A Venturi meter is an instrument that measures flow that features a converging piece of pipe to intentionally increase the velocity of the flow and in turn, a pressure drop. From this behaviour the flowrate can be determined. Venturi meters have been a common tool and have been used in the water supply industry for …
Head loss is potential energy converted into kinetic energy. Head loss is defined as the pressure loss due to viscous effects over a certain distance of pipe for an incompressible fluid, also including the additional losses accrued by fixtures etc. Head loss cannot be avoided in real fluids, and its importance is relative to the …
Hydraulic fluid is a versatile, multi-function necessity for machinery everywhere. You would be hard pressed to find a machine that doesn’t require hydraulic fluid to maintain performance and reduce component wear as hydraulic systems are hard on the parts within them. As a business that operates machinery, there is also the requirement to comply with …
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. …
Needle valves are used to accurately control flow rate. They are also suitable as reliable shut off valves. Common sizes are from 1/8” up to 2”. Adjustments are gradual and smooth. A disadvantage of needle valves is the relatively large pressure drop. Function of needle valves Needle valves have a long-threaded plunger with a needle-shaped …
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 …
A ball valve is a quarter turn valve that can control the flow of a gas or liquid through a hollow pivoting ball, as seen in Figure 1. They are often chosen for their reliability, durability, good sealing, wide range of media options, and long service life even when used infrequently. This article will discuss …
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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