Parker’s hydro-pneumatic accumulators regulate the performance of a hydraulic system by providing an additional volume of system fluid, pressurized by an external gas supply.

A correctly specified accumulator can:

• reduce shock effects in a system resulting from inertia or external mechanical forces
• maintain system pressure by compensating for pressure loss due to leakage
• provide a back-up supply of hydraulic energy to maintain a constant flow when system demand is greater than pump delivery.

In industrial applications, three types of hydro-pneumatic accumulators are widely used – the piston type, bladder type and diaphragm type. Each has particular advantages and limitations which should be considered when selecting an accumulator for a specific application.