Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Hydraulics - Wikipedia
Hydraulics - Wikipedia
Hydraulics
Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science
using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical
properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid
counterpart of pneumatics, which concerns gases. Fluid mechanics
provides the theoretical foundation for hydraulics, which focuses on the Hydraulics and other studies[1]
applied engineering using the properties of fluids. In its fluid power
applications, hydraulics is used for the generation, control, and
transmission of power by the use of pressurized liquids. Hydraulic topics
range through some parts of science and most of engineering modules,
and cover concepts such as pipe flow, dam design, fluidics and fluid
control circuitry, pumps. The principles of hydraulics are in use naturally
in the human body within the heart and the penile erection. [3][4] Free
surface hydraulics is the branch of hydraulics dealing with free surface
An open channel, with a uniform
flow, such as occurring in rivers, canals, lakes, estuaries and seas. Its sub
depth, Open Channel
field open channel flow studies the flow in open channels.
Hydraulics deals with uniform
and nonuniform streams.
The word "hydraulics" originates from the Greek word ὑδραυλικός
(hydraulikos) which in turn originates from ὕδωρ (hydor, Greek for water)
and αὐλός (aulos, meaning pipe).
Contents
Ancient and medieval era
Greek / Hellenistic age
China
Sri Lanka
Innovations in Ancient Rome
Modern era (c. 1600 – 1870)
Benedetto Castelli
Blaise Pascal
Jean Léonard Marie Poiseuille
In the UK
Hydraulic models
Illustration of hydraulic and
See also
hydrostatic.[2]
Notes
References
External links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulics 1/6
12/28/2017 Hydraulics Wikipedia
Ancient and medieval era
Early uses of water power date back to Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt,
where irrigation has been used since the 6th millennium BC and water
clocks had been used since the early 2nd millennium BC. Other early
examples of water power include the Qanat system in ancient Persia and
the Turpan water system in ancient Central Asia.
Greek / Hellenistic age
The Greeks constructed sophisticated water and hydraulic power systems.
An example is the construction by Eupalinos, under a public contract, of a
watering channel for Samos, the Tunnel of Eupalinos. An early example of
the usage of hydraulic wheel, probably the earliest in Europe, is the
Perachora wheel (3rd century BC). [5]
The construction of the first hydraulic automata by Ctesibius (flourished Waterwheel.
c. 270 BC) and Hero of Alexandria (c. 10 – 80 AD) is notable. Hero
describes a number of working machines using hydraulic power, such as
the force pump, which is known from many Roman sites as having been used for raising water and in fire
engines. [6]
China
In ancient China there was Sunshu Ao (6th century BC), Ximen Bao (5th century BC), Du Shi (circa 31 AD), Zhang
Heng (78 – 139 AD), and Ma Jun (200 – 265 AD), while medieval China had Su Song (1020 – 1101 AD) and Shen
Kuo (1031–1095). Du Shi employed a waterwheel to power the bellows of a blast furnace producing cast iron.
Zhang Heng was the first to employ hydraulics to provide motive power in rotating an armillary sphere for
astronomical observation. [7]
Sri Lanka
In ancient Sri Lanka, hydraulics were widely used in the ancient
kingdoms of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. [8] The discovery of
the principle of the valve tower, or valve pit, (Bisokotuwa in
Sinhalese) for regulating the escape of water is credited to
ingenuity more than 2,000 years ago. [9] By the first century AD,
several largescale irrigation works had been completed. [10]
Macro and microhydraulics to provide for domestic
horticultural and agricultural needs, surface drainage and erosion
control, ornamental and recreational water courses and retaining Moat and gardens at Sigiriya.
structures and also cooling systems were in place in Sigiriya, Sri
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulics 2/6
12/28/2017 Hydraulics Wikipedia
Lanka. The coral on the massive rock at the site includes cisterns for collecting water. Large ancient reservoirs of
Sri Lanka are Kalawewa (King Dhatusena), Parakrama Samudra (King Parakrama Bahu), Tisa Wewa (King
Dutugamunu), Minneriya (King Mahasen)
Innovations in Ancient Rome
In Ancient Rome, many different hydraulic applications were
developed, including public water supplies, innumerable
aqueducts, power using watermills and hydraulic mining. They
were among the first to make use of the siphon to carry water
across valleys, and used hushing on a large scale to prospect for
and then extract metal ores. They used lead widely in plumbing
systems for domestic and public supply, such as feeding thermae.
Hydraulic mining was used in the goldfields of northern Spain,
which was conquered by Augustus in 25 BC. The alluvial gold
mine of Las Medulas was one of the largest of their mines. It was Aqueduct of Segovia, a 1stcentury AD
masterpiece.
worked by at least 7 long aqueducts, and the water streams were
used to erode the soft deposits, and then wash the tailings for the
valuable gold content. [11][12][13]
Modern era (c. 1600 – 1870)
Benedetto Castelli
In 1619 Benedetto Castelli (1576 – 1578–1643), a student of Galileo Galilei, published the book Della Misura
dell'Acque Correnti or "On the Measurement of Running Waters", one of the foundations of modern
hydrodynamics. He served as a chief consultant to the Pope on hydraulic projects, i.e., management of rivers in
the Papal States, beginning in 1626. [14]
Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) studied fluid hydrodynamics and hydrostatics, centered on the principles of hydraulic
fluids. His inventions include the hydraulic press, which multiplied a smaller force acting on a smaller area into
the application of a larger force totaled over a larger area, transmitted through the same pressure (or same change
of pressure) at both locations. Pascal's law or principle states that for an incompressible fluid at rest, the difference
in pressure is proportional to the difference in height and this difference remains the same whether or not the
overall pressure of the fluid is changed by applying an external force. This implies that by increasing the pressure
at any point in a confined fluid, there is an equal increase at every other point in the container, i.e., any change in
pressure applied at any point of the fluid is transmitted undiminished throughout the fluids.
Jean Léonard Marie Poiseuille
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulics 3/6
12/28/2017 Hydraulics Wikipedia
A French physician, Poiseuille researched the flow of blood through the body and discovered an important law
governing the rate of flow with the diameter of the tube in which flow occurred. [15]
In the UK
Several cities developed citywide hydraulic power networks in the 19th century, to operate machinery such as lifts,
cranes, capstans and the like. Joseph Bramah[16] was an early innovator and William Armstrong[17] perfected the
apparatus for power delivery on an industrial scale. In London, the London Hydraulic Power Company [18] was a
major supplier its pipes serving large parts of the West End of London, City and the Docks, but there were
schemes restricted to single enterprises such as docks and railway goods yards.
Hydraulic models
After students understand the basic principles of hydraulics, some teachers use a hydraulic analogy to help
students learn other things. For example:
The MONIAC Computer uses water flowing through hydraulic components to help students learn about
economics.
The thermalhydraulic analogy uses hydraulic principles to help students learn about thermal circuits.
The electronic–hydraulic analogy uses hydraulic principles to help students learn about electronics.
See also
Affinity laws
Bernoulli's principle
Hydraulic engineering
Hydraulic mining
Hydraulic transmission
International Association for HydroEnvironment Engineering and Research
Openchannel flow
Pneumatics
Notes
1. NEZU Iehisa (1995), Suirigaku, Ryutairikigaku, Asakura Shoten, p. 17, ISBN 4254261357.
2. "hidraulica Archivos – Zona Ingenieria" (http://zonaingenieria.com/category/hidraulica/).
3. http://www.industrialoutpost.com/humancirculatorysystemheartmodernhydraulic/
4. Meldrum, David R.; Burnett, Arthur L.; Dorey, Grace; Esposito, Katherine; Ignarro, Louis J. (2014). "Erectile
Hydraulics: Maximizing Inflow While Minimizing Outflow". The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 11 (5): 1208–20.
doi:10.1111/jsm.12457 (https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fjsm.12457). PMID 24521101 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.go
v/pubmed/24521101).
5. Tomlinson, R. A. (2013). "The Perachora Waterworks: Addenda". The Annual of the British School at Athens.
71: 147–8. doi:10.1017/S0068245400005864 (https://doi.org/10.1017%2FS0068245400005864).
JSTOR 30103359 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/30103359).
6. Museum, Victoria and Albert. "Catalogue of the mechanical engineering collection in the Science Division of
the Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington, with descriptive and historical notes." Ulan Press. 2012.
7. 1974, Fu, Chunjiang,; Liping., Yang,; N., Han, Y.; Editorial., Asiapac (2006). Origins of Chinese science and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulics 4/6
12/28/2017 Hydraulics Wikipedia
7. 1974, Fu, Chunjiang,; Liping., Yang,; N., Han, Y.; Editorial., Asiapac (2006). Origins of Chinese science and
technology (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/71370433). Asiapac. ISBN 9812293760. OCLC 71370433 (https://w
ww.worldcat.org/oclc/71370433).
8. "SriLankaA Country study" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120905131619/http://www.marines.mil/news/public
ations/Documents/Sri%20Lanka%20Study_1.pdf) (PDF). USA Government, Department of Army. 1990.
Archived from the original (http://www.marines.mil/news/publications/Documents/Sri%20Lanka%20Study_1.pd
f) (PDF) on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
9. "SriLanka – History" (https://web.archive.org/web/20111228234152/http://asia.isp.msu.edu/wbwoa/south_asi
a/sri_lanka/history.htm). Asian Studies Center, Michigan State University. Archived from the original (http://asi
a.isp.msu.edu/wbwoa/south_asia/sri_lanka/history.htm) on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
10. "Traditional SriLanka or Ceylon" (http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/SriLanka.html). Sam Houston State
University. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
11. Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Las Médulas" (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/803). whc.unesco.org.
Retrieved 20170613.
12. ricardo (20141030). "Las Médulas" (http://www.patrimoniocastillayleon.com/en/lasmedulas). Castilla y León
World Heritage UNESCO (in Spanish). Retrieved 20170613.
13. Bird, David. Pliny's Arrugia Water Mining in Roman GoldMining. Papers Presented at the National Association
of Mining History Organizations' Conference July 2002. Obtained from:
http://www.goldchartsrus.com/papers/PlinysArrugiaWaterPowerInRomanGoldMining.pdf
14. "The Galileo Project – Science – Benedetto Castelli" (http://galileo.rice.edu/sci/castelli.html).
15. Sutera and Skalak, Salvatore and Richard. The History of Poiseuille's Law. Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech. 1993. 25:
119.
16. "Joseph Bramah" (http://www.robinsonlibrary.com/technology/engineering/biography/bramah.htm).
Robinsonlibrary.com. 20140323. Retrieved 20140408.
17. "William George Armstrong, Baron Armstrong of Cragside (18101900)" (http://www.victorianweb.org/technolog
y/engineers/armstrong.html). Victorianweb.org. 20051222. Retrieved 20140408.
18. "Subterranea Britannica: Sites: Hydraulic power in London" (http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sbsites/sites/h/hydrauli
c_power_in_london/index.shtml). Subbrit.org.uk. 19810925. Retrieved 20140408.
References
Rāshid, Rushdī; Morelon, Régis (1996), Encyclopedia of the history of Arabic science, London: Routledge,
ISBN 9780415124102.
External links
Pascal's Principle and Hydraulics (http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K12/WindTunnel/Activities/Pascals_princip
le.html)
The principle of hydraulics (http://www.hydraulicmania.com)
IAHR media library Web resource of photos, animation & video (http://www.iahrmedialibrary.net)
Basic hydraulic equations (http://hydraulik.empass.biz)
MIT hydraulics course notes (http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/civilandenvironmentalengineering/1060engineering
mechanicsiispring2006/lecturenotes/)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hydraulics&oldid=814529254"
This page was last edited on 9 December 2017, at 10:10.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulics 5/6
12/28/2017 Hydraulics Wikipedia
Text is available under the Creative Commons AttributionShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using
this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulics 6/6