ECE5320 Mechatronics

Assignment#01: Literature Survey on Sensors and Actuators

Topic: Hydraulic Cylinder Actuators

Prepared by:
Antoine Rousseau
Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Utah State University
E: info@ece.usu.edu; T: (435)797-2840; F: (435)797-3054
W: http://www.engineering.usu.edu/ece

March 11, 2005

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Outline
• Introduction
• Specifications and Components
• Typical Cylinder
• Cylinder Selection
• Effective Area
• Cylinder Types
• Mounting Options
• Cylinder Cost “Grainger”

• Sample Application

12/08/21 ECE5320 Mechatronics. Assignment#1 Survey on sensors and actuators

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Reference list

• Parker—”
Hydraulic and Pneumatic Cylinder Application E
ngineering Data
”
• Hydraulic Supermarket—”Cylinders”
• K.Craig—”Hydraulic & Pneumatic Actuators”

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To Explore Further
• Tutorials
– Hydraulic and Pneumatic Cylinder Application Engine
ering Data
– How Stuff Works: Hydraulic Machines
• Suppliers
– Parker
– Surplus Center
– Grainger

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Major Applications
• Construction equipment
– Backhoes, loaders, tractors, cranes
• Industrial equipment
– Automation, high-power motion control
– Holding and clamping fixtures
• Automotive applications
– Power steering and brake systems
• Aerospace applications
– Flight control systems, steering controls

12/08/21 ECE5320 Mechatronics. Assignment#1 Survey on sensors and actuators

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Introduction
• Hydraulic cylinders convert fluid energy into linear
motion, referred to as linear actuators
• The force produced by a hydraulic cylinder is a product
of effective piston area and differential pressure across
the ports
• Hydraulic cylinders produce high power densities
– Power density refers to a high force per unit volume
– Pressures on the order of 1000psi are common in automotive
and industrial applications
– Pressures over of 3000psi are common in aircraft applications

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Introduction
• Typical system animation courtesy of How Stuff Works
– High pressure from pump is shown in blue, low pressure returning to tank is
shown in yellow

Push the
Button!

How Stuff Works: Hydraulic Machines

12/08/21 ECE5320 Mechatronics. Assignment#1 Survey on sensors and actuators

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Common Specifications
• Stroke
– Refers to the maximum linear distance the cylinder rod
can travel, usually the same as piston travel
• Bore Diameter
– Refers to the internal diameter of the cylinder bore
– Same as piston outer diameter
• Rod Diameter
– Refers to the diameter of the rod used in the cylinder
• Maximum Operating Pressure
– Refers to the maximum fluid pressure the cylinder can
sustain
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Cylinder Components
• Cylinder Tube: usually steel, brass, or aluminum with burnished
bore for proper piston ring sealing
• Cylinder Caps: usually rolled steel or cast iron with grooves for
o-ring sealing to cylinder tube, sometimes welded on one end
• Piston: usually steel or cast iron with grooves for piston seals
• Cylinder Rods: usually high-strength steel, case hardened,
ground, polished, and hard chrome plated for wear and corrosion
resistance
• Seals: usually Nitrile cup or v-pack seals used on piston, o-rings
used to seal caps to cylinder bore

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Typical Cylinder
Double Acting, 2.00” Bore, 1.125” Rod, 8” Stroke
Fluid Inlet/Outlet Ports

Welded Cylinder Cap Threaded Cylinder Cap

Cylinder Tube Cylinder Rod

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Typical Cylinder
Double Acting, 2.00” Bore, 1.125” Rod, 8” Stroke
Fluid Inlet/Outlet Ports Cylinder Cap

Piston Cylinder Tube Cylinder Rod

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Cylinder Selection
• Typically, the system working pressure will be known
– Based on existing components, such as pumps, valving, etc.
– In a new application, system pressure can be determined at the
outset based on cost, size, weight, duty cycle, and reliability
• Components for high-pressure systems (3600-6000psi) are typically
more expensive than normal pressure systems (2500-3500psi)
• Next variable to consider is force required from actuator
– This will dictate size of hydraulic cylinder selected
• Force developed by hydraulic cylinder is a product of effective piston
area and differential pressure across the ports

12/08/21 ECE5320 Mechatronics. Assignment#1 Survey on sensors and actuators

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Cylinder Selection
• The effective area required to achieve a given force can
be calculated using the following equation:

F
A
p  
where
A = Effective Area (in2)
F = Force (lb)
∆p = differential pressure across cylinder ports (psi)
η = cylinder hydraulic/mechanical efficiency (0.85-0.95)

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Effective Area
• Effective area in pushing or thrust mode
– Fluid pressure acts on full piston area, full force
  DP2
A
4
where
DP = Piston Diameter

“Parker”

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Effective Area
• Effective area in pulling or retraction mode
– Fluid pressure acts on reduced piston area, less force
  ( DP2  DR2 )
A
4
where
DP = Piston Diameter and DR = Rod Diameter

“Parker”

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Cylinder Types
• Standard Double-Acting Cylinders
– Most common, used in the majority of applications
– Power stroke is in both directions
• More force in push mode than pull mode due to effective areas

“Parker”

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Cylinder Types
• Single-Acting Cylinders
– Used when thrust is needed in only one direction
– The inactive end is vented to a reservoir

“Surplus Center”

“Parker”

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Cylinder Types
• Double-Rod Cylinders
– Used when equal displacement is needed on both
sides of the piston
• Sometimes it is mechanically advantageous to couple a load to
each end of the cylinder
• Commonly used in power steering applications where two wheels
must be turned an equal amount

“Pirate4x4.com”

“Parker”

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Cylinder Types
• Spring Return Single-Acting Cylinders
– Used for holding or clamping
– Limited to very small, short stroke cylinders

“Parker”
“Surplus Center”

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Cylinder Types
• Ram Type, Single-Acting Cylinders
– Contain only one fluid chamber
– Weight of load is used to retract the cylinder
• Commonly used for hydraulic car jacks
• Usually mounted vertically

“Parker”
“Lincoln Automotive”

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Cylinder Types
• Telescoping Cylinders
– Contain up to 4 or 5 interlocking sleeves
– For a given stroke, collapsed length is much shorter
than conventional cylinder types
• Can be Single-acting or double-acting

“Surplus Center”

“Parker”

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Cylinder Types
• Tandem Cylinders
– Made up of two cylinders mounted in line with
pistons connected by a common piston rod.
– Allow increased force output for a given mounting
width or height, but are necessarily longer
• Typically Double-acting

“Parker”

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Mounting Options
• Many options are available to fit particular applications

“Parker”

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Cylinder Cost
• Costs vary widely based on cylinder size, working
pressure, and cylinder design
– Average double-acting cylinder with 2” bore and medium working
pressure costs around $100-$150 depending on stroke
– Similar cylinder with 5” bore costs about four times as much
– Bigger bore, longer stroke, or higher working pressure increases cost
– Telescoping, double-rod, tandem cylinder, and other less common
designs are also more costly
• Good source: Surplus Center
– Wide selection of odds and ends, but
often less expensive

“Grainger”
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Sample Application
• Earth-Moving Equipment

“Caterpillar.com”

“Caterpillar.com”

12/08/21 ECE5320 Mechatronics. Assignment#1 Survey on sensors and actuators