Lecture notes 2

Introduction to Hydraulics with

Pneumatics & PLC’s
Fluid Power
Hydraulics and Pneumatics are examples of Fluid Power
Fluid power is prevalent, from the gas spring that holds you up in the office chair you
are sitting on, to the air drill used by dentists, to the brakes in your car, to practically
every large agriculture, construction and mining machine including harvesters, dump
trucks, drills and excavators
Fluid power is characterized by two main variables, pressure and flow, whose product is
power. Pressure P is force per unit area and flow Q is volume per time.
Because pneumatics uses compressible gas as the fluid, mass flow rate Qm is used for
the flow variable when analyzing pneumatic systems.
For hydraulics, the fluid is generally treated as incompressible, which means ordinary
volume flow Q can be used.

Principles of Hydraulics
 The word “hydraulics” generally refers to power produced by moving liquids.
Modern hydraulics is defined as the use of confined liquid to transmit power,
multiply force, or produce motion.
 Pascal: “Pressure applied on a confined fluid is transmitted in all directions with
equal force on equal areas”.


Multiplication of Force
 Since liquid, transmit the same amount of pressure in all directions.

The force transmitted to the output piston is multiplied by a

factor equal to the area ratio of the output piston to the input piston
 Figure 1 Principle of hydraulic system
At the smaller piston, which is section 1, the pressure is
𝐹1
𝑃1 =
𝐴1
While at the bigger piston, which is section 2, the pressure is
𝐹2
𝑃2 =
𝐴2
Since according to Pascal’s Law
P1=P2
𝐹1 𝐹
= 𝐴2
𝐴1 2

Components of Hydraulic/Pneumatic Systems

The following are the basic components of Hydraulic system
 Figure 2 Basic hydraulic system Components

The basic circuit of a hydraulic system (adding pressure gauges and a filter at the
suction side) is presented both in schematic and in symbol form as shown below
 Figure 3-a Schematic of hydraulic system

Figure 3-b Basic hydraulic system in symbol form

Components of Hydraulic/Pneumatic Systems
The hydraulic systems consists a number of parts for its proper functioning. These
include storage tank, filter, hydraulic pump, pressure regulator, control valve, hydraulic
cylinder, piston and leak proof fluid flow pipelines.
The schematic of a simple hydraulic system is shown in figure 3. It consists of:
 a movable piston connected to the output shaft in an enclosed cylinder
 storage tank
 filter
 pump
 pressure regulator
 control valve
 leak proof closed loop piping.

More notes on the basic functions

 Fluid: oil for hydraulic systems, air for pneumatics.
 It is filtered to remove dust or any other unwanted particles and then pumped by
the hydraulic pump
 Reservoir: storage tank.
 Hydraulic pump (compressor in pneumatics): converts the mechanical energy
into hydraulic energy by forcing fluid from the reservoir into the system.
 Fluid lines: transport the fluid to and from the pump through the hydraulic
system.
 Valves: control pressure, direction and flow rate of the hydraulic fluid.
 Actuator: converts hydraulic energy into mechanical energy to do work.

Applications
The hydraulic systems are mainly used for precise control of larger forces. The main
applications of hydraulic system can be classified in five categories:
1. Industrial: Plastic processing machineries, steel making and primary metal
extraction applications, automated production lines, machine tool industries,
paper industries, loaders, crushes, textile machineries, R & D equipment and
robotic systems etc.
2. Mobile hydraulics: Tractors, irrigation system, earthmoving equipment, material
handling equipment, commercial vehicles, tunnel boring equipment, rail
equipment, building and construction machineries and drilling rigs etc.
3. Automobiles: It is used in the systems like breaks, shock absorbers, steering
system, windshield, lift, cleaning etc.
 4. Marine applications: It mostly covers ocean vessels, fishing boats and navel
equipment.
5. Aerospace equipment: These are equipment and systems used for rudder
control, landing gear, breaks, flight control, transmission etc., which are used in
airplanes, rockets and spaceships.
Principles
Example: lifting a load
A jack using a small piston area p1= 1cm2 and area of piston p2=15cm2 with a person
applying a 2kg- Force (20N) will lift force of?
𝐹1 𝐹2
=
𝐴1 𝐴2

𝐹1
𝐹2 = 𝐴
𝐴1 2
20
𝐹2 = 𝑥15= 300N
1

Hydraulic Components
Control valves
Control valves: are valves used to control conditions such as flow, pressure, and direction of
flow.

Pressure Control Valves

A pressure control valve is used to reduce the amount of pressure in a tank or system of pipes.

Pressure control valves.

Flow Control Valves
Used to control fluid flow (volume)

Flow control valves.

Directional control valves
 Check Valves
 Directional valves

Directional control valves

  Check Valves
Directional control valves
 Directional valves

Directional valves
The valve having 4 ports and 3 positions so it is designated as a 4/3 directional control
valve.
Symbols
Symbols with detailed explanation
SYMBOL DESIGNATION EXPLANATION
ENERGY SUPPLY
Air compressor One direction of rotation only
with constant displacement
volume

Air receiver Compressed air from the

compressor is stored and
diverted to the system when
required

One direction of rotation with

constant displacement
volume

Two direction of rotation

with constant displacement
volume

Hydraulic pump Hydraulic pump

Pneumatic motor One direction and two

direction of rotation with
constant displacement
volume
 One direction and two
direction of rotation with
variable displacement

Hydraulic motor One direction and two

direction of rotation with
constant displacement
volume

One direction and two

direction of rotation with
variable displacement

Air filter This device is a combination

of filter and water separator

Dryer For drying the air

Lubricator For lubrication of connected

devices, small amount of oil
is added to the air flowing
through this device

Regulator To regulate the air pressure

 FRL unit Combined filter, regulator
and lubricator system

Direction control valves (DCVs)

2/2 way valve Two closed ports in the

closed
neutral position and flow
during actuated position

3/2 way valve In the first position flow

takes place to the cylinder
In the second position flow
takes out of the cylinder to
the exhaust (Single acting
cylinder)
4/2 way valve For double acting cylinder all
the ports are open

4/3 way valve Two open positions and one

closed neutral position

5/2 way valve Two open positions with two

exhaust ports

Direction control valve actuation methods

General manual actuation Manual operation of DCV

Push button actuation

 Lever actuation

Detent lever actuation

Foot pedal actuation Mechanical actuation of DCV

Roller lever actuation

Idle return roller actuation

Spring actuation

Direct pneumatic actuation Pneumatic actuation of DCV

NON RETURN VALVES

Check valve Allows flow in one direction
and blocks flow in other
direction
Spring loaded check valve

Shuttle/ OR valve When any one of the input is

given the output is produced

AND valve Only when both the inputs are

given output is produced

Quick exhaust valve For quick exhaust of air to

cause rapid extension/
retraction of cylinder
FLOW CONTROL VALVES
Flow control valve To allow controlled flow

Flow control valve with one To allow controlled flow in

way adjustment one direction and free flow in
other

PRESSURE CONTROL VALVES

Pressure relieving valve Non relieving type

Relieving type with overload

being vented out

Pressure reducing valve Maintains the reduced pressure

at specified location in
hydraulic system

Unloading valve Allows pump to build pressure

to an adjustable pressure
setting and then allow it to be
discharged to tank

Counter balance valve Controls the movement of

vertical hydraulic cylinder and
prevents its descend due to
external load weight
ACTUATORS
Single acting cylinder Spring loaded cylinder with
retraction taking place by
spring force

Double acting cylinder Both extension and retraction

by pneumatic/hydraulic force
Pumps used in Hydraulics

 In hydraulics, the pressure port is designated P and the return port R or T (for
tank). The two other ports are designated A and B.
 Boxes to identify normal and operating positions.
 Arrows to identify flow directions.
 In Pneumatics, the pressure port is numbered (1) and the exhaust port (3). The
other two are numbered (2) and (4).
Cylinders
 Pneumatic Circuits
 A compressor—makes air.
 A reservoir (or receiver)—stores air.
 One or more valves—control air.
 A circuit—moves air between the other components.
 An actuator or motor—uses air to do something
(See also in Lecture notes 1)
Flow control valve (with check)
Shuttle valve
A shuttle valve has two air inlets ‘P1’ and ‘P2’ and one air outlet ‘A’. When compressed
air enters through ‘P1’, the sphere will seal and block the other inlet ‘P2’. Air can then
flow from ‘P1’ to ‘A’. When the contrary happens, the sphere will block inlet ‘P1’,
allowing air to flow from ‘P2’ to ‘A’ only.

A
P1 P2

Shuttle Valve
Pneumatic circuits
 Pneumatic control systems can be designed in the form of pneumatic circuits. A
pneumatic circuit is formed by various pneumatic components, such as cylinders,
directional control valves, flow control valves, etc.
 Pneumatic circuits have the following functions:
1. To control the injection and release of compressed air in the cylinders.
 2.  To use one valve to control another valve.
 Displayed as Pneumatic circuit diagram.

Many thanks to coal handling, a source from who I used a lot of symbols in my illustrations