Enter the volume flow of the pneumatic air and the piston area into the calculator to determine the pneumatic cylinder velocity.

Pneumatic Cylinder Velocity Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Pneumatic Cylinder Velocity.

PCV = 28.8 * Q / A
  • Where PVC is the pneumatic cylinder velocity (in/s)
  • Q is the volumetric flow rate (CFM, ft^3/min)
  • A is the piston area (in^2)

To calculate a pneumatic cylinder velocity, multiply the volumetric flow rate by 28.8, then divide by the cylinder area.

What is a Pneumatic Cylinder Velocity?

Definition:

A pneumatic cylinder velocity is the speed at which a pneumatic cylinder will move while under pressure.

How to Calculate Pneumatic Cylinder Velocity?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines the steps and information needed to calculate Pneumatic Cylinder Velocity.

First, determine the volumetric flow rate. In this example, this is 450 CFM

Next, determine the piston area. For this problem, the piston area is found to be 4.5 in^2

Finally, calculate the Pneumatic Cylinder Velocity using the formula above:

PCV = 28.8 * Q / A

PCV = 28.8 * 450 / 4.5

PCV = 2,880 in/s