Why a Cylinder Extends Faster than it Retracts

In a servohydraulic system, a cylinder extends faster than it retracts. This may seem counterintuitive, especially since it is true in a flow-limited system, which is what many hydraulic specialists are familiar with.

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The attached document provides an explanation of why this is, with a mathematical explanation of the pressures, flow, and forces, yielding formulas for the cylinder velocity in both extending and retracting directions. It also presents how much faster the cylinder will extend than retract.

Why a cylinder extends faster than it retracts.doc (136 KB)