Hydraulics are one of the technological wonders of the modern world. They are used in a huge variety of different ways, with everything from hydraulic presses, being used to make coins and other items, to the types of Hydraulics used to power the surfaces of planes. Without Hydraulics the world would be a very different place. Here are 12 fascinating facts about Hydraulics, and their influence on our world.
1 -When energy is put into the hydraulic system, it comes out in one of two different ways. It is either work, which is the energy used in the actual operation of the system, or it comes out as loss in the form of heat.
2 -All hydraulic systems must contain four basic components. A reservoir which stores oil, a pump which pumps oil through the system, a valve which controls the pressure and flow of the oil, and a cylinder which converts the fluid movement into work.
3 -Hydraulic presses, like the kind made by hydraulic press manufacturers PressMaster, are used to make coins. Using immense force to compress metals into the right size and shape.
4 -The hydraulic pumps used in NASA's space shuttle operated at a massive 3600 RPM, and each one could give around 3050 PSI.
5 -Hydraulics will only work if the oil within the system is compressed to an extreme level. Otherwise it simply won't work.
6 -There is no construction of new energy in a hydraulic system. The system just converts existing energy into another form.
7 - Oil is pushed into the system, not pulled by the system itself. This is done entirely by air pressure.
8 -Two hydraulic systems can produce two different flows, from the same amount of energy output. One can be a low flow system, while the other can be a high flow system. Even when the energy is the same.
9 -There are two main types of hydraulic systems. An open center system has a varied pressure but the flow remains constant. In contrast a closed center system has a flow which is varied, but the pressure remains constant.
10 -If the flow encounters any kind of block or opening, then the pressure in the hydraulics will drop, the flow must be unrestricted.
11 -In addition to the two types of hydraulic systems, there are also two basic types of hydraulics. Hydrostatics, which use fluids at low speeds, but at a high pressure to supply power. Most hydraulic systems, like a shop press, are like this. There are also Hydrodynamics which use fluids at a higher speed, but slightly lower pressure, like a propeller.
12 -There are three main types of hydraulic energy. There is kinetic energy, this is the energy caused by moving liquids. There is heat energy, this is the energy that is the resistance to the flow. Finally there is the potential, or the pressure energy.
