Influence Analysis and Performance Optimization of a Pneumatic Actuator Exhaust Utilization System

Abstract

Due to the loss of exhaust energy, the compressed air energy utilization efficiency in pneumatics system is low. To realize the recovery and utilization of cylinder compressed air, a new type of compressed air utilization system is proposed, and the composition and working principle of the system are introduced. According to the working process of the system, the mathematical model of the system is established by using equations such as energy equation and gas state equation. The model is simulated by MATLAB/Simulink tools, and the correctness of the mathematical model is verified by experiments. The mathematical models are converted into dimensionless models, and the main parameters affecting the system's operating characteristics are obtained through model simulation analysis. The influencing parameters are optimized by using the analytic hierarchy process and the grey correlation analysis method, and the exhaust utilization efficiency of the system is 34.7 % under the optimal parameter combination. To further utilize the compressed air expansion, the opening and closing time of the solenoid valve was controlled to study the energy-saving effect of the system. The study found that when the initial pressure of the compressed air supply tank was set to 0.5 MPa, 0.6 MPa, and 0.7 MPa, the maximum energy saving efficiency was 23.25 %, 24.99 %, and 26.12 %, respectively. When the volume of the compressed air supply tank is set to 0.8 L, 1 L, and 1.2 L, the maximum energy-saving efficiency is 30.01 %, 24.99 %, and 21.51 %, respectively. This paper provides a new technical scheme for compressed air recovery and reuse, as well as a theoretical basis for the control of subsequent compressed air utilization systems.