This book provides the fundamentals for understanding and designing hydraulic systems, which remain crucial in many technical fields. Persistent innovations are often achieved through integration of power electronics and smart digital closed-loop controls. The book offers an easy-to-understand practical introduction, supported by scientific fundamentals, excellent graphics for all important components and numerous references. Relevant fluid mechanics and components, as well as a wide range of systems – from car jacks to aircraft hydraulics, from load sensing work hydraulics to modern power split vehicle drives – are explained in detail (strictly using ISO 1219-1 symbols). The book provides cross-sectional fundamentals and recommendations such as low-cost and energy-saving principles. In particular, it provides a wide range of recommendations for highly efficient hydrostatic vehicle transmissions.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h.c. Karl Theodor Renius, former Director of the Institute of Agricultural Machinery at TU Munich, Germany. He also authored German editions on this topic (from 2003 to 2021).

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Hans Jürgen Matthies († 2016), former Director of the Institute of Agricul-tural Machinery at TH Braunschweig, Germany. He founded with his staff the German forerunner book 'Einführung in die Ölhydraulik' in 1984, with subsequent editions in 1991 and 1995.