Fluid Power Basics
Figure 1. Students using the Portable Fluid Power Demonstrator (PFPD) during a workshop at Purdue University. Once they understand how the system operates and put it together, they use it to try to move specific pieces of material.Copyright 2009 Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power, Purdue University
Students learn about the fundamental concepts important to fluid power, which includes both pneumatic (gas) and hydraulic (liquid) systems. Both systems contain four basic components: reservoir/receiver, pump/compressor, valve, cylinder. Students learn background information about fluid power—both pneumatic and hydraulic systems—including everyday applications in our world (bulldozers, front-end loaders, excavators, chair height lever adjustors, door closer dampers, dental drills, vehicle brakes) and related natural laws. After a few simple teacher demos, they learn about the four components in all fluid power systems, watch two 26-minute online videos about fluid power, complete a crossword puzzle of fluid power terms, and conduct a task card exercise. This prepares them to conduct the associated hands-on activity, using the Portable Fluid Power Demonstrator (teacher-prepared kits) to learn more about the properties of gases and liquids in addition to how forces are transmitted and multiplied within these systems.
Engineers use fluid power to impact such areas as lowering fuel consumption in the transportation industries to improving patient care in the medical industries. Fluid power can improve our quality of life when engineers and researchers investigate how to use this technology to become more efficient, compact and cost effective.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Identify devices that utilize fluid power.
- Identify and explain basic components and functions of fluid power devices.
- Differentiate between the characteristics of pneumatic and hydraulic systems.
- Calculate values in a fluid power system utilizing Pascal's law.
- Calculate flow rate, flow velocity and mechanical advantage in a hydraulic system.