Hydraulic Systems: Functioning and Applications

Key Points

• 1Hydraulic systems are based on Pascal’s law.
• 2In a hydraulic system, pressure is created by applying a force to a fluid.
• 3Hydraulics have advantages over mechanical methods: smooth movements, high power-to-weight ratio.
• 4There are six general components: pumps, pipes, valves, actuators, tank, and sensors.
• 5Worldwide, the hydraulics market is $45-50 billion and growing.
• 6Hydraulic systems have an overall energy efficiency of 30-40%.