Accumulator

Our Accumulator contents  have been moved to the following new site:

A hydraulic accumulator is a device in which potential energy is stored in the form of a compressed gas or spring, or by a raised weight to be used to exert a force against a relatively incompressible fluid. They are used in fluid power systems to accumulate energy and to smooth out pulsations. Accumulators make it possible to store useable volumes of almost non-compressible hydraulic fluid under pressure.

Accumulators can take a specific amount of fluid under pressure and store it. The fluid is then released when it´s required to perform a specific task in the hydraulic system. Accumulators can provide several functions, such as:

• Energy storage
• Compensation of leakage oil
• Compensation of temperature fluctuations
• Emergency operation
• Cushioning of pressure shocks which may occur at sudden switching of the valves
• Dampening vibrations
• Swell compensator (in marine hydraulics)

Adding an accumulator to a hydraulic system offers a number of advantages. In addition, it results in substantial energy savings and an increased system lifespan. Applications that require a lot of power for limited periods of time can benefit most from the use of accumulators.

• Possibility of smaller pumps
• Lower installed power
• Less heat produced
• Simple maintenance and installation
• Increased service lifetime
• Immediate availability
• Unlimited storage life
• No fatigue
• No inertia

Applications that utilize large flows at high speeds may use accumulators for energy storage. When required, the accumulator pushes fluid into the hydraulic circuit to add to the pump flow. When the actuators in the hydraulic system are not in motion, the accumulator will refill. Accumulators can also operate as energy sources during normal operation of the system (i.e. cushioning).

Accumulators that are weight- or spring-loaded can also be used in industrial applications. For example, a gas-pressurized hydro-pneumatic accumulator, which has a gas-tight separating element, is most commonly used. Without a separating element, the fluid can absorb gas. The gas used is nitrogen; this prevents danger of explosion in case of leakage of the bladder, diaphragm or piston.

Today, hydraulic accumulators have been widely used in the industrial and mobile systems of all the industries, such as Hydraulic Hybrid, Mobile Equipment, Wind Turbine, Robotics, Maritime, Aviation, Oil and Gas, Power Plants, etc.