Hydraulic accumulators - what's worth knowing?
The construction of industrial devices or heavy machines consists of many smaller elements. We don't pay attention to them on a daily basis, not realizing that they play a key role and have a decisive impact on the efficiency of the entire equipment.
This category can certainly include hydraulic accumulators - used in industrial, hydraulic, marine devices, or in the construction of suspension of commercial vehicles and construction machines. We write about the application and types of hydraulic accumulators in our guide.
What exactly are hydraulic accumulators?
Hydraulic accumulators (also known as hydro accumulators and hydropneumatic accumulators) are sealed pressure tanks in which compressed nitrogen is separated from the liquid by a membrane, piston or bladder. Their principle of operation is based on the alternating compression and decompression of nitrogen depending on the oil pressure.
The most important function of hydro accumulators is to store hydraulic energy and release it when needed - e.g. when the main power source is failing and a turn needs to be made to ensure the safety of workers near the machine.
Another function of hydraulic accumulators is damping pulsations and pressure peaks. Pulsations are caused by the rotary movements of the pump shaft. The task of the compressed nitrogen is to capture these vibrations and thus stabilize the pressure. In turn, pressure peaks are caused by the action of control elements and receivers.
Their frequency can disrupt the operation of the entire system - this is protected by the hydro accumulator. In addition, hydraulic accumulators are designed to eliminate leaks in valves and balance the flow to save energy.
What types of hydraulic accumulators do we distinguish?
The basic division comes down to the form in which the accumulator stores energy. We have here gas, spring and weight accumulators. It is also very important what type of internal partition is used in the accumulator.
We distinguish hydraulic accumulators:
- Bladder - characterized by a quick response time and satisfactory efficiency.
- Diaphragm - a variant of bladder accumulators.
- Membrane - in such accumulators, nitrogen is separated from the liquid by a membrane.
- Piston - instead of a membrane or bladder, they use a piston with appropriate seals.
If we talk about values of working pressure, then definitely the most efficient are piston hydraulic accumulators. Their undeniable advantage is the fact that the piston seals wear out gradually and can be replaced, thereby extending the efficiency of the accumulator. There are also no sudden failures related to e.g. membrane rupture.
