4.8
stars
1,183 ratings

James D. Van De Ven, PhD +1 more instructor

44,502 already enrolled

Offered By

Fundamentals of Fluid Power

University of Minnesota

About this Course

24,835 recent views

Fluid power has the highest power density of all conventional power-transmission technologies. Learn the benefits and limitations of fluid power, how to analyze fluid power components and circuits, and how to design and simulate fluid power circuits for applications.
In this course, you will be introduced to the fundamental principles and analytical modeling of fluid power components, circuits, and systems.

You will learn the benefits and limitations of fluid power compared with other power transmission technologies;  the operation, use, and symbols of common hydraulic components; how to formulate and analyze models of hydraulic components and circuits; and how to design and predict the performance of fluid power circuits.

This course is supported by the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power, and is endorsed by the National Fluid Power Association, the leading industry trade group in fluid power.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Approx. 19 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Skills you will gain

Energy
Hybrid Vehicle Manufacturing
Hydraulics
Mechanical Engineering

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Approx. 19 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.75/5 (234 Ratings)

James D. Van De Ven, PhD

Assistant Professor

Mechanical Engineering

44,502 Learners

1 Course

Will Durfee, PhD

Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor

Mechanical Engineering

44,502 Learners

1 Course

Offered by

University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation’s most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating98%(8,195 ratings)

Week

Week 1

4 hours to complete

Week 1: Fundamentals of Fluid Power

4 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 60 min), 10 readings, 1 quiz

9 videos

Promotional video2m

Course Overview 5m

What is fluid power?4m

Hydraulics and Pneumatics3m

Fluid Power compared to Electric Motors1m

Introducing the Cylinder10m

Fluid power variables and units11m

Theory: Two fundamental laws, important to fluid power10m

Efficiency10m

10 readings

Start Here!10m

Syllabus10m

Simscape Fluids (formerly SimHydraulics) Information10m

Learning objectives10m

Video Slides10m

Background Material10m

Objectives10m

Video Slides10m

Background Material10m

Homework problems10m

1 practice exercise

Week 1 Quiz30m

Week

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Week 2: Components and Concepts: Part 1

3 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 46 min), 7 readings, 1 quiz

Week

Week 3

4 hours to complete

Week 3: Components and Concepts: Part 2

This will be a busy week diving into valves and pumps. We will discuss how basic valves function, how to use them in hydraulic circuits, and how to calculate pressure drop for a given flow rate, or vice versa. The videos will directly address the discussion on the forum about seeing hydraulic components working in real world circuits. In our discussion of pumps we will look at many different positive displacement pumps, exploring flow ripple and pump efficiency, look at the supporting components that form a hydraulic power supply, and see how we can make a transmission with a hydraulic pump and a motor. We are now into the heart of this course; we hope you enjoy seeing the components come together into useful circuits.

4 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 97 min), 10 readings, 1 quiz

9 videos

Valve Introduction8m

Theory: Orifice flow16m

Check Valves7m

Introducing Pumps9m

Library of Pumps12m

Pump Flow Ripple5m

Pumping Efficiency16m

Basic Hydraulic Power Supply10m

Pump Application: Hydrostatic transmission11m

10 readings

Objectives10m

Video Slides10m

Background Material10m

Objectives10m

Video Slides10m

Background Material10m

Objectives10m

Video Slides10m

Background Material10m

Homework Problems10m

1 practice exercise

Week 330m

Week

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Week 4: Predicting Performance Through Simulation

This week is entirely devoted to you learning how to use Simscape Fluids (formerly SimHydraulics), the fluid power simulation application that we use in the course. The lecture provides an introduction to computer-based, object-oriented simulation, and goes through a demo of using Simscape Fluids. The homework assignment contains the real work because this is where you will learn to use Simscape Fluids. The homework ends with an open-ended problem that encourages you to branch out on your own and create and run simulations based on examples listed in the course Simscape Fluids resource page or on any other fluid power system that interests you. We will be monitoring the discussion boards to help you with any technical problems with Simscape Fluids.

2 hours to complete

1 video (Total 28 min), 6 readings

Reviews

4.8

342 reviews

5 stars
82.43%
4 stars
16.04%
3 stars
0.92%
2 stars
0.33%
1 star
0.25%

TOP REVIEWS FROM FUNDAMENTALS OF FLUID POWER

by AKMar 30, 2017

I fully appreciated this course which creates my deep understanding towards fluid power, and also it will be beneficial for my career growth.

Thank you.

by MPApr 1, 2017

Thank you for giving me excellent information on fundamentals of fluid power. It is very helpful course for me. Thank you University of Minnesota and Coursera.

by SSSep 24, 2017

Good course with basic review of Fluid mechanics in pipe flow, hydraulics component and application as well as basics in Simscape. More intensive version of this course would be great

by MRAug 22, 2018

This course gets into the real world applications of Fluid power. Equations, examples, and break downs of problems help gain understanding and knowledge.

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Build employee skills, drive business results

Discover Coursera for Business

Fundamentals of Fluid Power

Fundamentals of Fluid Power

About this Course

Skills you will gain