Engineering & mechanics
Hydraulic cylinder force & speed
Compare extension and retraction force, speed and stroke time.
A clear answer. Here’s how.
Uses piston area for extension and annular area for retraction, with rod diameter smaller than bore. Force=pressure difference×active area; velocity=flow/active area. Stroke times use constant supplied flow. Assumes incompressible fluid, ideal seals and stated pressure differences; friction, opposing pressure, compressibility and flow limits are excluded.
See a worked example
Worked example
A fixed demonstration, separate from the values you enter above.
- Pressure difference across active piston (bar)
- 100
- Bore diameter (mm)
- 50
- Rod diameter (mm)
- 20
- Active-side flow (L/min)
- 10
- Stroke length (mm)
- 300
Example result
- Extension force (N)
- 19,634.9540849
- Retraction force (N)
- 16,493.3614313
- Extension speed (mm/s)
- 84.8826363157
- Retraction speed (mm/s)
- 101.050757519
- Extension time for stroke (s)
- 3.53429173529
- Retraction time for stroke (s)
- 2.96880505764