So lets say we have a cylinder with a piston in it. The area of the piston face is 1 square unit. The piston is mounted to a shaft with a cross section of .98 square unit. This means that the force that the piston can push using the same pressure fluid will be much greater in one direction than the other. Now lets say we cut a groove into the shaft such that the remaining shaft at the bottom of the groove has a cross section of .1 square unit. Wouldn't that mean that the piston push will equal .9 times the fluid pressure in one direction and 1 times the fluid pressure in the other? Or does the shaft need to be just as small at the end where it passes through the cylinder cap? So that the area of the cylinder cap minus the shaft diameter is the same as the cross section of the grooved area of the shaft. I think it's the latter situation. This is actually more than a thought exercise, I need this to help me decide how to make something. And my poor brain just won't think clearlt this morning. Thanks, Eric
- posted
16 years ago