Design and experiment on light weight hydraulic cylinder made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer. (1st July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Yao; Shang, Yaoxing; Wan, Xiaofei; Jiao, Zongxia; Yu, Tian
• Is Part Of: Composite structures. Volume 291(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-07-01
• Subjects: Hydraulic -- Hydraulic cylinder -- Lightweight -- Composites -- CFRP; Composite construction -- Periodicals; Composites -- Périodiques; 624.18
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compstruct.2022.115564
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0263-8223

Abstract

Highlights: CFRP is used in the field of hydraulic cylinder to achieve the purpose of weight reduction. A design method of radial stiffness of CFRP cylinder based on requirements of dynamic seal is proposed, which can map the low internal leakage performance of CFRP hydraulic cylinder. The composite structure of CFRP hydraulic cylinder tube is proposed for the special needs. The experimental results support the performance of CFRP hydraulic cylinder for high pressure resistance, low leakage, low friction, and the weight loss effect is significant. Abstract: Hydraulic cylinders are widely used in mobile equipment such as aircraft, construction machinery, and heavy-duty robots. The large weight of the hydraulic cylinder seriously restricts the performance of the whole machine in terms of maneuverability, carrying capacity, endurance time, and energy saving. Using CFRP instead of metal can improve the weight reduction potential of a hydraulic cylinder. The law was found from the requirement for internal leakage prevention of hydraulic cylinder to the design of CFRP layer parameters. According to this law, the design method of radial stiffness of CFRP hydraulic cylinder is proposed. The composite structure of CFRP hydraulic cylinder was designed for the specific requirements of using CFRP to manufacture hydraulic cylinders. As an example, the prototype developed based on the radial stiffness design method and composite structure has reduced weight by 56.86% while maintaining the same performance as the conventional metal hydraulic cylinder. The light weighting of hydraulic cylinders brings considerable economic and environmental benefits.