Common practice extends and retracts cylinders at the same pressure, left. Energy can be saved, however, by using a reverse-flow regulator to retract the cylinder at lower pressure with no increase in cycle time.
In general, if you reduce a system's operating pressure by 2 psig, you can save 1% in overall operating cost. This savings can start at the point of use by revisiting your existing applications to re-evaluate required pressures with the intent of reducing them.
Almost a free lunch
One of the most common applications where you can realize savings is a standard air cylinder moving a load into position and then resetting itself. Common practice is to operate cylinders at the same pressure for extension and retraction. However, by applying a dual-pressure technique, you save energy by using high pressure only where it is needed.
For example, a cylinder operating at 80 psig for both extension and retraction might need only 60 psig to extend and just 30 psig to retract, with no reduction in speed. The savings in this case can be hundreds of dollars a year per cylinder, as shown in the table. The example in the table uses a 31⁄4-in. bore 10-in. stroke cylinder that cycles 20 times/min at 80 psig for extension and retraction. Based on an electrical rate of $.05/kW-hr, it would cost $638.13 per year to operate this single actuator. However, if you reduce the pressure to only 30 psig just for retraction, the estimated cost to operate this cylinder drops to $388.59 — an annual savings of $249.54 for this single actuator.
