Aosite, kuba 1993
Umthombo werhasi simthombo womatshini oluncedo kakhulu osebenzisa igesi ecinezelweyo ukwenza amandla. Ngokukwazi kwayo ukusetyenziswa kwimizi-mveliso eyahlukeneyo, iimoto, kunye neemeko zekhaya, sisixhobo esisebenza ngeendlela ezininzi. Isiseko sokusebenza komthombo wegesi sikwimigaqo ebonakalayo esekwe nguMthetho kaBoyle noMthetho kaCharles, onxibelelene noxinzelelo, umthamo kunye nobushushu begesi.
Ngokuqhelekileyo yenziwe nge-cylinder, piston, kunye nentlawulo yegesi, imithombo yegesi inesilinda esenziwe ngentsimbi okanye iplastiki ukuze iqulethe igesi, kunye nepiston esebenza njengenxalenye eshukumayo eyahlula igumbi legesi kwigumbi le-hydraulic fluid. Intlawulo yegesi imele ubungakanani begesi ngaphakathi kwe-cylinder, ngokuqhelekileyo ixinzelelwe kuxinzelelo oluthile.
Xa ifakwe kwisenzo, umthombo wegesi usebenzisa amandla angaphandle ahambelana ngokuthe ngqo nomahluko phakathi koxinzelelo lwegesi kunye noxinzelelo lwe-ambient. Njengoko i-piston ihamba, mhlawumbi icinezela okanye iyancipha igesi, okukhokelela ekutshintsheni koxinzelelo olujongene namandla okwenziwa ngumthombo wegesi.
Kukho iintlobo ezimbini eziphambili zemithombo yegesi: imithombo yegesi eyandisiweyo kunye nemithombo yegesi yoxinzelelo. Eyangaphambili isetyenziselwa ukuxhasa okanye ukuphakamisa umthwalo, ngelixa ezokugqibela zisetyenziselwa ukucinezela okanye ukubamba umthwalo endaweni. Zombini ezi ntlobo zifumaneka kuluhlu olwahlukeneyo lwezicelo, kubandakanya iihoods zemoto, iihatchbacks, izivalo zetrunk, izixhobo zefektri, izitulo kunye neebhedi zasesibhedlele.
Enye yeenzuzo eziphambili zemithombo yegesi phezu kwemithombo eqhelekileyo yomatshini kukukwazi kwabo ukubonelela ngentshukumo egudileyo nefanayo. Olu phawu lubaluleke kakhulu kwiimeko apho umthwalo kufuneka uphakanyiswe kancinci okanye uthotywe. Ukongeza, imithombo yegesi idla ngokuba nobomi obude xa kuthelekiswa nemithombo yomatshini, njengoko ixhathisa ngakumbi ukunxiba kunye nokukrazula. Ngaphezu koko, imithombo yegesi inokutshixwa kwindawo ezinzileyo ukuze ibambe ngokukhuselekileyo umthwalo kwaye inokulungelelaniswa ngokulula ukulungiselela ukutshintsha imithwalo okanye iimfuno.
Imithombo yegesi ifumaneka ngobukhulu obahlukeneyo kunye namandla okunyanzeliswa, okuvumela uhlengahlengiso ukuhlangabezana neemfuno ezithile. Zingenziwa ngokusebenzisa iigesi ezahlukeneyo, ezifana ne-nitrogen, i-helium, kunye ne-argon, nganye ineempawu zabo ezizodwa zoxinzelelo. Ngaphaya koko, imithombo yerhasi inokuyilwa ngofakelo lwesiphelo olwahlukileyo kunye nolungelelwaniso lokunyuka ukuze lulungele usetyenziso oluthile.
Ukuqukumbela, imithombo yerhasi imele ukhetho olusebenzayo noluguquguqukayo lwasentwasahlobo olufumana ukusetyenziswa okubanzi kwiimeko ezininzi. Enoba ufuna ukuphakamisa umthwalo onzima, ukucinezela inxalenye ethile, okanye ukukhusela into ethile, kusenokwenzeka ukuba kukho umthombo wegesi okwaziyo ukuphumeza loo msebenzi. Ngobuninzi bezinto eziluncedo kunye nezinto ezinokwenziwa ngokwezifiso, ayimangalisi into yokuba imithombo yegesi ifumene ukuthandwa okubalulekileyo kwiminyaka yakutshanje.