Modern hydraulics have their basis in the ancient world. Our ancestors soon recognised the power of water and how it flows as being something they could use. We have taken their ideas and developed even bigger and better inventions using different fluid types. It’s seen the creation of a Hydraulic Power Pack. Like that from Hydra Products, to create even more power. Modern hydraulics don’t just rely on water. Instead, they now use complex fluids to make needed power and pressure.
Hydraulics cover anything involving fluid and a liquid source to move and lift objects or power machinery. The earliest and most common example of this would be the watermill. The wheel outside the building is turned constantly by the river. This turns the mill inside and grinds the wheat for bread flour. This idea is used to turn turbines to generate electricity. This is also seen as a green option, although the building of dams can have severe environmental impacts.
Industrial hydraulics that you see in excavators and diggers use a similar principle. However, water lacks the weight of a viscous fluid. Viscosity relates to the thickness of the liquid. For the most part, this is oil-based. The fluid needs to be thick enough to generate pressure when it needs to move the excavator warm up and thin enough to allow the arm back into position.