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The hydraulic system?

The hydraulic system?

This is a set of hydraulic components that pressurise a fluid in order to perform mechanical work. The difference in pressure between two zones enables a section of the equipment to be actuated, thereby creating movement. Widely used in the industrial world, this process is ideal for operating components that require considerable force. These include hydraulic systems for equipment, steering, braking and transmission. The fluids used are non-compressible fluids, such as oil. But what is a hydraulic system made up of and how does it work? Although there are many different hydraulic systems, there are four main parts: the power unit, the control, the actuators and the distribution.

The generating set

Consisting of a pump, a reservoir and a drive motor, the power pack allows fluid to circulate in the hydraulic system. A flow is created by pressurising the liquid, which is then redirected to the reservoir. There are several types of pump: gear pumps (widely used in mobile and industrial applications), hand pumps, agricultural pumps, double pumps and single pumps. The reservoir must have a sufficient volume of oil to compensate for variations in level (the level must be high enough so that the pump does not suck in air). The motor recovers hydraulic energy from the pump and converts it into mechanical energy (using actuators). This generator set also has a safety valve to prevent accidents.

The control

The control manages the system's pressure and flow rate, adding more or less pressure. It consists of a pressure limiter, which is essential to avoid potential serious accidents in the event of overpressure (in this situation, it will return the excess fluid to the tank). It will also need a motor pressure regulator, a flow divider and a flow regulator.

Actuators

These convert the hydraulic energy transmitted by the fluid into mechanical energy. They enable heavy equipment to move. This conversion is carried out using rotary movements and linear translation movements. Hydraulic linear actuators are also known as hydraulic cylinders. These cylinders receive hydraulic energy and convert it into mechanical force. They are cylindrical in shape and separated by pistons. The two chambers are equipped with one or more hydraulic fluid inlet and outlet holes, and are isolated from each other. This means that when a pressurised inlet is triggered in another chamber, the piston is released, generating a mechanical movement.

The distribution section

This part allows the liquid to pass through the circuit while controlling the direction of the fluid in the system. The fluid passes through the hydraulic distributor using a lever. It modifies the operation of the circuit in order to set cylinders in motion and turn pumps. There are several flow rates for directional valves. The oil stored in the reservoir is set in motion by a pump. Hydraulic power is calculated from the relationship between pressure and flow, which are supplied by the pumps. Circuit efficiency is the ratio between input and output power. In simple terms, the strength of the hydraulic system is based on the pressure difference between two zones. To choose the right hydraulic power unit, it is important to define the desired flow rate, and therefore the power rating required, taking into account the effort the hydraulic power unit will have to provide.

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