Energy Efficiency of Pneumatic Actuating Systems with Pressure-Based Air Supply Cut-Off

Abstract

To exploit the energy-saving potential of pneumatic actuator systems, various energy-saving circuits have been developed in recent decades. However, the principle of a pressure-based air supply cut-off has only been considered to a limited extent. This article introduces a possible pneumatic circuit solution for this principle and evaluates it via simulation and measurement of the saving potentials and limits of the developed circuit for typical industrial drive tasks. The conducted investigation shows the suitability of the developed energy-saving circuit, especially for the reduction of the actuator oversizing, achieving energy savings of 71% without performance loss. Conversely, applying this principle to an already well-sized cylinder comes with limitations and requires additional damping. The final economic analysis demonstrates that the application of the circuit could achieve comparatively short amortisation times of approx. 1.9 years for a setup with standard pneumatic components.

Keywords

• energy efficiency
• pneumatics
• compressed air systems
• pneumatic actuators
• energy-saving circuit
• cut-off circuit