Unit Thirteen

Hydraulic Fluid Conditioning

The illustration is that of a “power unit” which includes the

reservoir.
 Hydraulic Fluid Conditioning
The Importance of Filtration

Maintenance of hydraulic oil is critical to the service life

of a machine. Clearly, over 80% of all machine failures
can be traced back to contamination of the hydraulic oil.
Because of the costs associated with the loss of
production time, proper maintenance of the hydraulic
and lubricating systems becomes as critical an element
in design as the selection of the components that make
up a system.
The Purpose of Hydraulic Fluid
Transmit Power

Dissipate Heat

Lubricate Moving Parts

Seal Clearances between moving

parts
 Hydraulic Reservoirs

Reservoirs should be fabricated in accordance to NFPA

standards and include all the individual components above.
 Sizing a Hydraulic Reservoir
First of all, heat from a hydraulic system is generated when
energy is consumed and no work is being done. Relief valves,
flow controls, and pressure reducing valves are examples of heat
generating devices but there are more. In sizing a reservoir it is
generally a good idea to oversize slightly to ensure adequate
heat dissipation. The general rule is that minimum reservoir
capacity should be 3 times the rated flow of the pump plus 10
percent extra for air space. The extra 10 percent is to ensure
room for expansion of fluid level and escape of air.
For more information see: “Design Engineer’s Handbook” by Parker, page H-3
 Basic Parts and Operation

1. Reservoir Capacity: Three times rated flow of pump.

2. Mounting Plate: Facilitates a secure surface for mounting
the prime mover.
 Basic Parts and Operation

3. Flexible Motor Coupling: Connects prime mover to hydraulic

pump. Allows for variances in alignment.
4. Filler Breather Cap: Allows for adding of fluid, escape or entry of
air, and filtration of air.
5. Baffle: Forces return fluid to travel further before suction to
ensure greater fall out of contamination and escape of air.
 Basic Parts and Operation

6. Reservoir Legs: Allow for mounting and circulation of air.

7. Additional Return and Drain Lines: Allow for machine
modifications.
8. Oil Level Indicator: To allow monitoring of fluid level.
 Basic Parts and Operation

9. Cleanout Covers: Allows easy access for removal of contamination.

10. Drain Plug: Allows for draining prior to cover removal.
11. Reservoir Tank: Holds fluid and acts as a conduit by which heat escapes to
surrounding air. Material is usually SAE1020 but aluminum is becoming
popular due to its unique heat transfer characteristics.
 Reservoir Types

Conventional Overhead L-Shaped

Conventional reservoirs, also known as “flat tops,” are by far the

most common designed for motors of 7.5 to 40 horsepower.

The overhead design allows for positive head pressure while being
able to accommodate more than one pump.
The L-shape design offers positive head pressure and
accommodates motors of 40 to 50 horsepower.
 Coolers

Basic Symbol Air Cooler Water Cooler

The primary function of an auxiliary cooler is to dissipate the

heat that is not removed by the reservoir alone. Coolers are easy
to add to a system after initial installation and can greatly reduce
system temperatures.
Air Coolers
Water Coolers
Coolers in a Circuit
Hydraulic Filters
 Affect of Dirt
1. Interferes with lubrication.

2. Interferes with heat transfer.

3. Interferes with tiny openings and clearances.

 Micrometer Scale
A micrometer is one-millionth of a meter.

Twenty five micrometers is equal to .001 inch.

With good vision, the human eye can see down to 40

micrometers.

A grain of salt is about 100 micrometers in diameter.

A human hair measures about 70 micrometers in

diameter.
 Fluid Cleanliness

The “cleanliness” of oil is a specific term, measurable, and is

defined by ISO 4406. Generally speaking, the human eye cannot
be relied upon for determining the cleanliness of hydraulic oil.
Automatic particle counting is the most effective means of
determining the amount, average size, and type of contamination
in oil.
 Filter Elements
Filter materials used for cleaning hydraulic oil are
usually of the absorbent type. They are further divided
into two categories: surface and depth.
Surface type elements, composed of stainless wire mesh,
are used primarily for coarse filtration such as suction
strainers.

Depth type elements are usually used for fine filtration and
are composed of a thickness of material in which dirt
particles become trapped as they try to weave around the
media.
 Filter/Strainer Symbol

The schematic symbol for a filter is the same as a

strainer and is drawn the same way in pneumatics as
well as in hydraulics.
 Nominal and Absolute Rating
Nominal and Absolute are terms used to describe the
way a filter is constructed rather than how it filters.

A nominal rated filter simply indicates an average

“pore” size and that some particles bigger than the pore
size will probably get through but certainly smaller ones
will.
An absolute rating indicates the exact pore size of an element
such as a wire screen and that a certain diameter particle will
be stopped. The problem with this rating is that it doesn’t
take into account a particle that is long and narrow that may
get through.
 Beta Ratio
The beta ratio is a filter efficiency rating that was taken from
the “multi-pass” test. In the multi-pass test, fine dust of a
certain micrometer size is sent through a filter element several
times. After several passes, a comparison would be made
between upstream and down stream contamination with the
difference being the amount of contamination trapped by the
filter. The two were divided(upstream divided by downstream)
and the result was a percentage of particles trapped. The
greater the percentage of a known size, the greater the filters
efficiency at that value.
Example: If 100 particles of a known size are circulated
through a filter and 75 of them are trapped, the beta is 4 or
100 divided by 25, the amount left uncaught, equals 4 or
75% efficiency.
 Filter Ratings in Practice
Filter ratings can be manipulated or misunderstood very
easily so the rating itself is no guarantee of how well a
filter can remove a certain size particle. It is
recommended that the component manufacturer or a
reputable filter manufacturer be consulted in
determining which type of filter is best suited to a
particular application.
 Sources of Dirt
Dirt is any insoluble material circulating in a hydraulic or
pneumatic system

There are three main sources of dirt:

1. Built in- during manufacture or assembly.

2. Ingressed or added by dirty makeup fluid or environmental

defective seals.

3. Self-generated by failing components such as bearings or other

wear surfaces.
 Proportional Flow Filter

Examine the filter and its connection to tank in the above

illustration. Notice that part of the flow can go through the filter
and part would go over the relief valve. The amount of oil filtered
would depend on system pressure and flow. Cylinder speed would
be affected.
 Full Flow Filtration

A full flow filtration filter is one in which all the system’s oil must
pass through the filter element as it travels through the system.
This type of filter is by far the most common in use today.
 Parallel Flow Filtration

In this method of filtering, the machine runs continuously while oil is

being cleaned. Even when the machine is shut down for
maintenance or repair, oil is being filtered. Notice that the filtering
system incorporates its own pump.
 Location of Filter and Pressure

Location and type of filtration is determined by demand. Oil

coming from the reservoir should have almost no restriction so
filtration will be minimal. Oil returning to the reservoir will be
warm and contain particles picked up from the system
components. Sensitive components on the high pressure side of the
system will generally use a filter with no by-pass check valve.
 Filter Bypass Valve

Most filters, except high pressure, use a by-pass valve to

protect the system from running dry in the event of filter
blockage. The thought here is that dirty oil is better than no
oil.
 Filter Maintenance
Although filters may come with a “by-pass” indicator, this is not a
preferred method of monitoring filters because if the indicator is
showing by-pass then the damage has already been done. Some
types of indicators include a needle, warning light, and sound
alarm.

When servicing filters, it is best to consult the manufacturer’s

recommendations but in most cases the hours of operation should
dictate the replacement as this is the only reliable means of
ensuring peak system performance.