Control and energy efficiency analysis for a pneumatic-electrical system

Pneumatic actuators have been widely used in industry and many other applications. However, it has been recognized that the significant weakness of pneumatic actuators is low energy efficiency which is due to its open-circuit structure in nature. The paper presents a pneumatic-electricity system aiming at efficiency improvement by reusing the exhaust compressed air from the actuator outlets. A control strategy for the system is implemented to ensure recovering exhaust energy and maintaining proper actuator operation. The overall system mathematical model and the simulation results are presented in the paper. The model validation and the experimental test results for the overall system are also given. From the simulation study and the laboratory test analysis, the proposed system can operate at higher energy efficiency.