The accumulator is a register which contains one of the operands and stores result of most arithimetic and logical operations.
Accumulators can be applied creatively in any number of situations, including. Emergency and safety: An accumulator which is kept constantly under pressure is valuable in the event of an electrical power failure as it can provide flow and pressure to perform an additional function or complete a machine cycle.
Shock or pulsation dampening: An accumulator can be used to cushion the pressure spike from sudden valve closure, the pulsation from pumps or the load reaction from sudden movement of parts connected to hydraulic cylinders.
Leakage compensation: An accumulator can be used to maintain pressure and make-up for lost fluid due to internal leakage of system components including cylinders and valves.