Learning material

Hydraulics

Power transmission with liquid means
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Definition

The word Hydraulics originates from the ancient Greek words “hydro” and “aulos” and means “water” and “pipe”. Thus, hydraulics stands for the science of the flow behaviour of liquids. Hydraulics is all about pumping liquids to and fro in a closed circular flow and to perform mechanical work in this manner.

A bit History

During the 18th century, the Englishman Joseph Bramah invented the first hydraulic press powered by water pressure, which worked according to the hydrostatic law by Blaise Pascal. The so-called Bramah Press worked such that a piston was pressed and the resulting power was multiplied. Joseph Bramah pressed down the piston of a water-filled cylinder with a lever and with less effort. The resulting pressure on the water was then passed on to other cylinders and was thereby strengthened. At the end, an object with great power was compressed.

The advantages of hydraulics are that ...

Liquids can be stored under pressure
Pressurized liquids can be transported over long distances without major pressure loss
The pressure on liquids is maintained for a relatively long time and hardly changes
No force is lost when performing movements
Many movements can be realized with hydraulic cylinders without complex mechanics
A high positioning accuracy can be realized
It is possible to generate high forces and torques easily
Uniform movements are easy to implement

 

We want to explain these advantages and lots of other interesting information to you with the Hydraulics construction kit.
We also want to show you how hydraulic components work. We will explain the individual components step by step and show you how they work. The kit also contains numerous model examples that show how hydraulics can be used.

The fischertechnik hydraulic system

 

  • Working cylinder

    This is usually empty and retracted at the start. As soon as pressure is applied to the control cylinder and water flows from the control cylinder through a hose into the working cylinder, the working cylinder is automatically extended and filled with water. The working cylinder fills with water just as quickly as the control cylinder is emptied.

  • Locking rail

    You can use the locking rail to fix the control cylinder in a desired position. This is done simply by snapping the locking rail into the strut adapter. With the locking rail locked in this way, the control cylinder and therefore also the working cylinder are fixed in the desired position. Both cylinders can now neither retract nor extend.

  • Control cylinder

    The control cylinder is usually initially filled with liquid, in our case water, and extended. As soon as pressure is applied to this cylinder from above, the water is pressed out of the cylinder. The water then flows through the connected hose into the next cylinder or water tank or into the open air.

    Didactic accompanying material fischertechnik Hydraulic
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