Fluid Power

Hydraulics Versus Pneumatics

Lesson Plan

By Clifford Mayhew
 Pneumatic and Hydraulic Control
Comparison

Pneumatic Control Is: Hydraulic Control:

Clean Is Infinitely Controllable

Fast Produces Extremely Large Forces
Intrinsically Safe Requires High Pressures
Overload Safe Requires Heavy Duty Components
Inexpensive for Individual Components
 Pneumatic and Hydraulic
Dangers
The dangers of the use of compressed air include:
Air Embolism
Hose/Pipe Whipping
Noise
The dangers of working with high pressure oil can be
Crushing/Cutting infinitely more drastic:

High Pressure Oil Injection

Oil Burns
Crushing/Cutting
Carcinogens

This injury is a result of placing the hand in front

of a jet of leaking hydraulic fluid at around 180
Bar
 Differences in Symbols
Symbols Reminder

Hydraulic Pump Compressor

Pumps and Motors
differ only by filling in
the direction arrow or
leaving it white.

Supply and Pilot

arrows are also filled
in or left white.

Hydraulically Actuated and Pneumatically Actuated

supplied 3/2 Pilot Spring and supplied 3/2 Pilot
Spring
 Differences in Symbols
Cylinders and other actuators also differ with respect to supply and direction
arrows.

Hydraulic Double Acting Cylinder Pneumatic Double Acting Cylinder

Many symbols do not change, for example the Filter symbol.

Hydraulic Filter Pneumatic Filter

Remember however that the physical construction is completely different.

For example, hydraulic filters can be either Suction Strainers (suction side of the
pump), Pressure Filter (pressure side of the pump) or Return Filter (in the return
to tank line). Each filter requires different properties.
 Differences in Symbols
Hydraulic valves have a crossover to Tank.

Pneumatic valves tend to have two

Exhaust outlets to Atmosphere.
 Differences in Medium
Hydraulic Oil is Hygroscopic and can be easily Oxidised at high temperatures.
Hydraulic Fluid is viscous and can be various types with varying
Viscosities including:
Flame Retardant
Mineral Oil
Synthetic Oil
Water Glycol

Hydraulic fluid can have many additives including:

Anti Oxidants
Lubricity Improvement
Anti Foaming Additive
Anti Wear Additives

Air can hold Moisture which can turn into Condensation at the Dew Point.
The pneumatic components must remove the Condensation from
the air and provide Lubrication.
Air is safe under a wide range of operating temperatures.
 Differences in Principles and
Properties
Pneumatic systems rely on a supply of Compressed air flowing through Pipes to
Actuators. The Force for work is produced due to the Pressure of the Air acting
on the Area of the actuator.
Air is Compressible.
Gas laws such as Boyles and Charless Laws govern medium behaviour
Actuator demand is measured in m3 per hour or operation
Compressor output is measured in m3 per hour Free Air Delivery (FAD)

Hydraulic systems rely on a supply of incompressible fluid flowing through Hoses

to Actuators. The Force for work is produced due to the Pressure of the Oil acting
on the Area of the actuator.
Oil is considered Incompressible.
Bernoullis and other Fluid Flow Laws govern medium behaviour
Actuator demand is measured litres per minute for a specific speed
Pump output is measured litres per minute
Both Hydraulics and Pneumatics are described with Pascals Law and F=PA
Differences in Pressure and Force
Pneumatic Pressures and Forces
Produced at 10Bar
Used at 0~6 Bar
Forces up to 5000Kg

Hydraulic Pressures and Forces

Produced and used at 200~400Bar
Forces up to Thousands of tonnes

Force

Force Calculator
Area

Pressure
Differences in Construction
Production
The hydraulic Power
Pack contains the
Pump, Tank
(Reservoir), Filters
and commonly a
Relief Valve for
protection of the
system. The unit is
usually local to the
machine that is using
it. Hydraulic pumps
are usually Positive
Displacement
devices which
means they displace The Pneumatic
all the oils they Compressor
pump. installation usually
includes a Dryer
and Receiver. The
unit is usually
remote from the
machine that is
using it.
 Differences in Construction
Valves and Actuators
Pneumatic valves and actuators are
generally of light construction as they need
to deal with pressure up to a maximum of
10 Bar.
The cost of these components is cheap
when compared to the much more heavily
constructed hydraulic components.
Hydraulic valves and actuators are much more
heavily constructed than pneumatic
components. This is because the components
must deal with pressures up to 400 Bar+.
Hydraulic actuators can be very large when
compared with common pneumatic actuators.
Hydraulic components are much more
expensive than standard pneumatic
components. A standard hydraulic DCV is in the
region of hundreds of Euro, a standard
application pneumatic valve would typically cost
tens of Euro.
 Differences in Construction
Hoses, Pipes and Connectors

Hydraulic hoses and Fittings

Hose
connectors are heavily (Connectors)
constructed to hold the
higher pressures.
Rubber hoses are
steel Reinforced
(Braided) to Braid
Strengthen them. (Reinforcement)

Pipe Fittings
Pneumatic Pipes and
(Connectors) Fittings are of light
construction.
Straight Pneumatic Pipe is
Coupling Y made from nylon and
generally connects to
the fittings using
Push Fit connectors.
Tee
Differences in Application
Hydraulic systems are
used where large forces
are required such as in
earth moving equipment,
heavy cutting, Pressing
and Clamping

Pneumatic systems are

used for relatively light
moving, Clamping and
Process operations
 Application Example Video
Lifting a car on a Car Ramp does
not require high speed or clean
control systems. Large forces are
required to lift the heavy car. This
application is particularly suited to
the use of hydraulics.

Moving and light clamping of

components is easily, cleanly and
quickly achieved using a pneumatic
control system.
 Differences in Circuit Design
Pneumatic
This is a typical pneumatic Schematic. The
Sequence Of Operation of the machine is as
follows:
The operator places a circuit board into an
open drawer on the machine.
The operator then closes the drawer, pushing
in the Slide Cylinder.

The drawer immediately locks shut (Shot Bolt)

and the Press Cylinder extends to cut the
edges off the circuit board.
After a short delay, (Timer) the press cylinder Timer
returns.
Once the press cylinder has returned, the shot
bolt retracts and the drawer, with the Cut To
Size circuit board is opened for the operator.
The highlighted timer is a Sub Circuit of the main schematic. The timer
contains a Accumulator, Restrictor, Check Valve and 3/2 DCV

Restrictor

Accumulator
Check Valve 3/2 DCV

All the components on the main schematic represent components that

control Sequencing, Timing and Positioning
 Differences in Circuit Design
Hydraulic
This schematic
is from a
system that
manufactures
Castings. The
system is
controlled via a
computer.
This circuit shows A pneumatic system
components that are used would not normally need
to control heavy loads in to control loads of this
the hydraulic system. The magnitude, therefore this
system is called a type of circuit would not
Counterbalance Circuit be seen in a pneumatic
because it hydraulically schematic.
counterbalances the load.

Counterbalance Valves
Simple Application Example
Hydraulic
Actuat
or

DCV

Pump

Filter

Tank
Simple Application Example
Pneumatic

Actuator
V
DC
5/2
V
DC
2
3/
L
FR
Electro-Pneumatic and Hydraulic
Systems

Control of Electro-Pneumatic and Hydraulic systems using Electrical control

systems is similar for both media types.
Both systems would use Solenoid actuated valves, either Directly Actuated
or Indirectly Actuated.
An Electronic system would commonly incorporate Push Button Switches
(for human input), Reed Switches (to detect cylinder position), Proximity
Sensors and Photocells (to detect machine/component position).
An Electronic system would also commonly incorporate Relays and
computer controlled systems such as Programmable Logic Controllers.
Electro-Pneumatic and Hydraulic
Systems
Reed Switch
Proximity
Push Button Sensor
Switch

Programmable
Logic
Controller
(PLC)

Relay
Solenoid

Solenoid