Spring Type Fluid Accumulator - General Design

Hydraulic and Pneumatic Knowledge

Spring-Loaded Accumulator: This accumulator is used in some engineer equipment hydraulic systems. It uses the energy stored in springs to create a constant force on the liquid contained in an adjacent ram assembly. The illustration below, shows two spring-loaded accumulators. The load characteristics of a spring are such that the energy storage depends on the force required to compress the spring. The free (uncompressed) length of a spring represents zero energy storage. As a spring is compressed to the maximum installed length, a minimum pressure value of the liquid in a ram assembly is established. As liquid under pressure enters the ram cylinder, causing a spring to compress, the pressure on the liquid will rise because of the increased loading required to compress the spring.