Pneumatic circuit Pneumatic circuit A pneumatic circuit is an interconnected set of components that convert compressed gas (usually air) into mechanical work. In the normal sense of the term, the circuit must include a compressor or compressor-fed tank. The circuit comprises the following components: In general, based on the application, a pneumatic cylinder is usually a single acting cylinder, where there is a single port in the cylinder and where cylinder extension is done by compressed air and retraction by means of open coiled spring. In double acting cylinders two ports both extend and retract by means of compressed air. The direction
Mechanical energy nonconservative forces, like frictional forces, will be present, but often they are of negligible values and the mechanical energy's being constant can therefore be a useful approximation. In elastic collisions, the mechanical energy is conserved but in inelastic collisions, some mechanical energy is converted into heat. The equivalence between lost mechanical energy (dissipation) and an increase in temperature was discovered by James Prescott Joule. Many devices are used to convert mechanical energy to or from other forms of energy, e.g. an electric motor converts electrical energy to mechanical energy, an electric generator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy and a