4.8
stars
1,192 ratings

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

45,139 already enrolled

Offered By

Fundamentals of Fluid Power

University of Minnesota

About this Course

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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

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Approx. 19 hours to complete

English

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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.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Approx. 19 hours to complete

English

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

Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.74/5 (237 Ratings)

James D. Van De Ven, PhD

Assistant Professor

Mechanical Engineering

45,139 Learners

1 Course

Will Durfee, PhD

Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor

Mechanical Engineering

45,139 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.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating98%(8,219 ratings)

Week1

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 video2mCourse Overview 5mWhat is fluid power?4mHydraulics and Pneumatics3mFluid Power compared to Electric Motors1mIntroducing the Cylinder10mFluid power variables and units11mTheory: Two fundamental laws, important to fluid power10mEfficiency10m

10 readings

Start Here!10mSyllabus10mSimscape Fluids (formerly SimHydraulics) Information10mLearning objectives10mVideo Slides10mBackground Material10mObjectives10mVideo Slides10mBackground Material10mHomework problems10m

1 practice exercise

Week 1 Quiz30m

Week2

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

Week3

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 Introduction8mTheory: Orifice flow16mCheck Valves7mIntroducing Pumps9mLibrary of Pumps12mPump Flow Ripple5mPumping Efficiency16mBasic Hydraulic Power Supply10mPump Application: Hydrostatic transmission11m

10 readings

Objectives10mVideo Slides10mBackground Material10mObjectives10mVideo Slides10mBackground Material10mObjectives10mVideo Slides10mBackground Material10mHomework Problems10m

1 practice exercise

Week 330m

Week4

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

345 reviews

5 stars
82.29%
4 stars
16.02%
3 stars
1.09%
2 stars
0.33%
1 star
0.25%

TOP REVIEWS FROM FUNDAMENTALS OF FLUID POWER

by DKAug 6, 2017

Excellent course, I am a practicing engineer dealing with fluid power and this course helped greatly. Both Professors did an excellent job presenting the course, thank you.

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.

by DWApr 9, 2020

This has been a valuable review for me and I learned some new things.

I think it is an excellent way to get introduced to fluid power at an engineering level.

by MKJun 29, 2022

This is the best online course I have participated in. I want to thank University of Minnesota for providing this wonderful platform for learning more about fluid power.

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

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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.

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Fundamentals of Fluid Power

Fundamentals of Fluid Power

About this Course

Skills you will gain