Hydraulics – Introduction
Lecture 16
outline
• introduction
› what is hydraulics?
› applications of hydraulics
› why are hydraulic systems used?
» advantages
» disadvantages
› fundamentals of hydraulics
what is hydraulics?
• “hydraulics” deals with properties of liquids and how
they can be used to do work
• originally
› considered behaviour of water
› water wheels, dams, etc.
• now
› considers all liquids
› “power hydraulics”
» confined liquid under pressure does work
• basic principles:
› fluid under pressure used to transmit power
› hydrostatics
» fluid in a closed container subjected to a compressive force
» resulting pressure transmitted throughout system undiminished
and equal in all directions
what is hydraulics?
• in this course
› look at industrial hydraulic systems – i.e. “fluid power systems”
» power transmission system
» uses fluid to carry the power
› basically a method of coupling the power of an engine/electric motor
to some operation being performed
Figure 1.1
applications of hydraulics
• numerous applications in various fields
• broadly categorized by primary purpose
› control power
› control torque, velocity, position
applications of hydraulics
• hydrostatic transaxle for small vehicles
applications of hydraulics
• heavy-duty excavator
applications of hydraulics
• robotic car transporter
why are hydraulic systems used?
• often used in industrial, mobile, aircraft designs
• pneumatics – earlier technology
• electric power – more widespread
• but, systems that require high power amplification or
that must pack great energy into a small space are
invariably hydraulic
advantages
• efficient power transmission over distances
› locate power input away from power output
› transmission lines can change direction, pass through tight spaces
› high power to volume and power to weight ratios
› components readily available
› eliminate slack, backlash
• power amplification
› small effort = large amount of work
› precise control
› safety/protection
» overload
disadvantages
• mostly due to fluid characteristics
• containment
› must be positively contained, prevented from going where it
shouldn’t
› leaks
» messy
» hazardous
› rupture/burst of high pressure system is dangerous
• vulnerable to dirt/contamination
› filtration required – expensive
› monitoring
fundamentals of hydraulics
• hydraulic systems take advantage of mechanical
properties of fluids
› fluidity
» flows, takes shape of container
» deformed by forces acting on it
› Pascal’s laws
» pressure transmitted undiminished, same at all points
» pressure exerted equally in all directions
» pressure exerted normal to any surfaces
• OK for static fluids, but kinetic factors might be important
› flow effects
» friction losses, inertia effects
› Bernoulli’s theorem
» energy at two points remains constant (potential, pressure, flow)
assuming no friction of leakage losses
• industrial systems – pressure usually high compared to
flow
› considered hydrostatic
› potential differences, low flow rates make kinetic effects minor
fundamentals of hydraulics
• force vectors in lateral x-section balanced and
contained
• useable force vectors – directed against piston
• force, F, determined by pressure, P, and area, A
fundamentals of hydraulics
• equal areas – equal forces
• accomplished?
› move 100 lb weight around corner
• this basic principle applies to nearly all mechanical
uses of fluid power
fundamentals of hydraulics
• Pascal’s law independent of shape of container
• cross section can change
• connection of any size, shape, length can be used
› practical limiting factors
fundamentals of hydraulics
• input piston smaller than output piston
› input force multiplied
» determined by relative sizes of pistons
› also works in reverse
fundamentals of hydraulics
• hydraulic cylinder
› equal pressures on both sides of piston
› different areas
» net unbalanced force of 200 lb acts to the right
fundamentals of hydraulics
• consider displacement of pistons
› hydraulic oil nearly incompressible
› volume of fluid moved by one piston moves other piston
» equal areas – equal movement
» different areas – different movement
» volume (displacement) - same
fundamentals of hydraulics
• friction present in fluid and mechanical movements
› pressure drop, reduced force amplification
fundamentals of hydraulics
• work done:
work done = pressure x volume
• power:
power = pressure x flow rate
questions?
