
This information packed practical manual focusing on hydraulics and pneumatics will enhance your knowledge of the fundamentals, improve your maintenance programs and help you become an excellent troubleshooter of the problems in this area. No matter what hydraulics or pneumatics applications you are working on, and what the level of your knowledge, this manual will be highly beneficial to you.
The practical hydraulics and pneumatics manual is comprehensive and highly practical. You will focus on the construction of hydraulic and pneumatic systems, design-applications, and learn operations, maintenance and management issues. You will be provided with the most up-to-date information and best practice in dealing with the subject.
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Practical Hydraulic & Pneumatic Systems: Operations and Troubleshooting
1 Introduction to Fluid Power
In this chapter, we summarize how the term “hydraulics” was derived, the history of hydraulics along with the researchers who have contributed to its advancement.
A brief comparison of advantages of hydraulics over electrical devices and pneumatics is made. The inherent characteristics and the energy transfer in the field of hydraulics is discussed.
A brief summary of ensuing chapters sketches the basic principles involved, various hydraulic component functions and applications, mathematical calculations for sizing components, explanatory figures, hydraulic circuits and symbols, practical examples and many more.
1.1 Introduction
The term fluid power generally refers to the power generated by fluid substances like liquids and gases. The power generated by the pump is controlled at various stages with the help of valves. Finally, the power generated is applied to the end user to obtain force or motion in the form of an operating mechanism.
In our explanation in ensuing chapters, we emphasize that power from liquids (mainly hydraulic oil) will invariably become the operating medium in power transmission. Power from gases, means the transfer of power by air, that has been compressed to a pressure higher than atmospheric air that is put to work in operating mechanisms.
To summarize, the use of hydraulic oil, mainly because of its incompressibility characteristic, in energy transfer leads to the term “HYDRAULICS”. The use of atmospheric air’s compressibility characteristic in energy transfer is called “PNEUMATICS.” Both these categories are used in “FLUID POWER SYSTEMS.” Up to Chapter 16 we will be explaining the functionality of hydraulic systems and controls. Chapters 17 to 21, with the common Chapter 2, will deal with pneumatics.
1.2 History of hydraulics
The science behind modern hydraulics dates back 2000 years, when water was the only liquid medium available for experimentation. There were many scientists and, mathematicians whose inventions led to the stage-by-stage development of modern hydraulics.
Aristotle 384–322 bc Theory of motion of liquid
Archimedes 287–212 bc Theory of floating body and displacement
Leonardo da Vinci 1452–1519 Jet, waves, eddies, continuity and velocity of flow
Simon Stevin 1548–1620 Hydrostatic paradox
Galelio 1564–1642 Gravitational acceleration
Castelli 1577–1644 Principles of continuity
Torricelli 1608–1647 Vacuum theory
Edme Mariotte 1620–1684 Wind and water pressure and elasticity of air
Robert Boyle 1627–1691 Gas laws
Blaise Pascal 1623–1662 Principles of hydrostatics
Isaac Newton 1642–1727 Inertia, principles of momentum
Johann Benoulli 1667–1748 Kinetic theory of liquid and gases
Hendri de pitot 1695–1771 Pitot tube and rotating arm
Osborne Reynolds 1842–1912 Theory of laminar and turbulent flow
Joseph Bramah 1748–1814 Hydraulic press
1.3 Advantages over electrical devices
Even though high torque electrical motors are available, they require high current, but the speed is drastically reduced.
1.4 Advantages over pneumatics
1.5 The energy transfer in a hydraulics field
Although, various fields like industrial, mobile, marine and aerospace utilize hydraulic systems and controls; consequently, emphasis in this book is placed primarily on the theory, functions, characteristics, applications, and maintenance aspects of industrial hydraulics systems.
Many applications presented in this manual are representative in nature to explain the function and operating characteristics of different hydraulic systems and components that commonly exist in this field. It does not promote a particular model or maker.
A summary of this book’s contents follows next.
The appeal of hydrogen fuel is that as a resource on earth it’s nearly inexhaustible. But how should engineers approach green hydrogen? If you are somewhat interested in hydrogen, green hydrogen is probably a term that you have seen floating around. Whilst the vast majority of hydrogen is produced from natural gas, green hydrogen is instead produced by the electrolysis of water. If the electric current is produced by a renewable source (e.g., wind, solar, or hydropower), the hydrogen produced is known as green hydrogen. Continue reading What Is Green Hydrogen? at EIT | Engineering Institute of Technology.
The textbook definition says that electrical engineering is “the branch of engineering that deals with the practical application of the theory of electricity to the construction of machinery, power supplies, and so on”. What Do Electrical Engineers Do? Because electricity is all around us, electrical engineers are employed across a broad range of industries including aerospace, defense, marine, manufacturing, power generation, transmission and distribution, resources, telecommunications, transportation, and utilities. Continue reading How and Why Become an Electrical Engineer? at EIT | Engineering Institute of Technology.
This Plastic Free July serves as a reminder that engineers use different polymers than those that pollute the oceans – but have a role to play in environmental management. The Australian civil action movement Plastic Free July started in 2011. Initially, the campaign included the movement’s founder and a small group from the local government in Western Australia. Now it aims to share Plastic Free solutions to help reduce plastic waste globally. Continue reading Can Engineers Go Plastic-Free? at EIT | Engineering Institute of Technology.
Biomass power production will play an important part in the sustainable energy future. So when the call came to academically contribute to sustainability, three EIT academics jumped at the opportunity. Dr Harisinh Parmar our Lab coordinator, Dr Milind Siddhpura, Course coordinator for Mechanical Engineering and Dr Arti Siddhpura a Lecturer for Mechanical Engineering penned a book chapter A sustainability case study of a biomass power plant using Empty Fruit Bunch in Malaysia. Continue reading Plant Residue That Generates Electricity: EIT Academics Contribute To Sustainability Education In India at EIT | Engineering Institute of Technology.
World Ocean Day is here for us all, including engineers, to think about what we can do to protect our precious oceans. In 2022 World Ocean Day is changing. If you’re a supporter of the annual event that focuses on the ocean you would have noticed the logo changed this year, dropping the “s” from World Ocean(s) Day. Source: United Nations World Oceans Day/ YouTube The reason might seem like simple wordplay, but it digs deeper. Continue reading World Ocean Day: Dropping the ‘s’ but not sustainability at EIT | Engineering Institute of Technology.
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