Description

A piston accumulator is a device used specifically for storage of liquid under pressure. As liquids, for all practical purposes, are incompressible, this objective is achieved by utilizing the compressibility of gases. A floating piston is fitted into the accumulator tube. An inert gas – nitrogen- is filled into the gas side through a pressure valve to a pressure P . The piston moves to the 0 bottom end, filling the entire volume V of the accumulator. 0 When the system pressure P is higher than the gas 1 precharge pressure P , the liquid enters the accumulator 0 and the piston is moved towards the gas side compressing and reducing the gas volume to V .1 Should the liquid pressure rise to P , the volume of gas 2 reduces to V with an attendant rise in pressure, thus 2 balancing the Liquid pressure. A potential energy is now stored in the accumulator to be utilized whenever needed.