Hydraulic Regeneration Circuit Calculator

Inputs

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Inside diameter of the cylinder barrel.
mm
Piston-rod diameter — in regeneration this IS the working area. A "2:1 rod" (rod area = half bore area) gives equal extend and retract speeds.
mm
Pump flow into the circuit (before the returned annulus flow joins it).
L/min
Relief/working pressure available at the cylinder.
bar

Results

Default result
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Regen extend speed(v_regen)
346.5mm/s
Pass

Q over the rod area — the whole point of the circuit.

Also computed

Normal extend speed(v_ext)169.8mm/s

Q over the full piston area, for comparison.

Speed gain (= force divider)Pass2.041

Close to a 2:1 cylinder — regen extend ≈ retract speed, the classic drill/clamp setup.

A_bore / A_rod — what speed multiplies by and force divides by.

Available force in regen(F_regen)Pass9,621N

Load above this stalls the regen mode — switch to normal extend for the working stroke.

Force out of regen(F_ext)19,630N

Full P·A_bore once the circuit switches to normal extend.

Combined cap-end flow(Q_cap)40.82L/min

Pump flow plus returned annulus flow — size the valve and line for this.

Method notes 4 notes
  • Regeneration ties the rod end to the cap end during extend: annulus oil rejoins the pump flow, the net area is the rod cross-section, and speed multiplies by A_bore/A_rod while available force divides by the same factor.
  • The circuit only helps while the load stays below P·A_rod — most regen designs switch to normal extend (full bore area) for the working stroke, via a kick-down or sequence valve.
  • Retract is unaffected: the regen path is an extend-only trick. Plain extend/retract numbers live in the cylinder speed calculator.
  • Both cylinder ends see (nearly) system pressure in regen — the rod seal and the cap-end line carry the combined flow; size them for Q_cap, not pump flow.

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