Application of Hydraulic Power in Hydraulic Jacks
Before we begin to delineate the application of hydraulics in hydraulic jacks, let us start with a basic definition of what a hydraulic jack is. These are eco-friendly jacks as they are increasingly designed to work with bio-degradable hydraulic fluids.
Traditionally, the hydraulic jack industry has thrived on oil-based fluids and energy and these jacks have been used to load, lift, suspend and lower heavy-duty vehicles for the purpose of maintaining and servicing them.
A hydraulic jack consists of:
- Reservoir or buffer tank
- Pump with piston or plunger
- Pump lever or handle
- Check valve
- Main cylinder or ram
- Release valve
- Handle
The piston is responsible for lifting the heavy load or weight. It is usually mechanically activated by shifting the positions of the handle or pump lever attached to it. This movement builds up pressure in the hydraulic fluid contained inside the reservoir or buffer tank.
The pressure created allows the fluid to move through a check valve into the ram or main cylinder, which then pops out of the main body of the hydraulic jack creating the force required to lift the load. Finally, the release valve relieves the built pressure for easy retraction and lowering of the ram with the load on it.
History and Function of Hydraulic Systems
Simply put, hydraulics is the technological application of liquids for the generation, control, and transmission of power by the use of pressure. It derives its theoretical foundation from the principle of fluid mechanics, advanced by the research of hydrostatics by Blaise Pascal who formulated Pascal’s law.
The use of hydraulic power can be traced back to as early as the ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations around the 6th millennium BC. The ancient Persian and Chinese empires, along with the Greco-Roman worlds led its advancement to the modern era.
From the 17th century onwards, its modern-day application research was pioneered by the likes of Benedetto Castelli, Jean Léonard Marie Poiseuille, Daniel Bernoulli, Joseph Bramah, apart from of course Blaise Pascal.
The basic principle of hydraulic systems is applied to hydraulic jacks, typically through hydraulic cylinders moving pistons, where mechanical movement is produced by contained, pumped liquid.
For better understanding of its function, hydraulic systems can be considered the liquid counterpart of pneumatic systems. Both systems use pressurized fluid power, but hydraulics use liquids rather than gases, unlike pneumatics.
Hydraulic systems are capable of significant pressures- up to 10,000 pounds per square inch (psi)- due to liquids’ incompressibility, enabling more significant power transfer with increased efficiency as energy is not lost to compression.
Modern-day Need for Eco-Friendly Jacks
The recent and rightful attention being directed towards the environmental impact of industries and the need for sustainability has driven the transformation of the automotive jack industry. Although the need to adopt eco-friendly jacks remains appreciated by few.
The industry is experiencing a shift toward implementation of recyclable and lightweight materials in manufacturing and using hydraulic jacks, say for instance, but it is slow. These initiatives aim to decrease emissions, minimize waste and meet rising demands to address environmental concerns head on.
The other key drivers of this transformation in hydraulic jacks are promoting energy efficiency and renewability, advancement in sealing technology, eco-friendly and bio-degradable hydraulic fluids, and the integration of IoT (Internet of Things) and smart technologies in hydraulic systems.
The conscious move to a safer and cleaner future requires non-bio accumulative and minimally toxic materials in every industry, while acknowledging the segment-wise need for change. Seeking innovative ways to reduce environmental footprint is one such practice.
Environmental Benefits of Hydraulic Systems
There are several benefits of making the move to eco-friendly jacks from an industrial perspective, some of which are compliance with changing regulations, cost savings, reduced environmental footprint, and a boost to brand reputation.
Of them, the environmental benefits of hydraulic systems remain distinctly important on the grounds of preservation of nature and its natural resources. Let us start with the manufacturing and design of these eco-friendly jacks. Advanced sealing technologies are ways of being energy efficient in the automotive jack industry.
They implement longer-lasting seals that perform better under high pressure and extreme temperatures. These improvements not only enhance system reliability by helping prevent leaks, but also contribute to sustainability by minimizing the loss of hydraulic fluid, and consequently reducing maintenance needs and fluid consumption, ultimately, contributing to the potential for environmental conservation.
Another aspect of this change is driven by the implementation of recycling of materials and using these recycled materials in the manufacturing of eco-friendly jacks and their components- from pumps, valves, cylinders, to other hydraulic parts. These materials are not only recyclable but also lightweight and biodegradable.
The increasing usage of aluminum, advanced polymers, and composites to produce hydraulic parts reduces the environmental impact, supporting a circular economy, and minimizing waste. These materials reduce the overall weight of the system, improving fluid efficiency in the hydraulic cylinders.
Finally, and perhaps the most revolutionizing innovation in the hydraulic jack industry has been the move toward adopting renewable and biodegradable hydraulic fluids. Unlike traditional mineral oil-based fluids, these sustainable fluids, typically made from vegetable oils or synthetic esters, offering excellent lubricity and thermal stability, are designed to break down naturally while minimizing ecological footprints.
There are four basic types of eco-friendly hydraulic fluids- HETG fluids (hydraulic environmental triglyceride), HEES fluids (hydraulic environmental ester synthetic), HEPG fluids (hydraulic environmental poly glycol), and HEPR fluids (hydraulic environmental polyalphaolefin and related).
Sealing technology like fluorocarbon seals give the best result when used with these eco-friendly hydraulic fluids. A variety of regulatory policies, specifications and labelling schemes exist to assess the eco-friendliness of hydraulic fluids across the world, like- European Eco-label, Blue Angel Eco-label, Swedish Standard SS 15 54 34 Category V, Vessel Incidental Discharge Act, and the USDA BioPreferred® Product Label.