CHAPTER 6.

6.3 Accessories

➢ Accessories
➢ Types of accessories
➢ Operations of accumulators and intensifiers
 Accessories

 The major components of a hydraulic device are reservoirs, pumps, valves, actuators,
conductors and fittings. Beside these devices, components such as accumulators, and
pressure intensifiers, also make up a complete hydraulic system.
 Two most often used accessories in a hydraulic system are:
 Accumulators
 Intensifiers
 6.6 Accumulators

 A hydraulic accumulator is a pressure vessel used for storing fluid (Potential energy).

 Accumulators are used in a hydraulic system for one of the following reasons:
To meet peak demands of power.
Example if a smaller pump is used for a system but maybe at a certain time more
power is required.
To smooth out pressure surges
When there is a sudden change in fluid flow, this will cause vibration. Accumulator
will absorb the energy and dampen out these surges.
To provide emergency power sources
Three basic types of accumulators:

i. Weight loaded or gravity type

Oldest design.
Consist of a cylinder, piston and
dead weight.
The gravity force provides the
potential energy in the accumulator.
Provide a constant fluid pressure
throughout the full volume output
regardless of the rate and quantity of
output.
Bulky in design.
ii. Spring loaded type
Similar to the weight loaded type but
except that the piston is preloaded
with a spring.
Potential energy is provided by the
compressed spring. Pressure exerted on
the fluid is not constant.
Not suitable for high cycle rates
operations.
iii. Gas loaded type.
More practical that the weight and
spring loaded types.
Operates in accordance with Boyle’s
law of gases, which states that for a
constant temperature process, the
pressure of a gas varies inversely with its
volume.
Gas loaded accumulator has Two
main categories, Non-separator type
and separator type. Non- separator
 Separator type accumulator is the most widely used. There are 3 major design:

1. Piston type

Advantages Disadvantages
Ability to operate at high Expensive to manufacture
pressures
Ability to operate at high Limited practical size
temperatures
Piston and seal friction problem
in low pressure systems
Leakage occurs when used over
long periods

Piston accumulator
 2. Diaphragm type

Diaphragm-type accumulator

Advantages Disadvantages Operation of a diaphragm-type accumulator

Small weight-to-volume Limited application

ratio
 3. Bladder type

Advantages Disadvantages
Secure sealing between
the gas and oil chambers
Lightweight bladder
provides quick response
for pressure regulating,
pump pulsation, and
shock dampening
applications

Bladder-type accumulator
 6.7 Intensifiers
 Act as a booster to increase the fluid pressure
available from the supply source. Mostly as a
cost saving measurement.

Figure: Cut-away of a pressure intensifier

Figure: Oil flow path in a pressure intensifier.

 Pressure intensifier circuit

 Example application: punch press system

 Role of pressure intensifier: eliminate the
need for a high pressure/low flow pump.
 Circuit also includes a pilot check valve and
sequence valve.
 Operation:
 When pressure in the cylinder reaches the
sequence valve pressure setting, the intensifier
starts to operate.
 The high pressure output of the intensifier
closes the pilot check valve and pressurizes
the blank end of the cylinder to perform the
punching operation. Figure: pressure intensifier circuit.
 A pilot check valve is used instead of a regular
check valve to permit retraction of the
cylinder.
 Intensifier should be installed near the cylinder
to keep high pressure lines as short as possible.