Research studies contamination in hydraulic valves

June 5, 2006
An engineering professor at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) will study silting and contaminant lock in hydraulic valves using analogies to granular flow. Vincent Prantil, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department, ...

An engineering professor at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) will study silting and contaminant lock in hydraulic valves using analogies to granular flow. Vincent Prantil, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department, was awarded the university's 2006-07 Otto Maha Faculty Research Fellowship. The fellowship's goal is to advance the state of the art in fluid power and motion control technologies by conducting research that can grow into a sustainable, externally funded program.

Particle contaminants blocking hydraulic flow through valves — or silting — is likely responsible for 70% of hydraulic system failures. In his research, Dr. Prantil hopes to create a tool that predicts how solid particle contaminants inhibit flow through valves. This research will, in turn, help in develop ways to minimize the contaminants' effects.

Continue Reading

Motor leakage variations

Oct. 18, 2006
affect low-speed performance

The Impacts of Electrification on Fluid Power Systems

May 15, 2023
Electrification presents challenges as well as opportunities to re-evaluate and improve upon the design of hydraulics and pneumatics.

Sponsored Recommendations

7 Key Considerations for Selecting a Medical Pump

Feb. 6, 2024
Newcomers to medical device design may think pressure and flow rate are sufficient parameters whenselecting a pump. While this may be true in some industrial applications, medical...

How Variable Volume Pumps Work

Feb. 6, 2024
Variable volume pumps, also known as precision dispense pumps, are a positive displacement pump that operates by retracting a piston to aspirate a fluid and then extending the...

What is a Check Valve and How Does it Work?

Feb. 6, 2024
Acheck valve, a non-return or one-way valve, is a mechanical device that allows a gas or liquid to flow freely in one direction while preventing reverse flow in the opposite ...

The Difference Between Calibrated Orifices and Holes

Feb. 6, 2024
Engineers tasked with managing fluid flow talk about both holes and calibrated orifices, but they are two distinct entities. A hole can be any opening, but a calibrated orifice...