Piston accumulator AP

nitrogenstainless steelcarbon steel

A hydro-pneumatic piston accumulator is a device used specifically for storage of liquid under pressure. As liquids, for all practical purposes, are incompressible, this objective is achieved by utilizing the compressibility of gases. A floating piston is fitted into the accumulator tube. An inert gas - nitrogen - is filled into the bladder through a pressure valve to a pressure P . The piston moves to the bottom end, filling the entire volume V of the accumulator. When the system (circuit) pressure P is higher than the gas precharge pressure P , the liquid enters the accumulator and the piston is moved towards the gas side compressing and reducing the gas volume to V. Should the liquid pressure rise to P , the volume of gas reduces to V with an attendant rise in pressure, thus balancing the Liquid pressure. A potential energy is now stored in the accumulator to be utilised whenever needed.