In the oil spill equipment industry there are numerous products that are manufactured utilizing hydraulic power to drive the product. Some of these are: oil skimmers, boom reels, oil skimming offshore systems and mechanical lifting devices.
Hydraulic power is power derived from motor and pressure of a particular liquid such as water or oil. Hydraulic power is widely used in many industries throughout the world and this case the oil spill recovery market. Hydraulic power is transmitted by controlled circulations of fluid under pressure to a motor that converts it to mechanical output capable of doing work. A reservoir, hydraulic pump, values and actuators are the main parts of any hydraulic system.
In most cases, oil spill recovery hydraulic power packs are driven by one of three sources: electro hydraulic, diesel hydraulic and pneumatic hydraulic.
The electro hydraulic power pack is designed for providing hydraulic flow for operating a variety of equipment such as oil skimmers and boom reels. These units usually have 230/460 volt electrical requirements and provide from 5 gallon per minute or greater flow. The reservoir holds approximately 20 gallons of ATF Dexron or equivalent.
The diesel hydraulic power pack is driven by an engine that can produce various horse power outputs. Some diesel hydraulic power packs can be driven by a 10 HP single cylinder, 4 cycle, air coiled engine. The large reservoir of 17 gallons can be utilized to power two pieces of equipment simultaneously (skimmer and transfer pump) or simply a single piece of equipment like a boom reel.
The pneumatic driven power pack is designed to drive the hydraulic unit via an air supply. This air supply can be a standalone compressor, built in compressor to the power pack or a source like a vac truck with an air source. Cubic feet per minute flows can be as little as 7-10 SFM or higher. Most portable pneumatic systems separate at 2200lbs.
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