Chapter 1
An Introduction to Fluid Power 3
1.1 Fluid Power Defined
Fluid power is the use of a confined fluid flowing under pressure to transmit
power from one location to another. It is one of three commonly used methods
of transmitting power in an industrial setting; the others are electrical and
mechanical power transmission: Electrical power transmission uses an electric
current flowing through a wire to transmit power. Its main advantage is its abil-
ity to transmit power over large distances very quickly. The most obvious exam-
ple is the use of electricity to transmit power from the power plant to our
homes. Mechanical power transmission uses gears, pulleys, chains, and other
such devices to transmit power over short distances with a large degree of rigid-
ity. A simple example is the use of a chain on a bicycle to transmit power from
the pedals to the rear wheel. It is not uncommon to find all three forms of
power transmission on a single machine.
Two of the most important advantages of fluid power transmission are its
ability to multiply force and its flexibility to change direction quickly without
damage to the system. Multiplication of force is discussed in detail in Chapter 2.
The flexibility of fluid power results because the medium of transmission is a
flowing fluid, which allows flexible hoses to be used. This makes it very easy to
change direction and transmit the power through angles.
1.2 Hydraulics versus Pneumatics
Fluid power is divided into two areas: hydraulics and pneumatics. Hydraulics
is the transmission of power through a liquid, most commonly petroleum-
based oil. Pneumatics is the use of a gas, usually air. The fundamental differ-
ence between air and oil is that air is compressible, while oil is relatively incom-
pressible. This leads to advantages and disadvantages that determine which
should be used in a given application. The compressibility of air causes a pneu-
matic system to behave in a "springy" fashion. When a valve is shifted and the
air is allowed to flow, it expands very quickly, resulting in quick response time.
In addition to this quickness, however, the compressibility of air makes it more
difficult to control a pneumatic system with precision. Due to the incom-
pressibility of oil, hydraulic systems move more slowly but are capable of
higher precision In general, hydraulic systems are usually preferred for appli-
cations that require:
1. high power/large load capacity,
2. precise positioning, and
3. smooth movement.
Pneumatics is well suited for applications that require:
1. low power/light to moderate load capacity,
2. low to moderate precision, and
3. quick response.
Many of the basic concepts of fluid power are similar whether we are using
air or oil, while others are affected by the difference in compressibility. The first
part of this text covers hydraulics because the compressibility of air makes a
pneumatic system slightly more complicated to analyze. Pneumatics is covered
in the latter part of the text, where the similarities and differences between
hydraulics and pneumatics are discussed in detail.
1.3 Standards
As with most other industries, the fluid power industry has governing bodies that
promote standardization. The National Fluid Power Association (NFPA,
www.nfpa.com) is the most prominent organization in this industry. The NFPA
sets standards such as cylinder sizes, mounting styles for components, testing
methods for fluid power devices, and numerous others. It also promotes the
fluid power industry and gathers statistical information on industry sales and
forecasts. Other standards organizations in this field are the American Society for
Testingand Materials (ASTM, www.astm.org) and the Society of Automotive Engi-
neers (SAE, www.sae.org). ASTM and SAE are involved with setting standards in
many segments of industry, including the fluid power industry.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI, www.ansi.org) coordinates
the efforts of organizations, such as those just mentioned, whose responsibilities
overlap. It does not develop standards, but ensures that there is a truly national
standard by establishing a consensus among the concerned parties. The Interna-
tional Standards Organization (ISO, www.iso.ch) performs a similar function on
the international level. It is important to note that these standards are not
mandatory, but it is generally in everyone's best interest to have standardization.
Standardization allows compatibility, interchangeability, and components to be
compared with one another on a level playing field.
1.4 Applications
There are actually two types of fluid systems used in industry: fluid transfer and
fluid power. The purpose of a fluid transfer system is to simply move a fluid from
one location to another We encounter this type of system regularly when we
 An Introduction to Fluid Power 5
Chapter 1

1.6 Units
stop at the gas station The purpose of the gasoline pump is simply to transfer
the gas from the holding tank to our gas tank. Other incJude the water Due to the international nature of today's marketplace, it is important to be
and oil pumps in our vehicJes Their objective is simply to keep the fluid familiar with both the U.S. customary and metric (51) units. These unit systems
circulating, which requires only minimal pressure because the resistance is small. are used side by side throughout the text Common units for both systems and
Fluid power systems have as their objective the transmission of power They conversion factors are given in the appendix for quick reference.
move large loads, which creates large resistances, and therefore must be capable
of withstanding high pressures. Although this text is concerned primarily with
power, many of the concepts discussed will apply to the fluid transfer field
1.7 Review Questions
as well. I. Define fluid power.
The majority of fluid power applications fall into one of three industry seg- 2. Differentiate between hydraulics and pneumatics.
ments: mobile hydraulic,industrialhydraulic,and industrialpneumatic Mobile 3. Describe the difference between fluid transfer and fluid power
c applications incJude excavating equipment such as backhoes and bull- applications.
farm equipment, and other vehicJes such as garbage trucks that use 4. What are the three principal application areas for fluid power?'
cs to compact trash. Industrial hydraulic applications include machining
5. What are the three categories that most fluid power companies fit
equipment, robots, presses, stamping equipment, and other machines used in into?
factories and machine shops. Components used in mobile hydraulics tend to be
6. List the governing bodies that set the ~tandards for the fluid power
of lighter construction than those used in industrial hydraulic systems because industry. How do ANSI and ISO differ from the others?
is a significant factor and they usually undergo fewer cycles over a given
time Industrial hydraulic components are often more robust because
they must operate almost continuously over long periods, with as little down-
time as and weight is not normally a concern. Industrial pneumatic
applications include air tools, automated manufacturing and assembly, and oth-
ers to the NFPA, mobile hydraulics is the largest segment, compris-
50% of fluid power equipment sales. Industrial hydraulics and pneumatics
each account for 250ft]of total sales.

1.5 The Fluid Power Industry

Most fluid power companies fall into one of three broad categories: component
manufacturers,originalequipmentmanufacturers(0£/\15), and distributors Compo-
nent manufacturers produce components such as valves, cylinders, pumps,
hydraulic fluids, hoses, fittings, and seals. OEMs manufacture mobile and indus-
trial machinery, such as excavating equipment and hydraulic presses that utilize
fluid power. 0 EMs purchase items from the component manufacturers for use
in their Distributors serve as a one-stop shop for purchasing com-
ponents from a variety of manufacturers. They sell to smaller OEMs, custom
machine and end users of 111ey also provide application
engineering support and can answer most questions regarding the imple-
mentation of the comoonents thev selL Manv distributors also do reDairs and
build custom