Faculty of engineering

Alex. University
Mechanical department







Hydraulic Accumulators Report

Reported to:
Dr. Kamel El-Shorbagy









Name: AbdEl-Rahman Salah Bedir Mansour
Sec.: 6
[ACCUMULATORS] Faculty of Engineering Alex. Uni.

AbdEl-Rahman Salah Bedir Page 2

Table of Contents:
Introduction ( 2 )
Weight Loaded Accumulator ( 3 )
Spring Loaded Accumulator ( 3 )
Gas Loaded Accumulator ( 4 )



Introduction:
Accumulator is a device that stores potential energy. It is a pressure storage
reservoir, which stores a non-compressible hydraulic fluid under pressure either by
gravity, mechanical spring or compressed gas.
Type of accumulators:
1. Weight-loaded, or gravity type
2. Spring-loaded
3. Gas-loaded

The main reason using accumulators is to reduce pump power, and designed to
increase or relieve pressure in the system.
Their ability to store excess energy and release it when needed, accumulators are
useful tools in developing efficient hydraulic systems.
Applications:
An auxiliary power source.
Leakage compensator.
Hydraulic shock absorber.
Emergency power source.
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Weight Loaded Accumulator:

Weight-loaded is the oldest accumulator types.
Often found in older, high-demand applications
such as steel mills.
Have a large capacity and uniform output pressure
but present problems with installation and
servicing.

Spring Loaded Accumulator:
Spring-loaded accumulators are generally small and
lightweight, making them useful in mobile
applications.
A spring gives a repeatable output force however,
spring-loaded accumulators are limited to small
volumes and pressure below 500 psi.

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Gas Loaded Accumulator:
Gas-loaded or also known as hydro-pneumatic accumulators
More practical compared the other two types
They use the compressibility of a gas (usually nitrogen) for storing energy.
It has a fluid compartment and a gas compartment, with a gas-tight element
separating the two.
The fluid section connects to the hydraulic circuit so that as pressure rises fluid
enters the accumulator and the gas compresses.
Then, as pressure in the system falls, the compressed gas expands and forces the
stored fluid back into the system.
Two main categories:
Non-separator type:
Consists a fully enclosed shell containing an oil port on the bottom
and a gas charging valve on the top
Advantage: ability to handle large volume of oil
Disadvantage: absorption of the gas in the oil due to the lack of a
separator cold cause cavitation and damage the pump


Separator type:
Commonly used and in this type there is a physical barrier between gas and the oil
Three major classifications:
1. Piston type
2. Diaphragm
3. Bladder

Non-Separator Type
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Piston Accumulator:
Piston Accumulator has an outer cylinder tube, a piston
element, and sealing system. The cylinder holds fluid pressure
and guides the piston, which forms the separating element
between gas and fluid.
Disadvantages:
Expensive to manufacture and size limitations.
Piston and seal friction may cause problem in low-
pressure systems
Leakage may occur over a long period
Not appropriate to use in shock absorbers they are too
slow to react to shock waves
Advantage
Ability to handle very high or low temperature system
fluids through the use of compatible O-ring seals.

Diaphragm Accumulator:
The diaphragm is constructed in two halves which are
either bolted or screwed together.
Usually containing the separating element (an
elastomeric diaphragm) between both halves as an
elastic barrier between oil and gas chamber.
Advantage: Small weight-to-volume ratio.

Bladder Accumulator:
Consist of a pressure vessel and an internal
elastomeric bladder that contains the gas.
Advantage: the positive sealing between the gas
and oil chambers
The lightweight bladder provides quick response for
pressure regulating, pump pulsation, and shock
dampening applications.