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( Fluid power)
Fluid power is the technology of exploiting the properties of fluids to generate, control, and transmit power as a result of the pressurization of fluids. As the term fluid refers either to gases or to liquids, fluid power is also subdivided into the categories of hydraulics and pneumatics. The differences being that with hydraulics the medium used is a liquid (ie mineral oil or water) and for pneumatics it is a gas (ie air or another inert gas). A fluid power system starts with a pump driven by a prime mover (electric motor or IC engine) that converts mechanical energy in to fluid energy. This fluid flow is used to actuate a device specifically designed to operate from the flow provided. In general, these actuators fall into the following categories Hydraulics and pneumatics are similar in many ways, but there are clear reasons for using one over the other.
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