Fundamentals of !

Fluid Power

Week Two Homework Problems

1. How does temperature influence the force and volumetric efficiencies of a cylin-
der?

2. Two parallel plates separated by 15 cm move with a relative velocity of 5 m/s.

How much force per unit area is required to maintain the velocity difference if
the fluid separating the plates is (a) water with µ = 1 cP (b) SAE 30 motor oil
with µ = 200 cP and (c) honey with µ = 10,000 cP?

3. A 3.5 cm diameter pipe with 0.5 mm roughness passes water at 5 × 10−5 m3 /s.
Using ρ = 1, 000 kg/m3 and µ = 1 cP , calculate (a) the Reynolds number and
(b) the friction factor.

4. Water, SAE 30 motor oil, and honey flow through three 25 cm diameter pipes.
Each pipe passes a volumetric flow rate of Q = 0.01 m3 /s. Assume the densi-
ties of these fluids are ρwater = 1, 000 kg/m3 , ρoil = 850 kg/m3 , and ρhoney =
1, 300 kg/m3 , and the viscosities are those listed in Problem 2.

(a) What is the Reynolds number for each of the three flows?
(b) Are the flows laminar, turbulent, or in the transition regime?

5. ISO VG 15 oil (ρ = 860 kg/m3 ) is pumped from one atmospheric reservoir to

another through a smooth, 2 cm diameter pipe at a volumetric flow rate of 8
liters per minute. The maximum operating pressure of the pump is 500 kPa
(gauge). Use the Fluid Power System Dynamics textbook to determine the
fluid viscosity as a function of temperature, and calculate the maximum pipe
length between the two reservoirs when the oil temperature is (a) 0◦ C and (b)
30◦ C.

6. You are tasked with routing fluid (ρ = 860 kg/m3 ) from a hydraulic power
supply to a manifold block. At your disposal are 45◦ and 90◦ fittings, and
an expansion component to “step up” from the power supply outlet bore to
the larger manifold inlet bore (this can be modeled as an “exit”). The fitting
coefficients are listed in Fluid Power System Dynamics. If Q=17 liters per
 minute and the pipe diameter is 1.9 cm, what is the pressure drop across each
of these components?
7. Water (ν = 8.9×10−7 m2 /s) flows through a smooth circular pipe at a volumetric
flow rate of 15 liters per minute. Assuming transition begins at Re=2,000, what
is the smallest diameter pipe that can pass this flow rate entirely in the laminar
flow regime?
8. A simple hydraulic press can be constructed with only five components: a pump,
a reservoir, a pressure relief valve, a three-position, four-way control valve, and
a hydraulic cylinder. Using these five components, design a hydraulic circuit
that could operate as a hydraulic press. Draw the corresponding schematic.
9. A “clamp and drill” circuit includes a clamping mechanism (a cylinder) and a
drilling mechanism (a motor). Using the circuit you designed for Problem 8 as
a starting point, draw the schematic diagram for a clamp and drill circuit that
allows for independent control of the clamping and drilling actions.
10. Design a hydraulic circuit that uses a three-position, four-way valve to control
the extension and retraction of two cylinders. In this circuit, it is desirable for
one cylinder to extend while the other retracts at the same speed. Draw the
schematic diagram for your circuit. What must be true about the actuators for
this circuit to operate properly?
11. Describe the operation of the circuit below. What is the purpose of the needle
valve?