Hydraulics - Seafish

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Segment Two — Basic
Hydraulics
Welcome to Segment Two.
In this Segment we will carry out some simple calculations
regarding the pressure and the action in a hydraulic system.
AIMS OF THE SEGMENT
v
The main aim of the Segment is to assist in achieving Objective
No. 3 on pagexiii.
On completion of this Segment you should be able to:
• Calculate forces produced by the application of hydraulic
pressure.
• Calculate the speed of response of an actuator.
• Explain how the speed of response is controlled.
BASIC CALCULATIONS FOR HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS
Hydraulic systems depend on a supply of high pressure oil, the
pressure being measured in bars or pounds per square inch
(p.s.i.) and the flow rate measured in litres per minute (l/min) or
gallons per minute (g.p.m.).
Hydraulic pressure is generated by applying a mechanical force
to a fluid and having some kind of load to resist the flow of fluid.
The force can be applied by a weight, a hand pump, a piston in a
cylinder or the mechanical action of a pump.
The flow rate depends on the physical size of the pump and its
speed of operation.
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