Modelling and Simulation of a Cartridge Pressure Amplifier

Hydraulic pressure amplifiers of the cylinder type are much appreciated in hydraulic systems where high pressure work is needed only for a limited period of time, while during the remaining duty cycle the system operates at a standard level of pressure. The use of these elements allows the designer not to oversize the system, which will perform the work with a considerable power saving, confining the high pressure operation only on the side of the hydraulic cylinder. This works describes the modelling and simulation of a compact cartridge pressure amplifier for linear actuators. The cartridge amplifier is able to double or more the pressure in the system when needed and to not interfere during normal operation of the system. It has been designed to fit in the narrow space of the rod of normal hydraulic cylinder, being extremely compact and efficient. Designing such a component and the study of the main design parameters influence have required a strong work of modelling and simulation, performed with a lumped parameters approach to depict the dynamic behaviour of the amplifier. This work illustrates the building of the model and a first comparison between simulated and experimental data. Moreover, the simulation activity is enlarged to analysis of the influence of some operating and design parameters on the amplifier dynamic behavior