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Brake hydraulics

To: spridgets@autox.team.net
Subject: Brake hydraulics
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 18:33:10 -0400
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Seems there are some disagreements regarding hydraulics and some 
misinformation/misconceptions being bandied about  so I thought a basic 
hydraulics less on may be in order.

I'll keep the math simple in keeping with my simple nature .

A hydraulic cclinder ( in this case a master) with an area of 1 sq in 
with an external force applied to it of 100 lbs will produce a line 
pressure of 100psi.  If you increase the area to 2 sq in the line 
pressure will be 100/2 or 50 psi . 4 sq in would give you 25 psi ad 
infinitum . If you increase the force on a 1 sq in cylinder to 200 lbs 
the line pressure would be 200 psi . 100 lbs applied to a 1/2 sq in 
cylinder would produce 200 psi .

Now we get to the other end, in this case the wheel cylinder or caliper 
. If you apply 100 psi to a 1 sq in cylinder internally it would apply a 
force of 100 lbs . Applied to a two sq inch cylinder it would apply 200 
lbs force . The bigger cylinder applies more force .  

Now there's the issue of travel . For a 1 sq inch wheel cylinder to  
move 1 inch would require 1 cubic inch of fluid . A 2 sq in wheel 
cylinder would require 2 cubic inch of fluid . For a one sq inch master 
to supply 2 cubic inches of fluid would require 2 inches of travel . 
That's where the  force multiplication involved in hydraulics comes into 
play, 100 lbs of force on a 1 sq in master moving 2 inches gives 200 lbs 
of force on a 2 sq inch wheel cylinder  moving one inch .

Hope that's clearer than mud .

Regards
John





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