Hydraulics and Pneumatics

Course Number:
MEC 120
Transcript Title:
Hydraulics and Pneumatics
Created:
Aug 15, 2022
Updated:
Jul 12, 2023
Total Credits:
5
Lecture Hours:
40
Lecture / Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
30
Satisfies Cultural Literacy requirement:
No
Satisfies General Education requirement:
No
Grading Options
A-F, P/NP, Audit
Default Grading Options
A-F
Repeats available for credit:
0
Prerequisites

MTH 65 or equivalent placement

Course Description

Introduces the basic principles of hydraulics and pneumatics and applies these principles to build, maintain and troubleshoot industrial hydraulic and pneumatics circuits. Covers theory, generation, storage, transmission, and usage of hydraulic and pneumatics energy, pressure, and flow. Introduces hydraulic and pneumatics schematics and circuits as well as identification and operation of basic hydraulic and pneumatics components. Introduces basic ladder logic and PLCs to automate, control and modify an electrically controlled hydraulic and pneumatics system with solenoid-operated directional control valves. Includes a 3-hour per week laboratory session. Prerequisite: MTH 65 or equivalent placement. Audit available.

Course Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Apply basic hydraulic and pneumatic principles to predict behavior of hydraulic and pneumatic circuits.
  2. Build, operate, maintain, and troubleshoot manually controlled hydraulic and pneumatic circuits.
  3. Write technical reports using collected experimental data.
  4. Build, operate, maintain, and troubleshoot an electrically controlled hydraulic and pneumatic system.
  5. Identify hydraulic components and determine their application in hydraulic and pneumatic circuits.

Suggested Outcome Assessment Strategies

The determination of assessment strategies is generally left to the discretion of the instructor. Here are some strategies that you might consider when designing your course: writings (journals, self-reflections, pre writing exercises, essays), quizzes, tests, midterm and final exams, group projects, presentations (in person, videos, etc), self-assessments, experimentations, lab reports, peer critiques, responses (to texts, podcasts, videos, films, etc), student generated questions, Escape Room, interviews, and/or portfolios.

Course Activities and Design

The determination of teaching strategies used in the delivery of outcomes is generally left to the discretion of the instructor. Here are some strategies that you might consider when designing your course: lecture, small group/forum discussion, flipped classroom, dyads, oral presentation, role play, simulation scenarios, group projects, service learning projects, hands-on lab, peer review/workshops, cooperative learning (jigsaw, fishbowl), inquiry based instruction, differentiated instruction (learning centers), graphic organizers, etc.

Course Content

Outcome #1: Apply basic hydraulic and pneumatic principles to predict behavior of hydraulic and pneumatic circuits.

  • Calculate pressure, area, and force using Pascal’s law.
  • Calculate actuation speed and flow rate for fluid power systems.

Outcome #2: Build, operate, maintain, and troubleshoot manually controlled hydraulic and pneumatic circuits.

  • Build, operate, maintain, and troubleshoot extend and retract, clamp and bend, and other industrial fluid power circuits.

Outcome #3: Write technical reports using collected experimental data.

  • Calculate and plot theoretical results using Pascal’s Law.
  • Measure and compare real world observations to predicted theory.

Outcome #4: Build, operate, maintain, and troubleshoot an electrically controlled hydraulic and pneumatic system.

  • Use a ladder logic diagram and a fluid power schematic to build, operate, maintain, and troubleshoot an electrically controlled hydraulic and pneumatic system

Outcome #5: Identify hydraulic components and determine their application in hydraulic and pneumatic circuits.

  • Interpret fluid power schematics.
  • Interpret a fluid power component data sheet.

Suggested Texts and Materials

Fluid Power Systems 2nd edition Patrick Kleete