Fundamentals of !

Fluid Power

Week One Homework Problems

1. Three types of cylinder efficiency were presented in lecture: total efficiency, force
efficiency, and volumetric efficiency. Why is it important to know the cylinder
efficiencies when selecting a cylinder for an application?
2. If a cylinder uses cup seals, explain why increasing the volumetric efficiency will
likely reduce the force efficiency, and vice versa?
3. What is the force equation for an ideal cylinder?
4. What is the force equation for a real cylinder?
5. What are the velocity equations for an ideal cylinder?
6. What are the velocity equations for a real cylinder?
7. Browse the internet for images of standard and long reach excavators. You
will observe the stick cylinder (the cylinder attached to the bucket) to be much
smaller on a long reach excavator. Assuming both excavators operate at a
system pressure of 35 MPa, calculate the force at the bucket for:
(a) a standard excavator with a stick cylinder diameter of 12.5 cm.
(b) a long reach excavator with a stick cylinder diameter of 9 cm.
8. A dynamic compression force,
F = 3.5 + 3.5cos (45t) kN,
is applied to the rod of an ideal cylinder with a bore diameter of 8.4 cm (take
note that the force is in kN).
(a) Assuming the rod-side of the cylinder is at atmospheric pressure, what
gauge pressure, P , must be applied to the cap-side of the cylinder to keep
the load stationary?

(b) The fluctuating pressure, P , found in part (a) is applied to a different

stationary cylinder with a bore diameter of 3.4 cm. What are the maximum
and minimum forces generated by this smaller cylinder?
9. A cylinder with an area ratio of 0.2 and a bore diameter of 7.5 cm steadily
extends a 13.3 kN load. If the cap-side pressure is 4 MPa and the rod-side
pressure is 250 kPa, what is the force efficiency of the actuator?
10. What is the unknown flow rate, Q4 , in the conduit shown below?

Q4

Q1 =
8 lpm

Q3 =
3 lpm

Q2 = 4 lpm

11. A cylinder with an area ratio of 0.85 and a bore diameter of 12 cm extends at
a velocity of 4 cm/s.
(a) What is the volumetric flow rate of fluid entering the cylinder at the cap
side?
(b) What is the rate of fluid storage in the cylinder?
12. A cylinder displaces a 5 kN load at 0.3 m/s. If hydraulic fluid enters the actuator
at a rate of 15 liters per minute (lpm) and a pressure of 16 MPa, what is the
total efficiency of the system?