Introduction to Pneumatics

Cayetano B. Ricafrente
CSPC, Nabua, Camarines Sur
PNEUMATICS
Technology of Pneumatics deals with the study
of the behavior and application of compressed
air.
Science of air is known to man for centuries
Not used in industry before the beginning of the
Second World war (1939-44)
Many industries all over the developed western
countries started switching over to more & more
automatic equipment and machineries
 Origin of Pneumatics Manufacturing & other
activities to meet the sudden need of enhanced
production of war commodities under the
tremendous shortage of skilled manpower
(concept of automation)
Cheaper medium of Industrial automation
Maximum application of pneumatics
Construction (power hammers, drills, riveting
hammers, pneumatic cranes, air brakes, printing
presses, etc.)
PNEUMATICS Notable Features
Abundant availability of air
Compressibility of air
Transportability of air
Non-flammable
Simplicity of construction of pneumatic devices
Controllability of air pressure, speed and force
Possibility of easy but reasonably reliable remote
controlling
Easy maintenance
Comparatively cheaper in cost than other
systems
PNEUMATICS Physical Characteristics
Gaseous layer of air around the earth is known as
atmosphere with a mass of about 51018 kg, three
quarters of which is within about 11 km of the surface1.
Earth is surrounded by air up to a height of
approximately 42 km above the top surface of the earth
which consists of about 99.9%2 of the mass of air
Main constituents of air by volume
Nitrogen : 78%
Oxygen : 21 %
Argon, Carbon dioxide & other gases : 1%
Air as a mixture of various gaseous elements and
compounds follows the ideal gas laws.
Ideal Gas Laws
Boyles Law - The absolute pressure
exerted by a given mass of an ideal
gas is inversely proportional to the
volume it occupies if the
temperature and amount of gas
remain unchanged within a closed
system.
p1V1 p2 V2

where
p1, p2 are the initial and final absolute
pressures.
V1, V2 are the initial and final volumes.
 Charles Law - The volume of a
given mass of an ideal gas is
directly proportional to its
temperature on the absolute
temperature scale (in Kelvin) if
pressure and the amount of gas
remain constant; that is, the
volume of the gas increases or
decreases by the same factor as its
temperature.
V1 V2

where: T1 T2
V1, V2 are the initial and final
volumes of the gas.
T1, T2 are the initial and final
absolute temperatures of the gas
 Amontons Law (Gay-Lussacs
Law)- The pressure of a gas of
fixed mass and fixed volume is
directly proportional to the gas'
absolute temperature.
p1 p2

where:
T1 T2

p1, p2 are the initial and final

pressures of the gas.
T1, T2 are the initial and final
absolute temperatures of the gas
 Avogadros Law Under the same
condition of temperature and pressure,
equal volumes of all gases contain the
same number of molecules
For comparing the same substance under
two different conditions, hence

The volume occupied by an ideal gas is

proportional to the number of moles (or
molecules) present in the container.

V1 V2

n1 n2
where n is equal to the number of moles of
gas
 General Gas Law - formed by the combination of
the three laws, and shows the relationship
between the pressure, volume, and temperature
for a fixed mass of gas
pV
R
nT
where: R is the general gas constant (R= 0.08206
atm-L/mole-K or R=8.314 J/mol-K)
The law can also be written for two state points
as:
p1V1 p 2V2

n1T1 n2T2
 Bernoullis Principle For a non-
viscous, incompressible fluid in
steady flow, the sum of pressure,
potential and kinetic energies per
unit volume is constant at any
point.

v1 2 v 2 2
P1 gh1 P2 gh2
2 2
Pneumatics Overview
Compressed air, often referred to as the fourth
utility after electricity, water, and gas, has a
multitude of uses and application in many industrial
and commercial facilities.
Pneumatics played an important role as a
technology in the performance of mechanical work.
Pneumatics is used in the development of
automation for one or more of the following
functions:
To determine the status of the processor (sensors)
 Information processing (processors)
Switching of actuators by means of final controlling
elements
Carrying out work (actuators)
Construction of a generally complex logic,
interconnection of statuses and switching conditions
is necessary to be able to control the machinery and
installations.
The improvements of quality and diversity of
pneumatic components contributed to its
widespread use in automation due to the technical
advancement in the material, design, and
production processes of the said pneumatic
components.
 The following list has been the significant role of
pneumatic cylinder as a liner drive unit:
Low cost
Ease of installation
Simple and robust construction
Readily available in various sizes and stroke lengths.