Chapter 1 Introduction to Fluid Power 25
Applications of Fluid Power
through History
Fluid power as it is know today has been under
development for thousands of years. It has experi-
enced rapid growth since the onset of the Indus-
trial Revolution. The previous section introduced
some of the many individuals credited with identi-
fying the basic concepts that resulted in continued
industrial growth. This section presents some of
the concepts and applications of fluid power from
a historical perspective.
Antiquity
The origins of fluid power are difficult to iden-
tify. Recorded evidence does not exist and the
relationships that eventually produced important
developments are not evident in most cases. Arche-
ology gives us many hints, but speculation still
plays a major role in our current thinking about
how existing scientific principles and mechanical
devices were developed.
Three items that are very essential to the exis-
tence and comfort of humankind are associated
with fluid power developments:
■ Transportation.
■ Movement of water.
■ Generation and transmission of power.
These elements have had far-reaching effects on
the development of our industrial society.
Artwork from Egyptian tombs that date to
2500 BC shows reed boats with bipod masts and
sails designed for the special problems associ-
ated with river sailing. Sails for the propulsion
of ships continued to be refined through the ages.
Many sailing principles were applied to the devel-
opment of windmills and, eventually, pneumatic
components.
Movement and control of water for irrigation,
flood control, and municipal water systems also
produced ideas that eventually were used in fluid
power systems. Controlling the annual flood of the
Nile River and moving water for irrigation pur-
poses during the remainder of the year produced
a better understanding of water flow in channels.
Archimedes is credited with inventing pumping
devices that were used in the Nile Delta for irri-
gation purposes. Applications for moving and
pumping water were also developed in the Islamic
world, especially in Persia. The most common
design, the water screw, is still used in parts of
Egypt and other areas of the world for moving or
lifting small volumes of water. The Roman Empire
constructed great aqueducts for the movement of
water. Ruins of these systems can still be found
throughout the territories the Romans controlled,
Figure 1-14.
It is generally believed that the energy of run-
ning water was first effectively harnessed dur-
ing the first century BC. Early waterwheels used
a horizontal wheel rotated by a running stream.
These designs typically developed one-half horse-
power or less. Roman engineers developed verti-
cal wheels that produced up to three horsepower.
These wheels used both undershot and overshot
designs. Undershot wheels were placed directly in
a stream. Overshot wheels used water directed on
the top of the wheel through sluice channels from
dams or natural waterfalls. Waterwheels revolu-
tionized the grinding of grain and were gradually
adapted to other purposes.
The use of windmills for doing work did not
appear until after the decline of the Roman Empire.
The earliest record of a windmill-like device is from
central Asia. These wind-driven devices were used
to turn prayer wheels. Historians believe that the
first “real” windmills were developed and used in
central Asia about 400 AD.
Figure 1-14. An understanding of basic scientifi c
principles has developed slowly throughout civiliza-
tion. Ruins of the aqueduct system of the Roman
Empire illustrate an early need for a practical under-
standing of fl uid fl ow.