TechnicalPaper:

HydraulicHoseAssemblyCare
Thebenefits of using hydraulically driven systemsto power oilspill response equipment includeflexibleloadcontrol,highenergyefficiency,intrinsicsafetyandtheabilitytopower equipmentremotelyfromthepowersource. However,thereisacertainamountofbasic maintenanceassociatedwithhydraulicsystems,withoutwhichtheycanbecomeunreliable and even dangerous. Even in wellmaintained systems, hydraulic oil remains a potential pollutantandspillsmustbeprevented. Hydraulicpowersystemsconsistofthreebasicelements: Ahydraulicpumpattachedtoaprimemover,whichcanbeelectrically,dieselorair driven. Ahydraulicmotoroperatingtheequipment. Acontrolcircuit. Hoses, fittings and hose assemblies connect the motor to the pump and transmit high pressurehydraulicfluids.Thesehighpressurefluidstransferenergyanddousefulwork. Hydraulicsystemsareusedextensivelyinindustryandthecostofrepairingorreplacing poorly maintained systems can be high. In addition, fluids under pressure can be very dangerousanditisessentialthattheriskofthem escapingfromasystemisminimised. Thepropercareandmaintenanceofhydraulichoseassembliesisthereforefundamental tothesafeandeffectiveuseofhydraulicpowersystems. ThisITACpaperisintendedtogivethereaderanoverviewofthebasicstepsthatshould be taken to maximise the working life of a hydraulic hose assembly system. If correctly implementedthesestepsshouldalsoimproveoperatorsafety.

The Industry Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC) is a forum for information exchange between experts within the global oil spill response community. A key mission of ITAC is the development of Technical Paperstoprovide:

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HoseandFittingcare
Itisimportanttorecognisewhenusinganyassemblythatimproperselectionorimproper use of hoses, tubing, fittings, and assemblies can cause failures, personal injury or property damage. Understanding the hose assembly and following the installation instructionsprovidedbymanufacturerswillreducetheserisks. Someofthemainareasforconsiderationare: ComponentInspection:Priortoassembly,acarefulexaminationofthehoseandfittings mustbeperformed.Allcomponentsmustbecheckedtoensurethattheyarethecorrect type,size,andlength.Thehosemustbeexaminedforcleanliness,obstructions,blisters, kinks, cracks, cuts or any visible defects. The fitting and sealing surfaces need to be inspectedforburns,nicks,corrosionorotherimperfections.Donotuseanysubstandardor defectivecomponentsinanassembly. Hose and Fitting Assembly: The manufacturer provides guidance on the selection of hosefittings,hosetypesandinstallation.Thesemustbeselectedtobecompatiblewiththe pressureratingofthesystemandtheenvironmentwithinwhichthesystemistobeused. MinimumBendRadius:Eachmanufacturersetsaminimumbendradiusaccordingtothe hoses construction and proposed use. Installation of a hose at less then the minimum recommendedbendradiusmaysignificantlyreducethehoselife.Particularattentionmust begiventopreventsharpbendsatthehoseconnectiontothefitting.Anybendingduring installationtolessthantheminimumbendradiusshouldalso beavoided.

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TheviewsandadvicecontainedinthispaperrepresentcontributionsfromvariousITAC members.Neither ITAC norany ofitsmemberswillacceptliabilityfor anylossordamagetoproperty,orpersonalinjurytoordeathofanypersoncausedorcontributedtobytheuseormisuseoftheinformationcontainedherein.

HydraulicHoseAssemblyCare
Hose and Machine Tolerances: It is also important when fittinghosestodesignthelayouttoallowforchangesinlength duetomachinemotionandtolerances.

HoseMaterial Compatibility: It is important to understand that there are many variables that can affect compatibility of systemfluidswithhosematerials,theseinclude: Typeoffluid Fluidpressure Temperature Concentration Durationofexposure Motion Absorption: It is very important to provide adequate hoselengthtodistributemovementandpreventbendssmaller thantheminimumbendradius.

Environmental conditions can also cause hose and fitting degradation. Conditions to evaluate when using these systemsinaresponseincludeexposureto: Ultravioletlight Saltwater Airpollutants Extremetemperatures Ozone Chemicals Electricity Abrasiondamage

Lengths: Unnecessarily long hoses can increase pressure drops and affect system performance. When pressurised, a hosethatistooshortmaypullloosefromitsfittings,orstress thefittingconnectionscausingprematurefailures. SystemCheck:Inhydraulicorotherliquidsystems,eliminate all air entrapment after completing the installation. Follow manufacturers instructions to test the system for possible malfunctionsorleaks.Toavoidinjuryduringsystemchecks: Do not touch any part of the system when checking forleaks Stay out of potentially hazardous areas while testing hosesystems Relieve system pressure before adjusting connections.

It is important to consult the manufacturers for more informationonhosecompatibility. Proper Connection of Ports: Proper physical installation of the hose assembly requires a correctly installed port connectionensuringthatnotwistortorqueistransferredtothe hosewhenthefittingsarebeingtightened. Elbows and Adapters: When fitting hose assembly systems in some cases it is advisable to use elbows or adapters to relievehosestrain

HoseandFittingMaintenanceand Replacementguidelines
Even with proper selection and installation, hose life may be significantly reduced if a continuous maintenance program is notin place. The frequency ofinspection and replacementof assembly components should be determined by thesystems operating environment, the potential risk from a hose failure andanypastexperienceofhosefailuresintheapplicationor insimilarapplications.

Routing: The hose assembly should be routed in such a mannersothatifafailuredoesoccur,theescapingmediawill notcausepersonalinjuryofpropertydamage.

TheviewsandadvicecontainedinthispaperrepresentcontributionsfromvariousITAC members.Neither ITAC norany ofitsmemberswillacceptliabilityfor anylossordamagetoproperty,orpersonalinjurytoordeathofanypersoncausedorcontributedtobytheuseormisuseoftheinformationcontainedherein.

HydraulicHoseAssemblyCare
Visual Inspection: Any of the following conditions require immediateshutdownandreplacementofthehoseassembly: Fittingslippageonhose. Damaged,crackedorcharredhose. Cracked,damageorbadlycorrodedfittings. Leaksatfittingorinhose. Kinked,crushed,flattenedortwistedhoses. Blistered,soft,degradedorloosecovers.

HydraulicSystemStorageand Protection
HoseSleeves:Sleevesaredesignedtoprotecthosesfrom abrasivewearandotherhostileconditions.Theysimplyslip over the end of a hose assembly, or they may be spilt to allow them to be installed around a hose assembly already on equipment. Hose covers are generally made of high strength fabric, and coated with appropriate materials to resistchemicals,heat,particles,moistureetc. Hose storage:Temperature,humidity,ozone,sunlight,oils, solvents, corrosive liquids, insects, rodents, and radioactive materialscan adversely affect hose products. Hoses should bestoredinadark,dryatmosphereawayfromheatsources, electrical equipment, and the above adverse elements. The idealstoragetemperatureforrubberhoseis+50F(10C)to +70F(21C),withamaximumof100F(38C). Whilstahydraulicassemblysystemmaynotbeinuseona daily basis in the spill response industry, a number of procedures should be enforced while the hoses are stored. Routinehydraulicoperationalchecksshouldbemadeonall hydraulic hoses based on a 6 monthly and 12 monthly maintenance schedule. Maintenance checks involve a full system check, run up to normal operating pressure, inspection of hoses for damage, cuts, ferrule slip back, coupling integrity and leakage. The date of manufacture of thehosesalsoneedstobechecked. Anypowerpackusedwithspillequipmentwillhaveinternal hydraulic hose systems which will also have to be checked andmaintained.Asabovetheseinternalhosesarechecked and the system loaded to full pressure for up to one hour whencarryingoutmaintenancechecks. Hose Storage Life: Manufacturers and safety standards generally stipulate a storage life for hydraulic hoses and these standards vary around the world. The difficulty for response organisations is that the standards are generally built around hose assemblies in continuous service, or certainly with much greater service life than those experienced in oil spill response activities. The counter to thislackofoperationaluse,whichcausesthehose toonlybe exposedtohydraulicpressureforlimitedperiods,isthemore arduous operating environment in which they are used. Hoses can be dragged across decks andjetties,trailed into seawater and more generally abused than normal plant hoses. Forthisreason a system ofrigorousinspection, and periodic testing should be included in the maintenance programme rather than simply using a pure replacement programme. Nonetheless, hoses do need periodic replacement and it is important to track the age of the assemblyandmonitoritscondition.

Thefollowingitemsmustbetightened,repaired,correctedor replacedasrequired: Leakingfittings. Wornclamps,guardsorshields. Systemfluidlevel,fluidtypeandanyairentrapment.

Function Test: Operate the system at maximum operating pressure and check for possible malfunctions and leaks. Personnel must avoid potentially hazardous areas while testingthesystem. ReplacementIntervals:Hoseassembliesandsealsusedon HoseFittingsandadapterswilleventuallyage,harden,wear and deteriorate under thermal cycling and compression set. Hose assemblies and all seals should be inspected and replacedatspecificreplacementintervalsbasedonprevious servicelife,industryrecommendations,orwhenfailurescould resultinunacceptabledowntime,damageorinjuryrisk. Hose inspection and failure: From time to time hose assemblieswillfailiftheyarenotreplacedatappropriate time intervals.Usuallythesefailuresaretheresultofsomeform of misapplication, abuse, wear or failure to perform proper maintenance. When hoses fail, the high pressure fluids can escape in a streamwhichmayormaynotbevisibletotheuser.Under nocircumstancesshouldtheuserattempttolocatetheleak by feeling with their hands or any part of the body. High pressure fluids can penetrate the skin and cause severe tissuedamage. If hose failure occurs shut down the equipment immediately andleaveuntilpressurehasbeencompletelyreleasedfrom the hose assembly. Simply shutting down the hydraulic pumpmaynoteliminatethepressureinthehoseassembly. It may take some time for the pressure to reduce to a safe levelforinspection.Thehoseassemblyandequipmentthen canbecheckedandfaultycomponentsreplaced. Seals used in fittings and adapters: All seals, such as DowtyandElastomeric,willeventuallyage,harden,wearand deteriorate under thermal cycling and compression set. These seals should be inspected regularly and replaced whenneeded.

TheviewsandadvicecontainedinthispaperrepresentcontributionsfromvariousITAC members.Neither ITAC norany ofitsmemberswillacceptliabilityfor anylossordamagetoproperty,orpersonalinjurytoordeathofanypersoncausedorcontributedtobytheuseormisuseoftheinformationcontainedherein.

HydraulicHoseAssemblyCare
Thedateofmanufactureofhosesisgenerallymarkedonthe hoseandotherinformationisprovided,forexample: R1 ~ 2Q/05 marked on a hose shows it is a single nd wire construction hose made in the 2 quarter of 2005 R2 ~ 4Q/05 would denote a two wire construction hosemadeinthefourthquarterof2005. Whenhydraulicsystemsareoperating,hydraulicfluid temperaturesrangefrom165to185Fduetothehigh pressureandrepresentapotentialburnhazard.Hydraulic oilisafirehazardandwhenignitedcancausesevereburns orfatalities. Rememberneversearchforapinholeleakbyrunningyour handorfingeralongahydraulichose.Hothydraulicoilat highpressurecanpunctureglovesandpenetrateseveral inchesintosofttissue.

There are many different types of hoses and assemblies in production around the world and governments and manufacturershavedifferentstandardsregardingsafetyand hose care. Oil Spill Response Organizations (OSROs) generally work over and above the stipulated standards, however government guidelines, such as the British standards,shouldbeusedasabenchmark. Recognized industry standards ensure that the user will adheretoamaintenancescheduleandunderstandthesafety implicationifnotmet,howeveritistheusersdutyofcareto ensurethesechecksarenotonlycarriedoutinmaintenance butduringanyoperationaswellandatregularintervals.Itis theresponsibilityoftheorganisationtoclearlyidentifywhatis involvedinalltheinuseandmaintenancechecks.

TipsonHoseAssemblyCareand Maintenance
Try to fit male fittings on hoses and females on machines. Male fittings are easiertocleaniftheyaredraggedthrough sandetc. Alwayscleanfittingsbeforeconnection. Always ensure caps and plugs are fitted onhoseswhennotinuse. Store hoses out of sunlight. Hoses left in direct sunlight will degrade and high pressures will be generated when oil expands in hose making connection difficult. Use a pressure relief tool to release pressurelocked hoses. Do not bang hosesondeck,flooretctoreleaselocked pressure. Always wear safety goggles when handling or working with pressurised hoses. Do not use hydraulic hoses as lifting or mooringlines. Use protective tape (Densil) to protect fittingsfromcorrosion.

InuseSafetyConsiderations
PreUse Activities: It is important for every user to thoroughlyreviewandunderstandinformationprovidedinthe equipment operators manual with particular attention being giventodescriptionsofsafetyprocedures.RiskAssessments shouldbecarriedoutbeforeusingtheequipment. Prior to use, always inspect hydraulic hoses and fittings for defects or leaks and to ensure that they are securely attached at connection points. Confirm that lowpressure hosesorfittingsarenotconnectedtohighpressurehydraulic systems or pumps. If a hydraulic system fails the preuse inspection,notifyyoursupervisorandfollowallproceduresto ensureitismarkedoutofserviceuntilrepaired. OperatingPrecautions:Beforestartingtheengine,lookto seethatpeopleandobstructionsareclearoftheequipment. Neversupportanyimplementorequipmentbyitshydraulics. Alwaysshuttheengineoffandreleaseallhydraulicpressure beforedisconnecting,performingmaintenanceor making repairs. Bewareofanyhydraulicpressurethatmaybestored inpressurevesselsoraccumulators.Alwaysusesupports, jacks,stands,orblockstopreventmovementofhydraulic implementsorcomponents.

TheviewsandadvicecontainedinthispaperrepresentcontributionsfromvariousITAC members.Neither ITAC norany ofitsmemberswillacceptliabilityfor anylossordamagetoproperty,orpersonalinjurytoordeathofanypersoncausedorcontributedtobytheuseormisuseoftheinformationcontainedherein.