What exactly is a hydraulic power unit gas-powered and why do we use it?

The term fluid power involves Hydraulics (Fluid under pressure) and Pneumatics (Air or Gas under pressure). Let’s focus on hydraulic power unit gas powered first because it is a great choice to get so much power in a much smaller package than electro-mechanical means. This is why it has become so popular in the industrial marketplace. For example, to drive a large machine requiring a lot of torque using an electric motor, the motor would have to be very large which is prohibited, so the smaller electric motor is connected to a gearbox to increase the torque. Doing the same with hydraulics only requires a small pump and motor and increasing the pressure to increase the torque.

Where and why used?

Some main components of a hydraulic drive package are the following: a hydraulic power unit gas powered, consisting of a reservoir, suction filter, pump, and electric motor, relive valve to control pressure, and a directional control valve to direct the flow to and from the driving force whether it be a hydraulic motor or a hydraulic cylinder. Other peripheral components make this up but the ones listed above will always be needed to make a complete system. I must point out that the main problem with most end-users of any machine powered by hydraulics, is that they never consider the initial poor design and lack of diagnostics to troubleshoot as the equipment malfunctions. This is the main reason I am giving you this information. This article focuses on the very basics to help explain why hydraulics is used so much in the industrial marketplace.

Manual hydraulic:

A manual hydraulic log splitter such as the popular 10-ton model can be a good way to cut down on the physical labor required when splitting logs. It can also be a good tool to help people with physical challenges provide their firewood. Manual log splitters can greatly reduce the amount of manual wood splitting required or eliminate it almost entirely. Lifting and heaving a heavy maul or ax repeatedly can lead to more than a sore back, even if you are in shape. A glancing blow to the ankle or shin with several pounds of steel will quickly put your mind on something more important than firewood.

About hydraulic:

If you or a loved one face certain physical challenges or are wheelchair-bound, a splitter built like this may be just what you need to help you stay independent, get some physical exercise, and have your firewood. Why should you have to mess around with a tractor’s PTO or the mess of a gasoline-powered model? Speaking of fuel, think of the types you’ll need if you buy a log splitter that isn’t powered by you. A gasoline-powered model will not only need gas to run but also motor oil and hydraulic power unit gas powered to top off. An electric-powered splitter seems pretty nifty until you find yourself in the woods without a five-mile extension cord. Do you want to buy a generator to haul around for power to this type of splitter? The splitters that run off a tractor’s PTO are certainly powerful, but not everyone has a tractor to use.

Hydraulic log splitters:

Hydraulic power unit gas powered splitters that are manually operated generally have less splitting power (rated in tons) than other types. While a gas-powered splitter may range in power from 15 to 30 tons, manual models will generally range from 5 to 10 tons. (The author’s favorite is the 10-ton manual log splitter.) This isn’t necessarily a minus. Manual log splitters typically are smaller and lighter. This makes them easier to move around and store. In addition, the lack of fuel fumes and exhaust might enable you to split wood between a garage or other places out of the winter weather.

Hydraulic pump:

A hydraulic pump works on the principle of converting mechanical energy and motion into hydraulic fluid power. These are capable of rotating and acting just like a motor. These are usually powered by gas or electricity and also hand and air-driven can be found or utilized. In the fluid power industry, there are three main types of this machinery used, which are namely vane, gear, and piston pumps. One will find two different kinds are used in hydraulic drive systems, are hydrostatic and hydrodynamic. The major differences between the hydrostatic are that these are positive displacement models while hydrodynamic are typically fixed of variable displacements.

These are the usual types which include gear, rotary vane, screw, bent axis, radial piston, and axial piston Swashplate principle.

Gear: This type comes with a fixed displacement and external teeth and is suitable for pressures below 3000psi. These are simple to operate, come cheap, and are durable. The major cons of a gear model are that it has a limited pressure capability, unbalanced results in large bearing loads can be noisy and because it is working at a constant displacement, their work is less efficient.

Vane: This type is chiefly driven by an outside engine that rotates at a continuous speed. A similar amount of fluid is pumped with each rotation, which is regardless of how much pressure there is in the system. Its major advantages are reliability and simple operation. One will certainly find an option of variable displacement and this type has a higher pressure capability as compared to the gear type, as it operates in pressures up to 180 bars. Expensive and more complex are the two major disadvantages of this particular type.

Axial Piston: This particular type contains pistons that are arranged in a circular array within a cylinder block, which serves as its housing. It has a variable design and contains the highest volumetric efficiency and pressure capability. These are the two prime advantages of hydraulic power unit gas powered. These work well for pressure up to 350 bars. It is more sensitive to oil contamination and is expensive; these are a few inconveniences one will encounter with this model.

Radial Piston: The Radial Piston pumps are in disparity with axial piston types. These contain pistons that are arranged in a symmetrical and radial direction around a drive shaft. The major benefits of these are highly reliable, work efficiently, and are capable to create a minimum level of noise. This type operates through pressures around 650 bars. Its bigger radial dimensions and higher cost are a few drawbacks of this type.