A Mathematical Model of a Bladder-type Accumulator Considering Heat Conduction

Abstract

Accumulator is an important component for oil-hydraulic circuits. It is used for storing energy, absorbing pulsation flow, and suppressing surge pressure. For predicting accumulator performance, mathematical models of the accumulator have been investigated by many researchers. In the mathematical models of accumulator, an equation of state of gas, thermodynamics, and heat transfer have been considered. The aim of this paper is to propose a mathematical model of bladder-type accumulator considering heat conduction effect inside rubber membrane. Experiments were carried out using a bladder-type accumulator which was connected to a piston-type accumulator. The bladder-type accumulator was prefilled first and then discharged, the piston-type accumulator was charged by the oil discharged from the bladder-type accumulator. Discharging process of the bladder-type accumulator and charging process of the piston-type accumulator were measured simultaneously. The accumulator model proposed was validated by measured date of the experiments.