Oil Hydraulics and Pneumatics

Prof. Somashekhar S
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Basic Components. Application, Research Challenges, Status and Developments

Lecture – 05
Part- 2 Introduction to Pneumatic and its Basic Components, Applications-Stationary
and Mobile

My name is Somashekhar, course faculty for this course.

(Refer Slide Time: 00:23)

Now, we will move on to the Pneumatic system. A Pneumatic System carries the power by
employing the compressed gas, generally the air, as a working fluid for transmitting energy
from an energy-generating source to an energy usable area to do the required task. Let us
discuss the basic components of the pneumatic system as follows.
(Refer Slide Time: 00:53)

Please think both are used to do the useful work by converting the fluid energy into the
mechanical energy. Here also, similar to the oil hydraulics, most of the components are same
and only one component will varies. What is that? We will see now. First component is air
tank or air receiver, which will stores the pressurized air with required volume.

Air compressor, prime mover, control valves, actuator, piping system and ancillary devices or
a supporting components. Please see here, the basic components of pneumatics; but major
difference here is what is that air compressor, there it is a hydraulic pump, there also tank is
there, prime movers are there, control valves are there, actuators are there, piping system and
ancillary devices are there.
(Refer Slide Time: 02:15)

Air reservoir is equipped with the various filters and various gauges to hold clean and high
quality air and monitoring the air pressure. Air compressor to force the pneumatic fluid; here,
it is a air or any gas into the system. Mostly stationary and driven by the direct diesel or
electric motors. In industry, high volume and high pressure are the main requirement. In such
cases, we are using the reciprocating type of compressors.

If we required the low volume and low-pressure air that time, the rotary vane type of
compressors will sufficient. We will discuss these things in the next classes. Third one is
electric motor to drive the compressor. In general, all the above units are comes in single unit
known as pneumatic power unit or a pneumatic power pack. The pneumatic power packs are
also available commercially in different sizes and shapes to suit the various customer
requirements.
(Refer Slide Time: 03:47)

The commercially available units are like this. See here, oil-less air compressor, piston type
air compressor for the heavy-duty application, the portable air compressors in the mobile
applications, then oil-lubricated piston type air compressor.

These are only some of the; some of the diagrams I have shown; but air compressors are
available in variety of size and shapes. Just see here friends, air compressor consists of the air
tank, horizontally mounted or sometimes vertically mounted things are also available to save
the space. Then, electric motor to drive the compressor.
(Refer Slide Time: 04:45)

Here, the whole unit is the air compressor, power source, air tank, electric motor to drive the
compressor. Fourth important component is control valves. Similar to the control valves in
the hydraulics, pneumatics also very essential to control the direction, pressure and flow rate.
If you will control the direction, they are known as direction control valves; able to control
the pressure, they are known as pressure control valves and controlling the flow devices are
known as flow control valves.

Fifth component is pneumatic actuator, to convert the fluid energy into useful work. What for
useful work? Linear force and a rotary torque. For controlling the linear motion, we are using
the linear actuator, they are also known as air cylinders.

The output is the force and the velocity of the actuator are very important. Again, please
remember friends, force is controlled by the pressure and velocity is controlled by the flow
rate q. If you want to the rotary motion, you are using the rotary actuators or air motors, here
the output is the torque and the speed.

Again, torque is related to the pressure and rpm is of the motor related to the flow rate q.
Sixth one is a piping system, to carry the compressed air to all locations. Seventh one is
ancillary devices includes the various filters, regulators, lubricators, sometimes you will get
the FRL unit as a single unit, that is known as F filter, regulator, lubricator units
commercially available in the market as a single unit. Air coolers, air driers are also comes
under the ancillary devices. The schematic diagram is shown in the figure below.

(Refer Slide Time: 07:07)

You will see (Refer Time: 07:12) here, again I am controlling the vertical movement of the
load using the double acting cylinders. Here, you will see direction control valve having the
three position, middle position is a null position. All ports are blocked and first position is to
move the load up. This position is move the lower the loads correct.

Again, you will see the receiver tank here, storage tank; air coolers are there, air compressor
correct, electric motor to drive the compressor, the pressure switch is essential to switch on
and off the electric motor, when the sufficient quantity of air with required pressure is stored
in the storage tank.

The very simple here, the schematic will show you that the compressor sucks the air from the
atmosphere and compresses to the required pressure in the air compressor and when air will
compress, the temperature of the air increases which leads to the moisture content and the exit
of the air compressor is very hot. So, you have to cool the air to the required level using the
air coolers, then you will store into the receiver tank. Please understand this pneumatic
circuit.

Here, you will see friends, when I want to raise the load, the air will comes from the storage
because storage tank now it is, storage tank it will go here and it will enter the whatever the
air is present in the tail side, it will moved here and then, it will go directly it will go to the
atmosphere. See here, it will not go to the receiver tank. That is why it is open-loop in system;
but in the hydraulics, you will see the oil used is recirculated back to tank after doing the
work.

But here, you will see I have shown air to atmosphere; meaning, air will be tapped from the
storage reservoir to raise the load or lower the load. During this operation, the air present in
the head side or a tail side will go exhaust to the atmosphere, that is why it is a open loop in
nature.
(Refer Slide Time: 09:43)

Quickly, we will see the comparison between the hydraulic system and pneumatic system
with certain parameters. What is a key element in the hydraulic system? Hydraulic system, the
key element is pump; in pneumatic system, it is a compressor.

Medium used, in hydraulics incompressible liquids and here compressible gases; generally,
the air. The motion; slow, smooth and precise motion is possible in hydraulics because the oil
is incompressible in nature; but in pneumatic system, air is compressible in nature that is why
we are getting the quick jumpy and not so precise movements; but quick movements are
possible in the pneumatics.

Open loop or a closed loop, yes hydraulic systems are closed loop as because oil will
recirculate back to the tank; but pneumatics are open system it is as because air will exhaust
directly to the atmosphere after doing the work. Then, lubrication hydraulics are
self-lubricating because incompressible mineral oils or petroleum-based fluids we are using,
they are self-lubricating; but in the pneumatics, air is dry and clean air is required, that is not
self-lubricating.

Application wise you will see they are the high pressure and a precise positioning application
hydraulics; pneumatics is low pressure and a very quick movement applications. Cost of
components you will see hydraulics are expensive as compared to pneumatic system, they are
economical in nature. Surrounding environment, as I have told you the moving parts are
there, incompressible fluids are there in hydraulics that is why not as clean - leakage of oil
prone to occur. So, the fire hazards are more here. Generally, air is cleaner no need to worry
for anything.

But pressure ratings you will see here we are using 35 bar to 350 bar in hydraulic system; but
in pneumatic system, generally 6 bar to 10 bar, we are using in the pneumatic system normal
pneumatics.

Weight of the component you will see, as I have told you the hydraulic systems are meant for
high pressure ratings that is why they are heavy duty, heavy weight; pneumatic systems are
very light as because the pressure in the pneumatics is 6 to 10 bar in the normal pneumatics.

Leakage of oil you will see, here it will affects the performance; here leakage of air does not
affect much. Safety, the fire hazard and severe pressure lines are there. As I have told you,
here we are using up to 350 and more bar in the hydraulic system, very severed pressurized
lines are there; but no need to worry here because air is not catching the fire, free from fire
hazards and normal pressure lines like 8 to 10 bar.
(Refer Slide Time: 13:35)

Now, we will move on to the application areas of this oil hydraulics and pneumatics, there are
various applications are there.
(Refer Slide Time: 13:45)

Let us we will discuss some of the application areas. Fluid power is extensively used in every
branch of industry. Some of the typical applications includes automobiles, tractors, airplanes,
missiles, boats, robots, machine tools, construction equipments, agricultural equipments.

In the automobile alone, friends, fluid power is used in many ways. See here, hydraulic
brakes, automotive transmission, power steering, power brakes, airbags, lubrication, many
ways the fluid power is used in the automobile industries.

(Refer Slide Time: 14:47)

Similarly, you will see in construction alone, fluid power is used in many ways as a loader.
What is this loader? A loader is a heavy-duty machine used in construction to move aside or
load materials such as asphalt, demolition debris, dirt, snow, feed, gravel, logs, raw materials,
recycled material, rock, sand, woodchips etcetera into or onto another type of machinery such
as a dump truck, conveyor belt, feed hoppers or a railroad car.

So, there are various types of loaders are available commercially in the market, based on the
design and application, they are named as bucket loader, Front loader, Front-end loader,
pay-loader, high lift, scoop, shovel, skip loader, wheel loader or skid-steer. I will show you
some of the pictorial views of the loader. Quickly, understand how they will look.
(Refer Slide Time: 16:25)

See here, this is skip loader, hauler, drill rigs, wheel loader, fork lift, turf care, refuse
collecting front-end loader, forest machine, truck mounted cranes like this, many friends.
These are comes under the category of loader used in construction in one or the other work to
do in the construction industries.
(Refer Slide Time: 17:01)

Another way of classifying the hydraulics and pneumatics application areas are you will see
application areas corresponding to stationary hydraulics; meaning here, power pack cannot
move from one place to another place. Large amount of applications are there in the
stationary hydraulics.

Some of the important areas are production and assembly machines of all types, transfer lines,
lifting and conveying devices, presses, injection molding machines and machine tools, rolling
lines, lifts, automated assembly systems, pulp and paper industries, R and D test facilities,
carwashes, component test stands, packaging systems many more.
(Refer Slide Time: 18:09)

Similarly, the mobile hydraulics in which power pack can move from one place to another
place, as we have seen already power packs are available in heavy duty to the portable
compact movable from one place to another place. Now, I list you the mobile hydraulics
applications.

Construction machinery as I have shown; tippers, excavators, elevating platforms; lifting and
conveying devices; automobile alone the many task power steering, power brakes, automatic
door closures etcetera; aircraft, the one example is landing gears, to control the flow etcetera;
oceanography, agricultural machinery.