Analysis of Different Guide Elements’ Designs in Hydraulic Cylinders
Source abstract
Abstract
In this study, the frictional behaviours of three different guide elements—guide rings, labyrinth seals, and hydrostatic bearings—in hydraulic cylinders is investigated experimentally. A modular, double-acting hydraulic cylinder was designed to compare these three different design elements under different pressures (0 bar, 120 bar, and 240 bar), velocities, and radial loads. The results show that the guide rings exhibit the highest friction, especially at high pressures. Labyrinth seals exhibit significantly lower friction and extend the service life of the components. Hydrostatic bearings allow low friction but require precise control of the fluid, which limits their use. The results provide practical guidelines for selecting guide elements and optimising the friction performance, durability, and efficiency of hydraulic systems. We found that the best solution from the points of view of design, friction, and economics is to use labyrinth seals as guiding elements for the fast reciprocal moving rods of hydraulic cylinders.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems · Tribology and Lubrication Engineering · Tunneling and Rock Mechanics
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 6, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, Dimičeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova ulica 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Funding
Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
References (59)
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