This usually means that hydraulic circuit analysis works best for long, thin tubes with discrete pumps, as found in chemical process flow systems or microscale devices.'

hydraulic circuit theory works best when the elements (passive component such as pipes or transmission lines or active components such as power packs or pumps) are discrete and linear. The purpose of this system may be to control where fluid flows (as in a network of tubes of coolant in a thermodynamic system) or to control fluid pressure (as in hydraulic amplifiers). 'A hydraulic circuit is a system comprising an interconnected set of discrete components that transport liquid.