Out of all the materials available on the earth, only a few satisfy the design and regularity requirements for use in surgical instruments. In this article, we will evaluate the important properties needed to be considered for surgical instruments. Mechanical Properties We know that different metals have very different properties. Finding the best properties to …
Although aircrafts have evolved a lot since the WWI, the major components of an aircraft have remained same. The location, size and type of the components may vary from a Cessna 172 to Boeing 727, however the primary functionality of the components remains same. Major parts of an Airplane Powerplant Fuselage Wings Empennage Landing gear …
Hydraulic pumps are omnipresent and used in applications ranging from mud pumping (drilling site) to movement of the antenna in space stations. They convert the mechanical energy supplied by the motor to hydraulic energy. It develops the flow of fluid at the required pressure to overcome the external load. A hydraulic pump is a critical …
The modern day hydraulic system has a very close resemblance to the human body. The heart does the work of a pump by pumping blood into all the parts of the body. The brain is the central unit controlling eyes and ears (sensors), and human muscles which work as output devices that perform various tasks. …
Let us take a look at density before we deep dive (or float!) into the science of buoyancy. Density is the ratio of weight of the object to the volume of the object. The density of water is 1g/cm3 and 8g/cm3 for steel. Whenever we place an object on water (or on any fluid), it displaces …
Nanofluids are fluids containing nanometer (~1-100*10-9m) sized particles. It is engineered colloidal suspension of solid state nano-particles in a base fluid. Experiments suggest that the colloidal mixture has a higher heat transfer co-efficient compared to the base fluid. This is proving extremely useful as electronic devices get smaller and smaller with heat rejection becoming more …
A hydraulic circuit represents all the hydraulic components in a system. This includes the arrangement of the components and the behavior of the system as a whole in a universally accepted symbolic manner. In this article we will discuss the most common hydraulic symbols as represented in ISO 1219-1:2012. Armed with knowledge of how basic hydraulic …
Fluid collectively represents liquid and gas, and the study of the movement (flow) of fluid is known as “Fluid Mechanics”. This is one of the oldest sciences which our ancestors tried to decipher. As “homo sapiens” started farming and living together, they saw the need to transport water (and later on sewage). Thus, began the …
A Basic, Idiot’s Guide to Fluid Mechanics …and its role in our lives Read More »
If your answer to the above questions is “NO”, then consider yourself lucky. You are in for a treat today. In this article we will have a very brief introduction of aerodynamics and aerodynamic forces and then, look at frequently happening events around us. We will try to decipher how aerodynamics influence these actions which …
It is always a lively debate between design engineers when looking to select the appropriate fluid power system for their application. No system is perfect and hence the selection is always a trade off between certain parameters to get the most appropriate system at minimum initial and running cost. Hydraulic systems offer maximum power to …
Imagine yourself sitting in a roller coaster, waiting for the operator to press the button or pull the lever to start the ride. In technical terms, you are waiting for him to actuate a DCV (Direction control valve). Yes, new tech roller coasters work on hydraulic systems to gain quick acceleration. A very good example …
Selection guide for DCV (Direction Control Valve) Read More »
The choice between a hydraulic and pneumatic system is a very complicated question which each and every system design engineer will have to face at-least once in their lifetime. A knowledge of hydraulic & pneumatic systems would benefit most design engineers in their professional journey. This article will help you to understand the situations in …
Hydraulic systems are widely used in aircrafts to control actuation of landing gear, flaps, rudders and brakes. The reasons behind the usage of hydraulic system is that it has the capability to provide extremely high force and accurate control. Size is a critical factor in aircrafts and hydraulic systems provide maximum power to size ratio. …
Have you ever wondered why the landing gears of Boeing 787 Dreamliner (and in fact all commercial aircrafts) use hydraulics and not electronic or mechanical power transmission? The reason is that unlike most mechanical and electrical systems, “fluid power systems” (hydraulics and pneumatics) are more reliable and are better able to withstand shock and dampen …
As discussed in the previous article, the hydraulic power pack is the heart of a complete hydraulic system. It stores and supplies fluid from the reservoir, just like the human heart and pumps the fluid into the complete hydraulic system at the desired pressure and flow rate. Pressure gauges and pressure relief valves are attached on …
Hydraulic systems are everywhere in mechanical systems and made of a variety of standard components. With properly located and perfectly designed components, the hydraulic system should generate a minimum of heat (waste energy) and operate with minimum maintenance. In this article we will look over some of the primary systems that make up a hydraulic …
When it comes to aircraft, hydraulic systems are often the preferable choice when compared to electrical and mechanical systems. This is certainly the case with the Boeing 747 landing gear. However, this still leaves the question: why would we not use a pneumatic system instead of hydraulics? Compared to hydraulics, pneumatic systems offer several advantages: Hydraulic systems requires oil …
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