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.

The attached document provides an explanation of why this is, with a mathematical explanation of the pressures, flow, and forces. It also presents how much faster the cylinder will extend than retract.

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