Hydraulics can be a term used for the study of liquids and how liquids function, but most people think of its use in engineering when they hear the term. Hydraulic systems work by using pressurized fluid to power an engine. These hydraulic presses put pressure on a small amount of fluid in order to generate a large amount of power.
Hydraulic systems are made up of four main components. You can go through this article to know more about the functioning of different parts of hydraulics systems.
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The Reservoir: This is where the liquid is held. The reservoir also transfers heat into the hydraulic system and helps remove air and different types of moisture from the stored fluid.
The Pump: The pump is responsible for moving mechanical energy into the system. It does so by moving the fluid in the reservoir. There are a number of different types of hydraulic pumps available, and each works in a slightly different way.
Valves: The valves in the system are used to start and stop the system and direct where the fluid moves. Valves contain a number of spools or poppets. They may be actuated through electrical, manual, hydraulic, pneumatic, or mechanical methods.
Actuators: These devices take the generated hydraulic energy and change it back to mechanical energy for use. This may be done in several different ways. The system may use a hydraulic motor to generate rotary motion, or it could be done using a hydraulic cylinder to create linear motion.
