Hoverpad Engineering Question

[Jonathan Spool]

I picked up a couple of 29" Hoverpads on Ebay recently. I plan to utilize them under my 221 planer (1700lbs). My question to all you engineers out there is whether I can just split the air supply to the two pads with just a "Y", or do I need to find a splitter that will insure that each pad gets 50% of the available air?

[Matt Day]

Do you have a link (or auction #) to what exactly you're talking about? I don't understand the the question and components involved.

[Charlie Gummer]

Given my experience with pneumatics I'd venture that you'd be ok with a 'Y' so long as the piping is symmetric in length / pipe size / number of fittings after the 'Y'. Having never used these components specifically I'd certainly defer to someone with more experience.

http://www.hoverbench.com/

[Pat Barry]

You need something to help stabilize the load and balance it. You could do this manually of course, otherwise the whole thing will shift or tip to one side or the other.

[Jonathan Spool]

http://www.general.ca/pg_index/hoverpade.html
I am not concerned about stability. It raises the machine so little that tipping is a non issue. I just want to make sure that the lift will be distributed equally between the two pads.
I am aware of equalizing splitters for hydraulic systems, does the equivelant exist for pneumatics?

[David Epperson]

I've used hoverpads before on a few occasions. Individual flow regulators - or even pressure regulators would be nice if you're going to be using them a lot, but usually you can get by with a "Y". But be aware that if you pump the flow up very high you will start to get some bucking going on. As one pad gets higher, or goes over a crack, the pressure to both will drop and as the load falls a bit the gap under the pads will tend to set up an oscillation from one pad to the other and you'll have to shut back and start again. Even the bare minimum lift takes a good bit of air.

[ken gibbs]

Why don't you put a Hoke type valve on each side of the "Y"? Or you could add an indicater readout showing psi at these valves for not much money. I know that you can buy an equilizer type valve to keep the air pressure balanced but I suspect that this type of valve would run into some serious money to get this rig up and functional.

[Dick Brown]

If the load is not equal on all pads, you will have to regulate the flow or pressure to each pad independantly or all your pressure /air flow will escape on the one with the lightest load

[Pat Barry]

What Dick says is true - then it will tip. The low side will drag unless you can manually keep it floating by keeping it level. Good luck dragging the 1700 lbs around

[Chris Parks]

Each pad needs to see a similar load, that can be the hardest bit to achieve with machinery. Given they move jet planes with these things I don't think moving 1700lbs is going to be much of a task, the hardest bit is most probably stopping it once it gets going.