Hydraulics 101

Name: Hydraulics 101
Rating: 4.3 (281 reviews)

Hydraulics basics

Created byEngineering Pod

Last updated 2/2026

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Hydraulic power systems
The basics of how hydraulic systems work
The basics of work fluids that are used in hydraulic systems
The basics of pumps and hydraulic motors
The basics of energy converter parameters

Course content

5 sections • 26 lectures • 3h 45m total length

What is hydraulics?10:45
Introduction lesson that is here so students can understand what this course will be about and to grasp some basic terms.
Physics basics 118:47
In this lesson we will be learning about how to manipulate work fluids with changing certain parameters, so we can exert a high output force using a low input force.
Physics basics 25:54
In this lesson we will be learning about some basic parameters that we are going to use in the course. Flow, speed, force, torque and power are on the list in this lesson.
Where do we use hydraulics?5:34
In this lesson we will be taking a quick look at all the places we can see hydraulic systems.
First quiz

Introduction3:53
In this lesson we will cover the basic overlay of the hydraulic system. From the input to the output.
Why use hydraulic power?4:59
Hydraulic power introduction5:39
In this lesson you will learn more about the hydraulic system, what drives it and how it operates.
Why use hydraulic power - hydraulic solution8:50
Direct fluid through pipe a and pipe b to raise and lower a load with a hydraulic cylinder, a three-position control valve, and a pump, filter, and pressure regulation.
Hydrodynamic systems8:54
Pros and cons of hydraulic power9:34
Discover the pros and cons of hydraulic power, from overload protection and high force in small cylinders to easy control and remote operation, alongside costs and troubleshooting.
Efficiency and loss of power in a hydraulic system8:21
Introduction quiz

Work fluid introduction6:01
Properties of work fluids6:46
Explore the properties of work fluids by comparing mineral and synthetic hydraulic oils, detailing why oils meet needs for low compressibility, high viscosity, lubrication, and thermal conduction.
Physical properties of work fluids10:01
Chemical properties of work fluids3:45
Explore how ash content indicates metal wear in hydraulic oil, why water content degrades additives and promotes corrosion, and oxidation stability, corrosion stability, and thermal stability keep work fluids reliable.
Work fluid filtering11:57
Choosing the right work fluid6:24
Work fluid quiz

Energy converters introduction14:49
Energy converter flow12:49
Energy converter power12:49
Energy converter torque7:43
Define torque as the rotational equivalent of linear force and explain energy converters for pumps, motors, and hydraulic cylinders. Derive input and output torque from power, angular velocity, and losses.
Energy converter efficiency14:44
Now that you finished the course I can put this link here so you can check it out. It is a website about hydraulics and pneumatic machines and they post new articles regularly. There is also a lot of principles that are explained.
The link is in the resources.

Hydraulic pumps7:47
The starting point of a hydraulic system. The units that convert mechanical energy into fluid flow energy. The hearts of hydraulic systems, rotating and reciprocating to produce flow.
Hydraulic cylinders7:11
In this lesson we will cover some basics about hydraulic cylinders. If you are interested in hydraulic cylinders in more detail you should check out my other course, Hydraulics 102 which has a whole section on hydraulic cylinders.
Hydraulic motors3:23
In this quick lesson we go through the energy converters which convert fluid power to mechanical power - hydraulic motors
Hydraulic diagrams8:22
The new last lesson in Hydraulics 101, I've updated the course in May 2021 and added this entire section so the course actually doesn't finish on lesson 22. In this lesson we will cover some basics of hydraulic schematic symbols and diagrams. If you're interested more in schematics and maybe hydraulic problems you should check out my other course Hydraulic schematics and calculation exercises.

Requirements

Be able to understand the basics of fluid mechanics
Know English at a medium level
Be able to do basic arithmetic operations

Description

The only course in hydraulics you will ever need!
This course covers the basics of hydraulic systems.

You don't have to have any type of prior knowledge except basic arithmetic operations. There is an introduction part to get you started on learning about hydraulic systems. There is a little bit about hydrodynamic systems, but mostly this course is focused on hydro-static systems. After this course you will be able to understand the basics about hydraulic machines and you will be able to continue learning more about hydraulics, through my courses or through other mediums.

In the beginning of the course we will cover how systems function, then we will get to the various fluids that can be used in hydraulic system.

After every section there is a quiz so you can review what you learned and what you should maybe revise again.

The plan is that when you finish this course you will know enough about hydraulics to continue to learn about more advanced systems.

I will be releasing a Hydraulics 102 course very soon which will cover hydraulic pumps, motors and cylinders in detail. As well as diagrams and schematics.

[UPDATE MAY 2021]

The course was refreshed, some of the things were changed up and an entire new section was added. In the new section there is a little bit about pumps, motors, hydraulic cylinders and about hydraulic schematics. A PDF was added to the course, you can find the PDF in the resource part of the first lesson. The PDF contains all of the important information on Hydraulics basics and is usable as a standalone textbook. It is 30 pages long for now but I will work on it more in the future.

Who this course is for:

Mechanical engineering students
Mechanics
Hydraulic technicians
Engineering students
Engineers

Hydraulics 101

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Pre-introduction4 lectures • 41min

Introduction7 lectures • 50min

Work fluids6 lectures • 45min

Energy converters5 lectures • 1hr 3min

Pumps, motors and symbols4 lectures • 27min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: