Basic Mechanics Dangote Academy Basic Pneumatics

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6 Pneumatics/Hydraulics

6.1 Basic Pneumatics

6.1.1 Introduction to Pneumatics

6.1.1.1 Fundamentals

Compressed air is probably one of the oldest forms of energy known to man.
It assists in lifting weights, moving loads and operating equipment. Its use
can be traced back to Greek times. The term ’pneumatics’ (the study of air
movement and air phenomena) was derived from the word ’pneuma’ which
means ’air’, ’wind’.

It was not until the 1800s that serious research was carried out. Real
practical industrial application of pneumatics dates back to approx. 1950.

Characteristics of Compressed Air

The characteristics of compressed air can be divided into two groups.

Positive Characteristics

Amount
Air is available practically everywhere for compression, in unlimited
quantities.

Transport
Air can be easily transported in pipelines, even over larger distances. It is not
necessary to return the compressed air.

Storage
Compressed air can be stored in and removed from a reservoir. A
compressor need not be in continuous operation.

Temperature
Compressed air is quite insensitive to temperature fluctuations. This ensures
reliable operation, even under varying temperatures.

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Explosion Proof
Compressed air does not offer any risk of explosion or fire, hence no
expensive protection against explosion is required.

Speed
Compressed air is a very fast working medium. This enables high working
speeds to be attained (pneumatic cylinders have a working speed of
1-2 m/s.

Negative Characteristics

Preparation
Compressed air needs good preparation of the system. Dirt and humidity
must not be present (wear of pneumatic components).

Compressible
It is not possible to achieve uniform and constant piston speeds with
compressed air.

Exhaust Air
The exhaust air is loud.

Water Absorption Capacity of Air

Air can absorb certain amounts of water in the form of water vapour. The
warmer the air is, the more moisture it can absorb. If this saturated air is
cooled down, the water condenses in the air in the form of drops. It trickles
down the walls of the vessel.

This fact is important for pneumatics because the capacity of air to absorb
water depends only on its volume and its temperature, and not on the
pressure. For this reason, condensed water arises in every compressed-air
preparation system and it must be trapped and separated by means of
special equipment.

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6.1.1.2 Components of Pneumatic Air Supply

Compressors

Figure 1 Compressor Classifications

Compressors are required to compress air to the desired working pressure.

Figure 1 shows an overview of various types of compressors.

Pneumatic drives and controls usually have a central supply of compressed

air. Therefore power conversion and transmission need not be calculated and
planned for each user. The equipment is supplied with compressed air by
pipelines from the compressor plant.

When planning, allowance should be made for the expansion and purchase
of new pneumatic equipment. In any case it is better to design the plant
larger than required at the moment, rather than find out later that the
production plant is overloaded.

Distribution of Compressed Air

Compressed-Air Reservoirs
The compressed-air reservoir stabilises the compressed-air supply. It also
smoothes pressure fluctuations in the network when air is being used.

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Compressed-Air Piping Systems

Owing to the increased automation of machinery, the air requirement in
factories continues to rise. Each machine and each appliance needs a
certain volume of air, and is provided with air from the compressor via a pipe
system.

The pipe diameter should therefore be selected so that the pressure drop
between reservoir and user does not exceed 0.1 bar (100 hPa).

Not only the correct dimensioning of the pipelines is important, but also their
installation.

Compressed-air pipelines require regular maintenance and checking,

because even small leakages cause noticeable pressure losses. Pipelines
should, if possible, not be installed in brickwork or in narrow pipe shafts. This
makes checking for leakages in the pipelines more difficult.

Using shut-off valves makes it possible to shut off certain compressed-air

lines if they are not required or if they have to be closed down for repair and
maintenance purposes.

Air Treatment Components

Contamination in the form of dirt or rust particles, excess lubricant and
humidity often lead to faults in pneumatic equipment and damage to
pneumatic components.

While coarse separation of humidity (condensation) takes place in the

reservoir, fine separation, filtering and other subsequent treatment of the
compressed air are dealt with at the point of usage.

Particular attention should be paid to the moisture that is present in

compressed air.

Protective measures against contamination are

■ filtering of the air at the compressor intake

■ drying the compressed air.

Air Filter with Water Trap

Filters with water traps are necessary in all pneumatic installations to ensure
functional reliability.

The filter is intended to extract particles of dirt from the air and to allow
condensation to be collected and to be drained off.

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Figure 2 Air Filter with Water Trap

Figure 2 shows the following functionally significant components:

■ connection part

■ deflector cone

■ filter element

■ baffle

■ bowl

■ drain screw.

The compressed air flows in through inclined nozzle-type openings and is

forced to swirl by the deflector cone.

As a result of the swirling action (centrifugal force) of the air, the

condensation and also larger particles of dirt are deposited on the walls of
the filter bowl. The condensation collects at the bottom of the bowl.

The compressed air flows through the filter material thereby being separated
from pipe scale, fibres and other contaminates. In the course of time, the filter
element becomes clogged by the finer particles of dirt. It should therefore be
cleaned or exchanged at regular intervals.

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The maximum condensation level is shown by a mark. This must not be

exceeded because otherwise the water would be drawn through the filter and
into the system. The condensation must be removed by unscrewing the drain
screw as soon as it reaches the mark.

Compressed-Air Microfilter

Figure 3 Compressed-Air Microfilter

Compressed-air microfilters are used in industries which require finely filtered

air (e.g. the food industry, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, process
technology) and in systems which use low-pressure modules.

Due to the extremely fine mesh width of the filter material, microfilters remove
99.999 % of all water and oil particles from the compressed air, down to a
size of 0.01 µm.

A microfilter differs from a standard filter in that the compressed air flows
through the filter cartridge from the inside to the outside. The clean
compressed air exits the filter unit through the outlet and flows on to the

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connected equipment.

The condensation is removed from the filter bowl via the drain screw. The
flow rate should be monitored to ensure that condensation is not carried into
the system by the air flowing through the unit. Prefiltering increases the
service life of the filter cartridge. The unit must be installed vertically, and the
direction of flow indicated by the arrow is to be observed.

Automatic Water Separator

Figure 4 Automatic Water Separator

Condensation removed by the filter must be drained from time to time.

Otherwise water will be absorbed by the compressed air and carried along to
the control elements. An automatic water separator does the draining all by
itself.

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The condensation removed by the filter reaches the float chamber via a
connection tube. As the condensation level rises, the float is lifted. When the
float reaches a certain height, it opens a control nozzle by means of a lever.
Compressed air flows from the float chamber through the control pipe into
another chamber, pressing the diaphragm against the drain valve. The drain
valve opens and the condensation drains through the drain pipe. As the level
of the condensation drops, the float again closes the control nozzle. The
remaining air escapes into the atmosphere via the discharge nozzle.

The water separator can be manually drained by pressing the button.

Air Lubricator

Figure 5 Air Lubricator

The purpose of the air lubricator is to provide the pneumatic components with
sufficient lubricant. These lubricants reduce the wear of moving parts, keep
frictional forces on a low level and protect the equipment from corrosion.

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The compressed air flows through the lubricator from inlet to outlet. The
constriction generates a pressure difference. A vacuum is created in the duct
and the drip chamber as a result of suction.

This vacuum causes drops of oil to be drawn up through the riser. These oil
drops reach the compressed air via drip chamber and duct. The oil drops are
atomised by the air, and reach the connected equipment in this form.

A certain amount of air exerts pressure on the oil in the reservoir via a check
valve.

The flow cross--section of the constriction is variable and changes according

to the air flow, thus changing the pressure difference and the oil flow rate.

Service Unit

Figure 6 Service Unit

The purpose of a service unit is to condition the air for pneumatic control
operations. It contains a pressure regulator, an air filter with water trap and
an air lubricator. The three devices are connected in series and should be
positioned directly in front of each pneumatic system.

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