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FLUID POWER!

TODAY
Learn some fluid power basics
Hands-on project with pneumatic
components
Some possibilities for your FIRST robot

What is fluid power?

Uses:

Heavy equipment
Construction industry
Off-road vehicles
Manufacturing

WHY FLUID POWER?

STRONG!
LIGHT!
EASY!

Fluid Power is Unique Unparalleled torque, power

and bandwidth for the same weight or volume.
Example: Power/Weight (kW/kg)
Pneumatic Motor

0.3-0.4

Hydraulic Motor

0.5-1.0

Electric Motor

0.03-0.1

Fluid power weight advantage = 10:1

Reference: I. L. Krivts and G. V. Krejnin, Pneumatic Actuating Systems for
Automatic Equipment, Taylor and Francis, 2006.
CCEFP

CENTER FOR COMPACT AND

EFFICIENT FLUID POWER
100 mpg automobile
Efficient off-road equipment
Compact and portable

CCEFP

CCEFP testbeds
TB1: Excavator

TB2*: Injection
molding machine

Existing
FP applications

FP enabled
breakthroughs
in transportation

TB3: small Urban

Vehicle (sUV)

TB5*: FP assisted
hand tools

TB4: Compact
Rescue Crawler

* Reduced or
delayed funding

CCEFP

New industries
& applications

TB6:
FP assisted
orthoses &
prostheses

Master Pneumatic

National Tube Supply Company

Ralph Rivera

HIGH COUNTRY
TEK

Member of the Schaeffler Group

Pneumatics compared to hydraulics

No problems of a spills
Compressibility stores energy
Available for your use
Dangerous if excessive
volumes or pressures

Difficult to control precisely

Fluid is readily available
Should be filtered, dry

Usually lower forces

Safety Must Always

Be Considered!

Pressure of an ideal Gas

Pressure P

Pressure of a gas is due to

the force of gas molecules
bouncing off the walls.
Pressure increases when
molecules are moving
faster, heavier, or if there
are more molecules.
Molecules move faster
when they are hot.
mR depends on molecule.

Getting Work out of Air

Work is force acting
over a distance, ftlbs.
Put air in a container
under pressure
Allow part of the
container to expand
The expanding part
does work

How much energy is in a tank filled

with compressed air?
Assume constant temperature:

PV mRT constant
Energy:

E PV ln( P / Patm )
P = pressure in tank (absolute)
V = volume of tank
Patm= atmospheric pressure = 101,325 Pa or 14.7 psi

How much energy is in a small air

tank?
Tank Volume = 150 ml or 9.154 in3
Pressure = 413,700 Pa or 60 psi (over P atm)
Patm = 101,325 Pa or 14.7 psi
Answer:
Energy = PV ln(P/Patm)
= 0.15 x 515025 x ln(74.7/14.7) = 125 kJ
Challenge question: How high could the instructor
be lifted using the energy in one tank?

How much energy in your tank

can you use?
Line losses:
Pressure drop proportional to flow
Throttling losses:
Pressure drop proportional to flow squared
Cylinder friction:
Coulomb plus viscous friction, depends on
seals

Force available
Pressure x Area = Force
Area = pi x Bore2 / 4
For example cylinder:
Bore = 10 mm = .394 in. Area = .122 in2
Force = PxA = 60 psi x .122 in2 = 7 lbs
Pressure P

Area AP
Force F

The Effect of Different Areas

Area AP

Pressure P

Area AR

Pressure P

How much force F is

necessary to hold the rod still?

Force F
Pressure
Patmosphere

Pneumatic components seen in the

FIRST Robotics competition

LET'S BUILD!