙ 7854, where D is the bore size
and d is the rod diameter.

7. Calculate the cylinder ratio by taking the BEA and dividing it by the REA.

8. Determine volume of the blind end and the rod end by taking the BEA and then the REA and
multiplying them by the stroke.

Stroke is the
length of the
rod

9. Determine the load pressures for the extend and retract by taking the Extend Force and
dividing it by the BEA and taking the Retract Force and dividing it by the REA.

10. Determine the GPM that we will be using for our flow controls to match that time by using this
vol
formula,GPM= .
Time ∙ 3.85

11. Divide the extend side volume by the Extend time needed multiplied by 3.85.

12. The same formula can be used for the retract but using the retract side volume and the retract
time.
 13. Determine the speed the cylinders move at in inches per minute (IPM), using this formula:
GPM ∙ 231
IPM = .
BEA ∨REA

14. Now that we have all the variables for this system, we can now solve for the system relief.

15. Using the highest Load pressure, multiply by 1.15 which will then round up to the nearest 50 PSI.

16. In this example, problem calls for a pump that has 15% greater flow output than our highest
flow requirement, but his will vary by customer.

GPM ∙231
17. Determine CID= , to find the correct Cubic Inch Displacement for the pump. We
RPM
assume the pump is spinning at 1750 RPM

The symbol with the

M is an electric motor
that spins the pump
(the symbol on the
left) at 1750 RPM. We
are sizing an
appropriately sized
pump based on the
cylinder size

Being the most common actuator in fluid power, it is essential to know how a cylinder is sized.