Hydraulics Fluids

Lesson Outcome 4(LO4:CO1)

• By the end of this lesson, student should be
able to explain hydraulic fluid characteristics
and general types of hydraulic fluid
 History of Hydraulics Fluid
• Water was the first fluid used for the
transmission of fluid power.
• The main advantages of water as a hydraulic fluid
its availability, low cost, and fire resistance.
• Disadvantages of water:
• corrodes,
• evaporates,
• support growth of bacteria,
• contaminates,
• poor lubricity,
• low viscosity
 History of Hydraulics Fluid
• Mineral oils were readily available at the beginning of
the 20th century, but were not practically used in
hydraulic systems.
• 1940s: First additives were used to improve the
physical and chemical properties of hydraulic mineral
oils. The first additives were developed to counter
rust and oxidation.
 History of Hydraulics Fluid
• But, mineral oils are highly flammable, and fire risk
increases when operating at high temperatures.
• This has led to the development of fire-resistant
fluids that are mainly water-based, with limitations
on the operating conditions.
• The need for extremes of operating temperatures
and pressures led to the development of synthetic
fluids.
Primary function of hydraulic
fluid
• Power transmission
• Lubrication
• Sealing – thin hydraulic film act as sealing that
reduce leakage
• Cooling – capable to absorb heat generated by
moving part
• Cushioning of oscillations caused by pressure
jerks
• Corrosion protection
 Fluid characteristics
• Viscosity
• Oil density
• Oil compressibility
• Vapor Pressure
• Lubrication and Anti-Wear Characteristics
• Compatibility
• Chemical Stability
• Oxidation Stability
• Environmentally Acceptable Hydraulic Oils
 Viscosity
• Viscosity describes the resistance to the laminar
movement of two neighboring fluid layers against
each other.
• Simply, viscosity is the resistance to flow. It
results from the cohesion and interaction
between molecules
E.g. The lower plate is
fixed, while the upper
plate is moving at a
steady speed v
 Viscosity (cont…)
• Important to keep the oil viscosity within a certain
range during the system’s operation; otherwise, the
operating conditions will change with temperature.
• The viscosity index (VI) of oil is a number used in
industry to indicate the effect of temperature variation
on the viscosity of the oil.
• A low VI signifies a relatively large change of viscosity
with temperature variation.
• A high VI means relatively little change in viscosity over
a wide temperature range.
• The best oil is the one that maintains constant viscosity
throughout temperature changes.
• Effect of Viscosity on Hydraulic System Operation
• The oil viscosity influences the function of
hydraulic power systems as it introduces
resistance to fluid flow and to the motion of
bodies moving in the fluid. Herein, the following
effects are studied:
– Hydraulic losses in transmission lines
– Resistance to fluid flow in narrow conduits
– Viscous friction forces and damping effect
 Oil density
• Density - the mass per unit volume: ρ=m/V.
• The hydraulic oils are of low compressibility and
volumetric thermal expansion. Therefore, under
ordinary operating conditions, the oil density is
practically constant.
• The density of mineral hydraulic oils ranges from
850 to 900 kg/m3
• The oil density affects both the transient and
steady state operations of the hydraulic systems.
Effect of Density on Hydraulic System
Operation
• Local Losses
– Result from a rapid variation in the magnitude or
direction of the velocity vector. E.g. throttling
elements, elbows, and T connections area
– Directly proportional to the fluid density
• Hydraulic Inertia
– Occurs during the early running stage
– Affects the transient response of the hydraulic
transmission lines, but it has no significant effect
on its steady state behavior
 Oil compressibility
• Defined as the ability of liquid to change its volume when
its pressure varies.
• Liquids are of very low compressibility, compare with gas.
Therefore, liquids are usually assumed incompressible.
• But this is applied when the liquid compressibility has no
significant effect on the performance of the studied system.
• The hydraulic oil compressibility has a direct impact on the
transient behavior of the hydraulic system.
• Generally, the reduction of oil volume by 1% requires an
increase of its pressure by 10 to 20 MPa.
 Lubrication and Anti-Wear
Characteristics
• The fluid must be capable of covering the contact
surfaces of all moving parts with a thin and
continuous lubricating film.
• The lubricating film may be destroyed, as a result
of high loading forces, insufficient oil delivery,
and low viscosity.
• The lubricating power and film strength of a
liquid are directly related to its chemical nature
and can be improved by the addition of certain
chemical agents.
 Compatibility
• The fluid must be fully compatible with other
materials used in the hydraulic system, such as
those used for bearings, seals and paints.
• It should not react chemically with any of these
materials, nor change their physical properties.
• Moreover, the fluid leaks out from the hydraulic
system and encounters other system parts, such
as electrical lines, mechanical components, and
others, so the fluid must also be compatible with
the materials of these parts.
 Stability
• The hydraulics fluid must be stable in term of
chemical and oxidation.
• Some metals, such as zinc, lead, brass, and
copper, have undesirable chemical reactions
with certain liquids.
• Can be improved by the addition of oxidation
inhibitors
Environmentally Acceptable
Hydraulic Oils
• An oil leak may result in considerable pollution of the
surroundings and ground water.
• Mineral oils are composed of relatively stable
hydrocarbon compounds, and are only very slowly
broken down by microorganisms in the environment.
• Thus, pollution by conventional mineral hydraulic oils
can disturb the ecological balance for long periods.
• Led to a growing interest in biodegradable products
including hydraulics fluid.
Classification of Hydraulics
Fluid
Mineral Oils
• The most widely used hydraulic fluids.
• Relatively inexpensive, widely available, and can be offered
in suitable viscosity grades.
• Good lubricity, noncorrosive, and are compatible with most
sealing materials with the exception of butyl rubber.
• Chemically stable for reasonable operating temperatures.
At higher temperatures, however, they suffer chemical
breakdown.
• Premium grade mineral oils contain a package of additives
to combat the effects of wear, oxidation, and to improve
viscosity index and lubricity.
 Mineral Oils
• Disadvantages of mineral oils:
– Cannot be remedied by incorporating additives.
– High flammability
– Increase in viscosity at high pressures.
• Fire risk excludes the use of mineral oils in
hazardous areas such as injection and plastic
molding machines, coal mines, and near
furnaces.
• The viscosity pressure characteristics limit their
use to pressures below 1000 bar
 Oil-in-Water Emulsion
• This hydraulic fluid consists of tiny droplets of oil
dispersed in a continuous water phase.
• The dilution is normally between 2% and 5% oil in
water, and the characteristics of the fluid are
more similar to water than oil.
• It is extremely fire-resistant, is highly
incompressible, and has good cooling properties.
• Nain disadvantages - poor lubricity and low
viscosity.
 Water-in-Oil Emulsion
• The water-in-oil emulsions are the most popular fire-
resistant fluids.
• They have a continuous oil phase in which tiny
droplets of water are dispersed. Their lubrication
properties are very much reduced.
• For optimum life, the operating temperatures should
not exceed 25°C, but intermittent operation up to
50°C is permissible.
 Water-in-Oil Emulsion
• At the higher temperature, water content is affected
owing to evaporation, which decreases the
emulsion’s fire-resistance properties.
• When the system has been idle for long periods,
there is a tendency for the oil and water to separate.
However, during running, the pump will re-emulsify
the fluid.
 Water-Glycol Fluids
• These fluids were developed primarily for use in
aircraft because of their very low flammability
characteristics.
• However, their application is limited since they cannot
be used at high temperatures because of their water
content.
• Their lubricating ability is inferior to that of mineral
oils; they attack most paints; they are very stable with
respect to shear because of the low molecular weight
of their constituents;
• Good anti-freeze properties make them particularly
suitable for low-temperature applications.
 Synthetic Oils
• Synthetic oils, such as phosphate esters, have
remarkably good fire resistance properties.
They are used in industries such as plastic
molding and die-casting, where unusually
great fire risks occur.
• Their lubricating ability is similar to that of
mineral oil.
 Synthetic Oils
• Synthetic oils are superior when compared with
mineral-oil–based fluids in term of Thermal stability,
Oxidation stability, Viscosity-temperature properties
(VI), Low temperature fluidity, Operational
temperature limits and Fire resistance
• Disadvantages:
– Elastomers used in conjunction with phosphate
esters must be chosen carefully.
– Certain metals, particularly aluminum, and most
paints are susceptible to attack.
Requirements Imposed on the
Hydraulic Liquid
The following are the main requirements imposed on
hydraulic liquids:
• Satisfactory flow properties throughout the entire range of
operating temperatures.
• A high viscosity index that ensures moderate viscosity
variation in relation to the temperature fluctuations.
• Good lubricating properties are a prerequisite to reduce
the wear and increase the service life of the system.
• Low vapor pressure to avoid cavitation.
• Compatibility with system materials since the fluid should
not react chemically with any of the used materials or
deteriorate their physical properties.
 Cont…
• Chemical stability is necessary to increase the service life of
liquid and avoid performance deterioration.
• Corrosion protection by adding effective corrosion
inhibitors.
• Rapid de-aeration and air separation.
• Good thermal conductivity is required to rapidly dissipate
the heat generated due to friction between elements and
due to hydraulic losses.
• Fire resistance is essential in some applications.
• Electrically insulating properties can be significant in a
number of modern designs.
• Environmental acceptability.
 Lesson Summary
• We have discussed:
– Fluid characteristics
– Type of hydraulic fluid