A hydraulic accumulator is a container operating under a certain pressure. This device accumulates hydraulic energy and, if necessary, returns it back to the system of which it is, in fact, a part. For proper operation of the device, precise adjustment of the accumulator is necessary.
In fact, this device does the same job as a water tower, but the latter does not have external pressure that would be exerted on the liquid, so the accumulator and the mentioned tower are fundamentally different things.
Water batteries store energy different ways, which leads to their division into different types. And they are as follows:
- A device with a mechanical storage device.
- A device equipped with a pneumatic accumulator.
Batteries that carry out their work using a mechanical storage device are equipped with big amount disadvantages, which is why they are used quite rarely. However, pneumatic batteries also have not only positive characteristics. Let's consider the advantages, along with the disadvantages, of this type of product.
Advantages
The properties of hydraulic accumulators depend on the type of device.
Cargo:
- The device maintains constant pressure.
- The device has a fairly large working volume.
- It has a low price.
Spring loaded:
- It has a relatively high energy intensity.
- It has a low cost.
Pneumohydraulic:
- Endowed with enough high level energy intensity, while having minimal dimensions.
- Can be executed in various variations(meaning the design of the device).
- Has minimal inertia.
- Maximum reliability with a relatively simple design.
Flaws
Cargo:
- Has a low level of energy intensity.
- There is quite a high inertia.
- It is large in size.
- The pressure in the device is quite low.
- The reliability of the device is very low and there is a possibility of the piston seal leaking.
Spring loaded:
- The pressure directly depends on which spring is installed in this device. This indicator is also affected by the filling volume.
- The working volume is relatively small.
- There is some inertia.
- Very low reliability. There is a high probability of seal leakage, as well as spring failure.
Pneumohydraulic:
The pressure in the apparatus varies nonlinearly with respect to the filling volume and depends on its speed.
Settings
Hydraulic accumulators are used both in everyday life and in industry. The most popular among these devices is the pneumohydraulic accumulator, which is a container with a special elastic membrane located inside the device. The specified element is intended to support optimal pressure water that is in the water supply system of the house.
Hydraulic accumulators are most often used as components autonomous systems water supply for summer cottages and in country houses.
In the mentioned cases of using this device, it is necessary to remember that the city water supply has a pressure of one and a half atmospheres. This means that the hydraulic accumulator must be adjusted to this indicator in order to ensure normal operation.
Of course, one atmosphere will also be enough to fill the rubber container. But this will provoke a change in the operating mode, which is associated with different pressures. To avoid such consequences, the hydraulic accumulator installed in the country must be adjusted.
Before you start setting up the device, you need to check the air pressure. To achieve this goal, a banal car pressure gauge will do. The only requirement is that he must have minimum value graduated scale. To execute specified task, you just need to connect the pressure gauge to the accumulator spool.
Next, taking into account the preferred mode of operation of the device, air is either pumped up or released from the tank. During this operation, it is important to carefully monitor the pressure level - it should remain between 1 and 1.5 atmospheres in order to eliminate the possibility of damage.
The pressure switch can be configured so that it turns the pump on and off at strictly defined values of the specified value.
Adjustment involves acting on spring regulators. One of them, the big one, fixes the lower pressure limit, which determines when the pump turns on. The second, which is smaller, records the difference between the upper and lower limits of this value.
The adjustment is completed with the following manipulations:
- During operation of the pump, it is necessary to determine the pressure value that will be most acceptable in a particular case.
- Turn off the pump and use a small regulator to reduce the difference in pressure limits until the relay operates.
- Open the tap and drain the water present in the system, while observing the pressure gauge scale. As soon as the pump turns on, you must immediately take readings from the pressure gauge. This value is the lower limit of the pressure level.
- Using the large regulator you need to set the lower limit.
- Connect the pump to the network and wait until the pressure rises to the desired level.
- After this, adjust the small regulator.
Along with this, there is a possibility that you will have to disconnect the pump from the network manually. This situation is possible when the device reaches operating pressure and when a pressure is generated in the pump that exceeds the maximum permissible standards.
It should be borne in mind that it is necessary to very carefully compare the data obtained when using the pressure gauge and the indicators published in technical passport the accumulator itself.
Exceeding the operating and maximum pressure values is strictly unacceptable. To find out which is stronger - water hose , pipes or pump, you can assemble a water supply system without a pressure switch. In all other cases, when supplying water to a house, a device is built into the system that replaces manually turning on and off the supply voltage.
deep well pump It is impossible to imagine individual water supply at home without a relay that allows you to automatically turn off the pump when it is full plumbing system
water and turn it on after using up the water. Fig.1 Design
pressure switch Structurally, a standard pressure switch for controlling a pump looks like this. Housed in a plastic case terminal blocks to connect the power cable and mechanical system
In the normal state, the contacts are normally closed and the connected device powers the pump motor. When the pressure in the system increases, water acts on a rubber membrane with a piston installed at the inlet of the water pipe of the device. In turn, the membrane piston presses on a movable metal platform, hinged inside the device body at one point. The platform plate rises and opens the electrical contacts; when the pressure decreases, it returns to its original state, closing the contacts.
A screw with a spring and a nut is installed in the center of the device, which sets the distance of the contact plate to the membrane piston - if it is smaller, the device operates at lower pressure, an increased distance will require greater movement of the piston with the membrane to act on the contact pad, which is equivalent to increasing the pressure in the system.
At some distance from the main adjusting screw there is a second adjusting screw with a smaller spring. It sets the range of movement of the contact metal pad, establishing the difference between the pressure that turns the contacts on and off. Thus, the large adjusting screw sets the lower response threshold of the device (the pressure for turning it on), the small one regulates the range of operation of the device for shutdown (adjustment depth).
Rice. 2 Connection diagram
When purchased, the relay is configured for a specific switching mode, standard values are 1.4 and 2.8 atm, that is, at 2.8 atm. the pump will be turned off and turned on if the pressure is less than 1.4 atm. Usually, when installing a device into a system, you need to select a response threshold - for this you need to know what pressure the pump in the well provides.
If the pressure well pump 2 atm., and the standard value of 2.8 atm. remains in the relay, then the pump will never turn off (it physically cannot create a pressure that reaches the response threshold) and after intensive work will go to eternal rest. A less tragic situation is when the pump can produce a pressure of 5 atm, and the relay turns it off at 2.8 atm. In this case, the system does not work efficiently and it is advisable to install a device that matches the pressure of the well water pump.
To take measurements when adjusting the relay, you need a pressure gauge; the work consists of the following steps.
- Water begins to be drained from the system, and the pump activation pressure is recorded on the pressure gauge.
- Close the valves and record the pressure gauge readings at which the pump turns off.
- Adjust the device with a large screw, periodically turning the water on and off until you get desired value lower pressure.
- Then they proceed to adjusting the range that sets the upper pressure with a small screw. The water is also periodically turned on and off until the required value is obtained.
When installing a relay in a water intake system, the following rules must be observed.
Rice. 3 Connection diagram of a submersible pump to a hydraulic accumulator
- The hydraulic accumulator for water supply systems and the connection point of the device to the water supply are located nearby - this will avoid switching the pump during sudden short-term pressure surges.
- When installing, please take into account temperature regime- some models operate only in warm conditions.
- To simplify installation in modern pumps a surface-type fitting is installed to which a relay and pressure gauge can be directly connected.
Connecting a pressure switch to a submersible pump can be done in two ways:
- The device is connected to water pipes through a tee using an adapter fitting.
- Before connecting the hydraulic accumulator to the submersible pump, a five-pin fitting is connected to it, the connected devices (hydraulic accumulator, pressure gauge, relay) and the water main are connected at one point.
There are two types of pressure switches: mechanical and electronic, the latter are much more expensive and are rarely used. Available on the market a wide range of devices from domestic and foreign manufacturer, making it easier to select the required model.
RDM-5 Gileks (15 USD) is the most popular high-quality model from a domestic manufacturer.
- range: 1.0 - 4.6 atm.;
- minimum difference: 1 atm.;
- operating current: maximum 10 A;
- protection class: IP 44;
- factory settings: 1.4 atm. and 2.8 atm.
Genebre 3781 1/4″ (10 cu) - budget model made in Spain.
Rice. 5 Genebre 3781 1/4″
- body material: plastic;
- pressure: upper 10 atm;
- connection: threaded 1.4 inches;
- weight: 0.4 kg.
Italtecnica PM/5-3W (13 USD) - inexpensive device Italian manufacturer with built-in pressure gauge.
Rice. 6 Italtecnica PM/5-3W
- maximum current: 12A;
- working pressure: maximum 5 atm;
- lower: adjustment range 1 - 2.5 atm.;
- upper: range 1.8 - 4.5 atm.
Pressure switch - essential element in the water intake system, providing automatic individual water supply to the house. It is located next to the hydraulic accumulator, the operating mode is set using adjusting screws inside the housing.
For continuous quality work Hydraulic accumulators with submersible pumps are often used in dachas and private houses without a centralized water supply. Next we will talk about the advantages of using a hydraulic accumulator.
For recognition, hydraulic accumulators have different colors: red ones are for heating; blue - for cold and hot water supply.
The hydraulic accumulator is metal container divided into two conventional parts by a membrane: a diaphragm or a cylinder.
Hydraulic tanks with a diaphragm membrane consist of:
Hydraulic tanks with a balloon-type membrane consist of:
Hydraulic tanks are designed for:
- cold water supply;
- hot water supply;
- heating systems.
There are horizontal and vertical hydraulic accumulators.
More often for country houses Vertical hydraulic tanks are used. They have legs, as well as a special mount on the body for hanging on the wall. They take up little space. 
Horizontal hydraulic tanks are most often used in pumping stations with external pumps. In this case, the pump is installed on the tank, which saves a lot of space.
A hydraulic accumulator with a membrane has a longer service life than a galvanized steel hydraulic tank
Is a hydraulic accumulator necessary for a submersible pump?
If the accumulator is not installed, the pump will turn on constantly as soon as the tap is opened. In this regard, the likelihood of water hammer increases. Water hammer is formed by an abrupt increase in pressure, which appears due to frequent inclusions.
Therefore, the importance of the hydraulic accumulator is obvious. The hydraulic accumulator has several names; it is called a hydraulic tank, expansion tank or membrane tank.
Normal pressure in the accumulator is from 1.4 to 2.8 atm. The pressure in the system must exceed the pressure of the tank by 0.1 atm. If you need to calculate on your own what pressure in the accumulator needs to be adjusted, then use the following formula:
Hydraulic tank pressure = ( Maximum height parse points +6) / 10
Connection diagram for hydraulic accumulator
The water supply system includes: pump, hydraulic accumulator, pressure switch, check valve, steaming fittings, filter system, pressure gauge, pipeline, and, of course, electrical power.
The check valve allows water to accumulate in the hydraulic tank from the submersible pump.
Installed on the pump before connecting the entire accumulator circuit in the following sequence:
- We lower the pump into the well;
- It is necessary to secure the safety rope that holds the pump;
- We connect all the elements of the circuit using a five-pin fitting;
- It is necessary to configure the pressure switch.
Pressure switch
The pressure switch plays an important role in the operation of the accumulator, as well as the entire home system. For efficiency and correct operation of the relay, it is necessary to configure it.
To do this you need:
Water supply scheme with submersible pump and the hydraulic accumulator after connection works like this:
How often your pump will turn on directly depends on the volume of the accumulator. Remember to take this into account when choosing a container.
Connection diagram for several hydraulic accumulators to a submersible pump
If, when using a hydraulic accumulator, you need another capacity to store water, then it is possible to install several more hydraulic tanks in parallel, of a suitable volume for you. 
The second and subsequent tanks are connected simply using a screwed-in tee. A pump (five-pin fitting) is connected to one input, and a new hydraulic tank is connected to the other.
When connecting several hydraulic accumulators, there is no need to reconfigure the system.
Also greatest number hydraulic tanks will extend the life of your pump, because it will have to be turned on less often.