Lecture 1

Fluid power
Introduction to hydraulic
Vishal Chavan
Unit 1: Introduction to fluid power

Objective of subject: To understand design, analysis, operation, maintenance and application of fluid
power.

What is fluid power

Technology that deals with the generation, control and transmission of power using pressurized fluids.

Used to push, pull, regulate or drive virtually all machines of modern industry eg.

1) Steers and brakes of automobile

2) Launches spacecraft 3) Moves earth
4) Harvest crop
5) Mines coal 6) Machine tools
Air plane control
 Pascal’s Law

Pressure exerted at any point on

a confined liquid is transmitted

undiminished in all directions.

Fluid power is called hydraulics when fluid is liquid and is called
pneumatics when the fluid is gas.

Hydraulic systems use liquids such as petroleum oil, synthetic oil

and water. The first hydraulic fluid used was water, it has many
deficiencies such as freezes readily, poor lubricant and tends to rust
metal components.

There are two different types of fluid systems i.e. fluid transport
and fluid power

Fluid transport: used to transport fluid from one location to

another. E.g. pumping stations, cross country gas lines, chemical
processing etc.
 Hydraulic
Tool or equipment
powered by the
movement of fluid under
pressure. Examples are
brakes, jacks & tractor
lifts.
 Pneumatic

Tool or equipment
powered or supported by
the movement of
compressed air.
 Basic principle

Pressure applied to piston “A” is transferred

equally to a piston of the same size “B” because
pressure is the same throughout the system.
 hydraulic
advantage

If the surface area of piston “B” is 10 times the

surface area of piston “A”, then the force applied
to piston “A” is multiplied 10 times as the force
exerted on piston “B”. pressure is equal
throughout the system.
 Hydraulic cylinder

Hydraulic motor
Liquids provides very rigid medium for transmitting of power,
operate under high pressure and provide huge forces and torques with
utmost accuracy and precision.

Hydraulic chain saw Pneumatically

controlled dextrous hand

On the other hand pneumatic system exhibit spongy characteristics

due to compressibility of air. It can be used in applications where low
pressures can be used.
Advantages of fluid power

Power can be transmitted by three basic methods i.e. electrical,

mechanical and fluid power. Most applications use combination of
three methods to obtain efficienct overall system.

Fluid power can transmit power economically over greater distances

than mechanical types but restricted to shorter distances than electrical
systems.

Fluid power is versatile and manageable, it is not hindered by the

geometry of machine as in case of mechanical system.

Advantages:
1)Ease and accuracy of control: By the use of simple levers and push
buttons, operator can start, stop, speed up and slow down and position
forces with very close tolerances.
Drawbacks of fluid power

Hydraulic oils are messy, leakage is impossible to eliminate

completely

Hydraulic lines can burst resulting in injuries to people due to high

speed oil jets and flying pieces of metal if proper design is not
implemented.

Prolong exposure to loud noise, such as that produced by pumps can

result in loss of hearing.

Hydraulic oil can cause fire if leaks.

Components of a fluid power system
Six basic components are required in hydraulic system
1.A Tank (Reservoir) to hold the hydraulic oil
2.A pump to force the oil through the system
3.An electric motor or other source to drive the pump
4.Valves to control oil direction, pressure and flow rate
5.An actuator to convert the pressure of the oil into mechanical force
or torque to do useful work
6.Piping which carry oil from one location to other
 Input / Output

Force input on a hydraulic

system or component results
in transfer of power to output
of force by the system or
component.
 Pump

Functions in a hydraulic
system by pressurizing and
moving fluid from one part
of the system to another.
Hydraulic pumps are usually one
of four types:

PISTON
GEAR
VANE
INTERNAL ROTOR
 Piston Pumps
• Work well at PSI’s of 2000 or more
• Single piston pump used in bottle jacks
• Require several pistons working together to
generate enough volume for tractor
applications
• Necessarily involve many moving parts
 Gear Pumps
• Work well at 1500 PSI and below
• Work with a minimum of moving
parts
• Less expensive to manufacture
than piston type pumps
Gear
Pump driven gear

idler gear
 Hydraulic Motor

Receives power from moving

fluid to transfer hydraulic
power to mechanical rotating
force.
 Cylinder/Actuator

Piece of equipment that

transfers hydraulic power
into mechanical movement
in one or two directions
only.
Hydraulic Cylinder
 Single-acting
Refers to a hydraulic cylinder
that works in one direction
only.
Double-acting
Refers to a hydraulic
cylinder that pushes and
pulls.
Single-acting
cylinder
Double-acting
Cylinder
 Piston
Internal component of a
hydraulic cylinder that is
moved in a linear motion by
the action of fluid introduced
into the cylinder.
 Shaft

The polished round bar that

is extended from and
retracted into a hydraulic
cylinder.
 Stroke
The length of movement that a
hydraulic cylinder is capable
of producing.
 Seal
Found in hydraulic
components; function is to
keep fluid from leaking
between moving and non-
moving parts
 Check Valve
Restricts flow of fluid to only one direction;
allows pressure to build up or be maintained.
 Spool Valve
Controls direction of flow of fluid in a hydraulic system
to cause the different parts of the system to function.
 Hydraulic power transmission
• Hydraulic power transmission:
Hydro = water, aulos = pipe
The means of power transmission is a liquid (pneumatic  gas)
Hydrodynamic power transmission: Hydrostatic power transmission:
• Turbo pump and turbine • Positive displacement pump
• Power transmission by kinetic • Creates high pressure and
energy of the fluid through a transmission line and
control elements this pressure
• Still the relative spatial position is
drives an actuator (linear or
fixed
rotational)
• Compact units
• The relative spatial position is
arbitrary but should not be very
large because of losses (< 50 m)
A continuously variable transmission is possible
Most of this lecture will be about hydrostatic systems (in common language it is
also called simply hydraulics)
 Structure of a hydrostatic drive

Aggregate Control Actuator

elements

Pump, motor Valves, Elements doing

Fluid reservoir determining the work
path, pressure, flow • Linear
Pressure relief
rate of the working • Rotational
valve
fluid
Filter • Swinging
Piping These components and their interaction is the subject of
this semester
 A typical hydraulic system

1 – pump
2 – oil tank
3 – flow control valve
4 – pressure relief valve
5 – hydraulic cylinder
6 – directional control valve
7 – throttle valve
2005/2006 I. Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems 47
 Advantages of hydrostatic drives
 Simple method to create linear movements
 Creation of large forces and torques, high energy density
 Continuously variable movement of the actuator
 Simple turnaround of the direction of the movement, starting
possible under full load from rest
 Low delay, small time constant because of low inertia
 Simple overload protection (no damage in case of overload)
 Simple monitoring of load by measuring pressure
 Arbitrary positioning of prime mover and actuator
 Large power density (relatively small mass for a given power
compared to electrical and mechanical drives)
 Robust (insensitive against environmental influences)
 Disadvantages of hydrostatic drives

 Working fluid is necessary (leakage problems, filtering, etc.)

 It is not economic for large distances
Hydraulic fluid

Hydraulic fluid characteristic have crucial effect on equipment

performance and life. Clean, high quality fluid achieve efficient
hydraulic system operation.

Modern hydraulic system contain fluid with special additives to

provide desired characteristics

Hydraulic fluid has the following four primary functions

1.Transmit power
2.Lubricate moving parts
3.Seal clearances between mating parts
4.Dissipate heat
Hydraulic fluid

Hydraulic fluid characteristic have crucial effect on equipment

performance and life. Clean, high quality fluid achieve efficient
hydraulic system operation.

Modern hydraulic system contain fluid with special additives to

provide desired characteristics

Hydraulic fluid has the following four primary functions

1.Transmit power

2.Lubricate moving parts

3.Seal clearances between mating parts

Hydraulic fluid should have following properties

1.Good lubricity
2.Ideal viscosity
3.Chemical stability
4.Compatibility with system materials
5.High degree of incompressibility
6.Fire resistance
7.Good heat transfer capability
8.Low density
9.Foam resistance
10.Nontoxicity
11.Low volatility
Fluids

It refers to both Gases and Liquids

Liquid is a fluid that for a given mass, will have a definite volume
independent of the shape of its container.
Liquids are considered to be
incompressible i.e. their volume does not
change with pressure change. This is not
exactly true, but the change in volume
due to pressure changes is so small that
it is ignored for most engineering
applications.

Gases are readily compressible, their

volume will vary to fill vessel containing
Properties of fluids are density, pressure, compressibility, viscosity
and viscosity index.

1.Specific weight, density and specific gravity

Weight: All objects solids or fluids are pulled towards the center of
the earth by the force of attraction. This force is called as weight
and is proportional to the object mass, and defined by

F = W = mg

Specific weight: It is the ratio of weight of fluid to its volume,

denoted by symbol ϒ.
2. Force, Pressure and Head

Pressure is defined as force per unit area, i.e. amount of force acting
over unit area

P = F/A

Head: 1 meter height of water is commonly called a pressure head

Bulk modulus

Mathematically it is defined by following equation

Viscosity

It is single most important property of hydraulic fluid. It is measure

of fluid resistance to flow, when fluid viscosity is low, the fluid
flows easily and is thin in appearance.

Ideal viscosity for a given hydraulic system is a compromise.

Too high viscosity results in

1.High resistance to flow, sluggish operation

2.Increased power consumption due to frictional losses
3.Increased pressure drop through valves and lines
4.High temperatures caused by friction

Too low viscosity results in

Absolute viscosity:
Kinematic viscosity

Calculations in hydraulic system often involve the use of kinematic

viscosity rather than absolute viscosity. It is the ratio of absolute
viscosity to the density of fluid. Unit m2/s
 Hydraulic fluids - tasks
They have the following primary tasks:
o Power transmission (pressure and motion
transmission)
o Signal transmission for control

Secondary tasks:
o Lubrication of rotating and translating
components to avoid friction and wear
o Heat transport, away from the location of heat
generation, usually into the reservoir
o Transport of particles to the filter
o Protection of surfaces from chemical attack,
especially corrosion
 Hydraulic fluids - requirements

 Functional
o Good lubrication characteristics
o Viscosity should not depend strongly on
temperature and pressure
o Good heat conductivity
o Low heat expansion coefficient
o Large elasticity modulus

 Economic
o Low price
o Slow aging and thermal and chemical stability 
long life cycle
 Hydraulic fluids - requirements (contd.)
 Safety
o High flash point or in certain cases not
inflammable at all
o Chemically neutral (not aggressive at all
against all materials it touches)
o Low air dissolving capability, not inclined to
foam formation

 Environmental friendliness
o No environmental harm
o No toxic effect
 Hydraulic fluid types

1. Water (3%)
2. Mineral oils (75%)
3. Not inflammable fluids (9%)
4. Biologically degradable fluids
(13%)
5. Electrorheological fluids (in
development)
 Hydraulic fluid types (contd.)
1. Water:
- Clear water
- Water with additives

o Oldest fluid but nowadays there is a renaissance

o Used where there is an explosion or fire danger or hygienic problem:
Food and pharmaceutical industry, textile industry, mining
Advantages:
 No environmental pollution
 No disposal effort
 Cheap
 No fire or explosion danger
 Available everywhere
 4 times larger heat conduction coefficient than mineral
oils
 2 times higher compression module than mineral oils
 Viscosity does not depend strongly on temperature
 Hydraulic fluid types (contd.)
1. Water:

Disadvantages:
 Bad lubrication characteristics
 Low viscosity (problem of sealing, but
has good sides: low energy losses)
 Corrosion danger
 Cavitation danger (relatively high
vapour pressure)
 Limited temperature interval of
applicability (freezing, evaporating)

Consequences: needs low tolerances and very good materials (plastics, ceramics,
stainless steel)  components are expensive
 Hydraulic fluid types (contd.)
2. Mineral oil:
- Without additives
- With additives
o „Conventional” use, stationary hydraulics
o Always mixtures of different oils, often with additives
Additives:
- decrease corrosion
- increase life duration
- improve temperature dependence of viscosity
- improve particle transport

Advantages: Disadvantages:
 Good lubrication  Inflammable
 High viscosity (good for sealing,  Environmental pollution
bad for losses)
 Cheap
 Hydraulic fluid types (contd.)
3. Non inflammable fluids:
- Contains water
- Does not contain water
o mines, airplane production, casting, rolling, where there is explosion
and fire danger
o Water-oil emulsions (oil synthetic) or water-free synthetic liquids

Disadvantages:
 Higher density, higher losses, more inclination to cavitation
 Limited operational temperature < 55 °C
 Worse lubrication characteristics, reduction of maximum load
 Worse de-aeration characteristics
 Sometimes chemically aggressive against sealing
materials
 Hydraulic fluid types (contd.)
4. Biologically degradable fluids:
- Natural
- Synthetic

o Environmental protection, water protection

o Agricultural machines
o Mobile hydraulics

Characteristics similar to mineral oils but much more

expensive.
If the trend continues its usage expands, price will drop.