Dynamics of a pneumatic system: modelling, simulation and experiments

The dynamic analysis of a pneumatic system is presented in this paper. The system includes a reservoir tank, sliding valve, and linear actuator that drives a mass-spring-damper device. Based on the first law of thermodynamics and the principle of work and kinetic energy, one equation of motion was obtained. The single equation was solved numerically for the position, speed, and acceleration of the piston as a function of time for the whole stroke of the cylinder, including the end stroke cushion. The mass flows at the inlet and exhaust are calculated by a well known equation, assuming ideal gas behavior for the air. The numerical values of acceleration are similar to the corresponding experimental data, which were obtained by recording the signal from an acceleration transducer located on a piston rod that was driving a mass-spring-damper device mounted on a specially designed bench.