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Hydraulic Force Calculator

Reference data and engineering information about hydraulic force calculator for hydraulics and pneumatics applications.

hydraulicforcecalculatorCalculator

Overview

Engineering reference data for Hydraulic Force Calculator in hydraulics pneumatics.

Key Formulas

Pascal's Law

P=FAP = \frac{F}{A}

Pressure is equal in all directions.

Hydraulic Force

F2=F1A2A1F_2 = F_1 \frac{A_2}{A_1}

Force amplification by area ratio.

Variables

SymbolDescriptionUnit
PPPressurePa
FFForceN
AAPiston aream²

Unit Conversions

Use these conversion factors to work with both Imperial and Metric units in hydraulic calculations.

5 rows
Common hydraulic and unit conversion factors
From Unit
Equivalent To
1 psi (lb/in²)144 psf (lbf/ft²) = 6,894.8 Pa (N/m²) = 6.895×10⁻³ N/mm² = 6.895×10⁻² bar
1 N/m²1 Pa = 1.4504×10⁻⁴ lb/in² = 1×10⁻⁵ bar
1 lbf (Pound force)4.44822 N = 0.4536 kp
1 N (Newton)0.1020 kp = 0.2248 lbf
1 in (inch)25.4 mm

Source: engineeringtoolbox.com

Practical Application Notes

The two main force equations (F1 and F2) apply to different sides of a double-acting hydraulic piston.

  • Rod Side Force (F1): Use when the hydraulic pressure acts on the same side as the piston rod. The effective area is reduced by the rod's cross-sectional area. F1=P1(π(d22−d12)4)F_1 = P_1 \left( \frac{\pi (d_2^2 - d_1^2)}{4} \right)

  • Opposite Rod Side Force (F2): Use when the hydraulic pressure acts on the side opposite the piston rod. The full piston area is used. F2=P2(πd224)F_2 = P_2 \left( \frac{\pi d_2^2}{4} \right)

The output force of a cylinder is fundamentally determined by the pressure and the effective area it acts upon.

References

Source: engineeringtoolbox.com