Force and Pressure Test

Experiment with this pressure and force simulation

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Operate the hydraulic simulation components

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Suggested exercises and observations

1. Select menu 1 (cylinder area and mass effect pressure)

♦ Increase the supply pressure until the load starts to move. Adjust the cylinder load mass and supply pressure until you understand their relationship

♦ Click the yellow arrow buttons to change the cylinder area. Adjust the pressure again to find the point at which the cylinder moves.

2. Select menu 2 (Constant pressure over an orifice) to add an orifice

♦ Change the size of the orifice but note how the pressure drop across it only changes when the cylinder is moving and there is flow through the orifice.

♦ Re-balance the supply pressure to lift the cylinder and record the pressures before and after the orifice.

3. Select menu 3 (Calculating pressure over orifice) to add the formula

♦ Compare your own calculations for flow and pressure drop against the values shown.

♦ Find the cylinder dimensions from a system you know and enter the values into the edit boxes to see how the values compare.

Experiment 1: Adjust the supply pressure and the cylinder load pressure to start the cylinder moving.

Question 1: Does the supply pressure need to be less than, equal to, a little bit more, or much greater than the load pressure for the cylinder to move?

The supply pressure must be just high enough to create flow and lift the cylinder. The load pressure sets the load so the supply pressure cannot be much higher.

Experiment 2: Add an orifice and start the cylinder moving again as in Q1

Question 2: What does the supply pressure equal now?

Supply pressure always equals the load pressure plus the orifice pressure drop.