Hydraulic systems have significantly fluctuating loads, and machines cycle, cylinders extend and retract, and often the instant flow demand will be insufficient. A pump will have difficulty keeping up with this. This is where pressure accumulators come into play. Pressure accumulators are designed for systems where demand for flow is low. They store hydraulic energy and release it quickly whether the system needs it or not.
Teutonic Engineering Company, based in Coimbatore, manufactures hydraulic cylinders, power packs and manifolds. They also manufacture hydraulic bladder accumulators, piston accumulators and diaphragm accumulators. Each design has a separating element to keep nitrogen gas, that is under pressure, away from the hydraulic fluid. When hydraulic fluid pressure energy is discharged into the accumulator, the gas is compressed, and when demand for hydraulic fluid decreases, the gas expands and fluid is discharged. This design maintains pressure, reduces shock in the system and enhances smooth operation of the hydraulic circuit under varying load conditions.
Pressure Accumulators
Pressure accumulators store energy in hydraulic systems as high-pressure gas against hydraulic fluid. They are designed to absorb energy during slow demand or system standstill and supply energy during rapid demand. This can be used for fast movement of cylinders, overcoming stalled flow or interruption of the hydraulic pump.
Types of Pressure Accumulators
- Bladder Accumulators
A bladder accumulator houses a flexible rubber bladder that separates gas from fluid inside a steel shell and responds to pressure changes in 25 milliseconds. Because of this rapid reaction rate, bladder accumulators are effective at absorbing spikes and pulsations of pressure.
Benefits of Bladder Accumulators: The Fast Response, Fluid Contaminated Tolerance, and Compact Size of Bladder Accumulators make them suitable in Mobile and Industrial equipment.
- Piston Accumulators
In this design, a free-floating barrel (sometimes spring-loaded) separates the gas from the fluid. When it comes to high pressure, large volume and high gas compression, piston types outperform bladders.
Benefits of Piston Accumulators: High volume, high pressure, long reliable service life.
- Diaphragm Accumulators
In this design, the gas and fluid chambers are separated by a flexible membrane. These are less expensive than piston or bladder accumulators and are very suitable for moderate volume requirements.
Benefits of Diaphragm Accumulators: Slim design makes them suitable for compact machinery, very low gas loss design, good economy.
Selecting the right Accumulator
The right choice for equipment buyers and engineers is the type of accumulator that will affect the longevity and reliability of the hydraulic system. Bladders are well suited for fast response systems, while pistons are ideal for high pressure/volume systems, and diaphragms are low cost with good economy. Selecting an accumulator that doesn’t meet the requirements of the system leads to far more than poor performance, it also causes an unfair burden on other components of the system like seals, hoses, pumps, and valves.
Teutonic Engineering builds all three types to industrial standards so you get the right accumulator for the application rather than the supply.
There is no best design for hydraulic systems’ accumulators. Each has its own response time, pressure range, volume, and price. The first step towards achieving an efficient and long-lasting system is understanding how accumulator designs differ. Bladders and pistons vs. diaphragms. When the time comes for you to either specify or upgrade your accumulator, Teutonic Engineering’s team will help choose pressure accumulators that will best meet your equipment’s demands in the real world.