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Hydraulic Terms
Hydraulic Terms
Glossary of Terms
Absolute pressure: The pressure above absolute pressure. It is the sum of atmospheric pressure
and gauge pressure.
Absolute zero pressure: The reference zero that is not the atmospheric pressure. It is the
pressure of pure vacuum.
Accumulator: A container in which fluid is stored under pressure as a source of fluid power.
Actuator: A device for converting hydraulic energy into mechanical energy. It can be linear or
rotary type.
Aeration: Air trapped in hydraulic fluid. Excessive aeration may cause system to operate
erratically.
Amplifier: A device used to amplify an electrical signal. The signal may be current, voltage or
power and can be either direct current or alternating current.
Annular area: Refers to effective area of the rod side of the single acting cylinder.
Atmospheric pressure: Pressure exerted by the atmosphere at any specific location on the
Earth’s surface. Atmospheric pressure at sea level under normal barometric condition is 1.0315
bar.
Baffle: Plate installed in hydraulic reservoir to separate flow of the return line from the flow to
the pump inlet.
Bleed off: To divert specific controllable portion of pump delivery directly to tank.
Brake valve: A valve used to in exhaust line of a hydraulic motor to prevent the overrunning
load and excessive pressure while decelerating or stopping the load.
Breather: A device that permits air to move in and out of the component or tank to maintain
atmospheric pressure.
Check valve: A control valve that permits fluid in only one direction.
Closed circuit: A circuit arrangement in which pump output, after passing through various
components returns directly to pump inlet, instead of tank.
Closed loop: A system in which the feedback of one or more elements (hydraulic, pneumatic or
electrical) is compared to a command signal, providing error signal to control the output of the
loop.
Closed ports: Ports of hydraulic valve which are blocked and do not permit flow.
Compensator control:An automatic displacement control for variable pumps and motors. It
alters the displacement in response to system pressure changes as related to the adjusted pressure
setting.
Counter balance valve:A pressure control valve that maintains back pressure to prevent load
from falling.
Cushion:A device that provides controlled resistance to motion. The cushion can be either built
into either end of hydraulic cylinder, thus restricting the output flow and providing cushion to the
load near the end of travel.
Cylinder:A device that converts fluid power into linear mechanical power.
Deadband:The region or band of no response where an error signal will not cause a
corresponding actuation of the controlled variable.
Delivery:The volume of fluid discharged by a pump in a given time. Usually expressed in liters
per minute (LPM).
Differential cylinder:Any cylinder in which the two opposed piston areas are not equal.
Directional valve:A valve whose primary function is to direct or prevent flow through selected
channels.
Displacement:The volume of the fluid delivered by pump or required by motor during one
revolution.
Dither:A low-amplitude,high-frequency signal inserted into a servo loop to minimize the effect
of column friction, hysteresis and deadband.
Double-acting cylinder:A cylinder in which hydraulic force may be applied to movable element
in either direction.
Drift:The percentage above or below the programmed operating level of a servo amplifier over a
specified operating time
Electrohydraulic servo valve:A type of servo valve, most of which are capable of providing an
output flow directly proportional to the input electric current.
Filter:A device used to separate and retain insoluble contaminates from a fluid.
Flow control valve:A valve whose primary function is to control or regulate flow rates.
Flow rate:The volume of fluid passing a given point in pipe or device in unit time
Full flow filter:A hydraulic filter where all the flow must pass through the filter elements.
Gauge pressure:A pressure measured by a gauge or calculated using the atmosphere as zero
pressure.
Heat exchanger:Device which removes heat from hydraulic system using air or liquid.
Hysteresis:The difference between the response to an increasing signal and that to a decreasing
signal having the same slope.
Kinetic energy:Energy that a body has by virtue of its mass and velocity.
Laminar flow:A flow condition where flow particles move in continuous parallel paths without
momentum or mass transfer.
Lands:Portion of a valve spool that seals flow from undesired passages while permitting flow to
desired ports.
Linearity:The degree of straightness of the hysteresis plot of servo valve. How closely output
follows input.
Micron rating:The smallest size particle, measured in microns, that a filter will remove.
Motor (hydraulic):Adevice that converts hydraulic energy into rotary mechanical energy.
Open-centered valve:Valve in which all ports are interconnected in the center or neutral
position.
Pilot pressure:Auxiliary pressure used to actuate or control other hydraulic components.
Pilot valve:The controlling valve of two- or three-stage valve or any auxiliary valve used to
operate another valve.
Poppet:The part of a valve that blocks flow when it closes against a seat.
Pressure:Force per unit area. Expressed in Pascals or heads of liquids such as meter or mm of
mercury.
Pressure override:The difference between the cracking pressure of a valve and the pressure
reached when the valve is passing its full flow.
Pressure-reducing valve:Avalve that lowers and regulates the lower output pressure.
Proportional flow filter:A filter designed to pass part of flow through the filter element
proportional to the pressure drop.
Pump (hydraulic):A device that converts mechanical force and motion into hydraulic fluid
power.
Ram:A single-acting cylinder with a single diameter plunger rather than a piston and rod.
Regenerative circuit: A circuit arrangement for a differential cylinder in which discharge fluid
from the rod end is combined with pump delivery to be directed into the cap end.
Return line:A line used to carry exhaust fluid from working device to reservoir.
Rotary actuator:The name reserved for a hydraulic motor that has less than 360-degree rotation.
Sensitivity:The minimum input signal to a servo device required to produce detectable output
signal.
Servo mechanism:A servo loop where the output load tracks as if it were driven by input signal,
even when the output power is many times that of the input. The output power is derived from
the main or auxiliary power source and not from the servo input.
Servo system: A servo mechanism or any other closed loop system where the output position,
speed, pressure, torque or power is automatically controlled by the feedback signal as a function
of input signal.
Servo valve:A flow valve or a valve that modulates output flow and pressure as a function of the
input signal.
Single-acting cylinder: A cylinder in which hydraulic force may act in only one direction. The
cylinder must be returned by gravity or spring or other mechanical force.
Solenoid: Electromechanical device that converts electrical energy into linear mechanical
motion.
Spool:moving part of a valve that directs the flow through the system
Strainer:Acoarse filter.
Suction line: The hydraulic line connecting the inlet of pump to a reservoir.
Sump: Reservoir.
Swash plate: A stationary canted plate in an axial type piston pump that causes the pistons to
reciprocate as the cylinder block and pistons rotate
Throttle: Used to restrict flow. May be used as noncompensated flow control or to produce a
pressure drop as a part of compensated flow valve.
Turbulent flow: A flow condition where flow particles move in a random manner rather than in
parallel paths as in laminar flow. The usual cause of turbulence is use of sharp-edged orifice in
the control valves.
Unloading valve: Allows the pressure of one circuit to be unloaded when the pressure of another
circuit reaches the predetermined setting.