along channels for irrigation and domesticpurposes, using dams and sluice gates to controlthe flow. The ancient Cretans had an elaborateplumbing system. Archimedes studied the laws offloating and submerged bodies. The Romansconstructed aqueducts to carry water to theircities.After the breakup of the ancient world, therewere few new developments for many centuries.Then, over a comparatively short period,beginning near the end of the seventeenth century,Italian physicist, Evangelista Torricelle, Frenchphysicist, Edme Mariotte, and later, DanielBernoulli conducted experiments to study theelements of force in the discharge of waterthrough small openings in the sides of tanks andthrough short pipes. During the same period,Blaise Pascal, a French scientist, discovered thefundamental law for the science of hydraulics.Pascal’s law states that increase in pressure onthe surface of a confined fluid is transmittedundiminished throughout the confining vessel orsystem (fig. 1-1). (This is the basic principle ofhydraulics and is covered in detail in chapter 2of this manual.)For Pascal’s law to be made effective forpractical applications, it was necessary to have apiston that “fit exactly.” It was not until the latterpart of the eighteenth century that methods werefound to make these snugly fitted parts requiredin hydraulic systems. This was accomplished bythe invention of machines that were used to cutand shape the necessary closely fitted parts and,particularly, by the development of gaskets andpackings. Since that time, components such asvalves, pumps, actuating cylinders, and motorshave been developed and refined to makehydraulics one of the leading methods of trans-mitting power.Figure 1-1.—Force transmitted through fluid.Use of HydraulicsThe hydraulic press, invented by EnglishmanJohn Brahmah, was one of the first work-able pieces of machinery developed that usedhydraulics in its operation. It consisted of aplunger pump piped to a large cylinder and a ram.This press found wide use in England because itprovided a more effective and economical meansof applying large forces in industrial uses.Today, hydraulic power is used to operatemany different tools and mechanisms. In agarage, a mechanic raises the end of an auto-mobile with a hydraulic jack. Dentists and barbersuse hydraulic power, through a few strokes of acontrol lever, to lift and position their chairs toa convenient working height. Hydraulic doorstopskeep heavy doors from slamming. Hydraulicbrakes have been standard equipment on auto-mobiles since the 1930s. Most automobiles areequipped with automatic transmissions that arehydraulically operated. Power steering is anotherapplication of hydraulic power. Constructionworkers depend upon hydraulic power for theoperation of various components of theirequipment. For example, the blade of a bulldozeris normally operated by hydraulic power.During the period preceding World War II,the Navy began to apply hydraulics to navalmechanisms extensively. Since then, navalapplications have increased to the point wheremany ingenious hydraulic devices are used in thesolution of problems of gunnery, aeronautics, andnavigation. Aboard ship, hydraulic power is usedto operate such equipment as anchor windlasses,cranes, steering gear, remote control devices, andpower drives for elevating and training guns androcket launchers. Elevators on aircraft carriers usehydraulic power to transfer aircraft from thehangar deck to the flight deck and vice versa.Hydraulics and pneumatics (chapter 11) arecombined for some applications. This combina-tion is referred to as hydropneumatics. A nexample of this combination is the lift used ingarages and service stations. Air pressure isapplied to the surface of hydraulic fluid in areservoir. The air pressure forces the hydraulicfluid to raise the lift.STATES OF MATTERThe material that makes up the universe isknown as matter. Matter is defined as anysubstance that occupies space and has weight.1-3
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