Comparison of Electrical, Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems

Comparison of electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems can be done in aspects like energy source, energy storage, energy cost, distribution system, linear actuators, rotary actuators and controllable force.

S.no	Aspect	Electrical	Hydraulic	Pneumatic
1	Energy source	Usually from an outside supplier	Electric motor or diesel-driven	Electric motor or diesel-driven
2	Energy storage	Limited (batteries)	Limited (accumulator)	Good (reservoir)
3	Distribution system	Excellent, with minimal loss	Limited basically a local facility	Good. It can be treated as a plant-wide service
4	Energy cost	Low cost	Moderate cost	High cost
5	Linear actuators	Short motion via a solenoid. Otherwise, via mechanical conversion	Cylinders. Very high force	Cylinders. Medium force
6	Rotary actuators	AC and DC motors. Good control of DC motors. AC motors cheap	Low speed. Good control. Can be stalled	Widespread range. Accurate speed control difficult
7	Controllable force	Possible with solenoid & DC motors complicated by the need for cooling	Controllable high force	Controllable medium force.
8	Problems	Dangers from electric shock	Leakage is dangerous and unsightly. Fire hazard	Noisy