Water may soon replace oil in many hydraulic applications
Traditional oil powered hydraulic systems are widely used in industry from plastic injection moulding and offshore applications to food processing plants. Replacing these oil-based systems with a water-driven pump would greatly reduce pollution levels, in addition to improving site safety. Currently available technology limits the use of water hydraulics, since the traditional design of systems presents problems with sealing when water is used. To overcome these difficulties, the CRAFT project has developed a prototype arc motor that minimizes the number of moving parts. The motor is made up of six individual cylinders, so torque generated by the pressure of the water affects only the shaft. The prototype allows a pressure level of 140 bars to be reached, which is within the normal range for hydraulic pumps. Efficiency is generally good, although operation at the highest pressure levels is not yet comparable with commercially available devices.
