Hydraulic Cylinders – How They Work?

Ever wondered about the huge engineering vehicles dealing with the toughest jobs in the Planet? Are you interested in knowing how the enormous power of the heavy equipments around you is developed? Then this article is written for you to know the principle behind the working of the engineering vehicles and the heavy equipments. People have a misconception that the great power of these heavy equipments from their huge sizes. The real fact is that the huge power of these heavy equipments is delivered by a single part called the hydraulic cylinders. Though the hydraulic cylinder systems will seem to be a lot complicated, the basic principle behind its operation is very simple. The working principle of the hydraulic cylinders is fascinating. Just keep on reading.

The Basic Principle

The hydraulic cylinders make use of the principle of pressurized fluid. In general, the hydraulic cylinder will comprise of 3 main parts such as a barrel in which the fluid will be filled, a piston which acts as a seal to create the desired pressure by moving back and forth and a piston rod to extract the work output of the hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic cylinders work on the principle of Pascal’s law which states that “a change in the pressure of an enclosed incompressible fluid is conveyed undiminished to every part of the fluid and to the surfaces of its container." The enormous force transmitted by the fluid (usually some kind of oil) is extracted and used for lift heavy materials. This basic hydraulic cylinder, when attached to different heavy equipments will serve different purposes. They can be used to lift heavy materials, demolish buildings, crush heavy objects etc. Basically, the hydraulic cylinders can be used in any applications that demand huge power.

The Advancements In Hydraulic Cylinders

The hydraulic cylinders are definitely the mechanical engineering marvels. With the advancements in modern mechanical engineering, the hydraulic cylinders also come with cutting edge technologies. Today there are different types of hydraulic cylinders available out there. Apart from the common tie rod style cylinders and welded body style cylinders, there are some special hydraulic cylinder styles such as the Telescopic cylinder, Differential cylinder, Plunger cylinder and Rephasing cylinder. Though these hydraulic cylinders too follow the sample principle as the conventional ones, they offer great flexibility to use them for different applications.

Bottom line

With the advancements in technology, the hydraulic cylinders have found their place in many applications. Whatever the application will be the, the basic principle of the hydraulic cylinders will be the same.