Hydraulic Fluids

Mineral based fluid known variously as:

• DTD 585 in the UK • MIL-H-5606 in the USA • AIR 320 in France • H 515 NATO

Advantages.

Freely available throughout the world, reasonably priced

Low rate of change of viscosity with respect to temperature compared to other fluids.

Unfortunately, being a petroleum based fluid, it is flammable and is limited to a working temperature of
about 130 C. One of the rare departures from DTD 585 was made to overcome this upper temperature limit.
This led to the use of DP 47, known also as Silcodyne, in the ill-fated TSR2.

Reduced flammability

MIL-H-83282, an entirely synthetic fluid, now adopted for all US Navy aircraft. It is miscible with DTD 5858
and, although slightly more viscous below 20 C, it compares well enough.

In real terms the designer of military aircraft hydraulic systems has little or no choice of fluid since defense
ministries of the purchasing nations will specify the fluid to be used for their particular project. Most
specifications now ask for systems to be compatible with both DTD 585 and MIL-H-5606.

Commercial aircraft make use of phosphate ester fluids which are fire resistant, e.g.

• Solutia Skydrol LD-4, Skydrol 500B-4 or Skydrol 5

• Exxon Type IV HJ4AP or Type V HJ5MP

These fluids are not fireproof – there are certain combinations of fluid spray and hot surfaces which will
allow them to ignite and burn.

Fluid Pressure
Similarly little choice is available with respect to working pressure. Systems have become standardized at
3000 psi or 4000 psi.

Interestingly DTD 585 cannot be used above 5000 psi because of shear breakdown within the fluid.

A detailed study would show that the optimum pressure will differ for every aircraft design.

Fluid Temperature
With fast jet aircraft capable of sustained operation above Mach 1, there are advantages in operating the
system at high temperatures, but this is limited by the fluid used.

For many years the use of DTD 585 has limited temperatures to about 130 C, and components and seals
have been qualified accordingly.

The use of MIL-H-83282 has raised this limit to 200 C and many other fluids have been used from time to
time, for example on Concorde and TSR2, to allow high temperature systems to be used.

A disadvantage to operating at high temperatures is that phosphate ester based fluids can degrade as a
result of hydrolysis and oxidation. As temperature increases, so the viscosity of the fluid falls. At some
point lubricity will be reduced to the extent that connected actuators and motors may be damaged.
Fluid Flow rate
Nominal system pressure = Stall pressure

I.e. no flow will be present in the circuit apart from some very low quiescent leakage.

 Incorporating realistic pressure drop. 20-25 % of the nominal pressure is considered.

 Pressure drops across each actuator will be known.
 Requirement for simultaneous action and movement speed will be known.

Sum of these will give the maximum flow rate demand of system.

Flow demands at various phases of the flight – take-off, cruise etc. – Graphical representation.

For sizing of pumps, flow required on approach provides the design case. I.e. at low engine rpm, pump rpm.

Absolute max. Flow demand is of very short duration, involving very high velocities of very small volumes of
oil. So, an accumulator can be used to augment the flow available.

Accumulator contains a compressed gas cylinder, which provide energy to augment system pressure.

When the flow demanded will exceed the pump capabilities the system pressure is controlled by the
accumulator, not the pump? However frequency of max demand must be known, and time must be
available for the pump to recharge the accumulator.

Hydraulic Piping
After system architecture is defined for all aircraft systems using hydraulic power, then it’s possible to
design the pipe layout in the aircraft.

 Separate piping to avoid common mode failures as result of accidental/battle damage.

 Once layout is obtained, pipes length and flow rate calculation in each section/branch is possible.
 25 % Allowable pressure drop will be further divided between pressure pipes, return pipes and
components and pressure drop values are chosen across each component.
 Alternatively it can be achieved without excessive penalties, being incurred by over-large porting or
body sizes.
 Once pipe lengths, flow rates and permissible pressure drops are known, pipe diameters can be
calculated using the normal expression governing friction flow in pipes.

Hydraulic Pumps
A system will contain one or more pumps depending on: type of aircraft, need for safety and redundancy.

Mounted on an engine-driven gearbox.

 For civil, Mounted on an accessory gearbox attached on engine casing.

 For military, mounted on an Aircraft Mounted Accessory Drive (AMAD) attached on the airframe.

Pump speed is directly related to engine speed and must be capable of working over a wide speed range.

Typical max continuous speed for modern military aircraft is 6000 rpm, but this is largely influenced by
pump size, the smallest pumps running fastest.

Universally used pump type is variable delivery, constant pressure.

Demand on the pumps continuous throughout a flight, but frequently varying.

Within pump flow range, these pumps can maintain pressure within 5 % of nominal except during short
transitional stages from low flow to high flow.

Figure 1 Characteristic curve for a 'constant pressure' pump

Working principle of a piston pump

 Pumps are designed to sense outlet pressure and feedback this signal to a plate carrying the
reciprocating pistons.
 Pistons are free to move at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the rotating drive shaft.
 When angle is 90 ° to the linear axis (drive shaft), no linear displacement of the pistons.
 Normally 9 – pistons arranged diametrically around the plate.
 Position of the plate varies the amount of reciprocating movement of each piston.
 Up to its maximum limit the plate will move to displace the volume needed to main nominal system
pressure.
 When flow demands beyond maximum displacement are made the system pressure drops rapidly to
zero.
 For short periods pressure can be maintained by means of an accumulator.

Figure 2 working principle of a piston pump

 Figure 4 Cross section view Figure 3 external view of a piston pump

Fluid conditioning
Under normal working conditions hydraulic fluids needs

Cooling
 Bleed off any air accumulating in the reservoir (de-aerate by connection of ground equipment)
 For cooling purposes the fuel/hydraulic heat exchanger is used. (on ground)
 Air/fluid cooling may be provided once the aircraft is in flight.
 Heat exchangers are low pressure devices; they are situated in the return line of actuator before
entry to reservoir.
 Adequate strength must be present to prevent external burst (avoiding any failure) by determining
max pressure experienced across fuel/hydraulic matrix.
 Heat due to friction carried away by pump case drain line, when running offload.

Cleaning
 Servo-valve introduction (very fine clearances) requires the need for very clean fluids.
 Leading to filter elements made of resin bonded paper supported by arrangements of metal tubes
and wire mesh.
 This produces filter elements of high strength capable of withstanding differential pressures of one
and half times the system pressure.
 Capable of stopping all particles of contaminant above 5 – microns size and high % of particles
below this size.
 ‘Beta’ rating; ratio of particles upstream and downstream of the filter.
 Typically size ranges: 5-15 microns, 15-25 microns, 25-50 microns & 50-100 microns.
 Mostly adequate level of cleanliness can be achieved by using a 5 – micron absolute return line filter
in combination with a 15 – micron pressure line filter, gives acceptable element life.
 Filters are not used in pumps inlet line.
 Electronic automatic counters can be used to measure the cleanliness level achieved within 5 %
repeatability.

Figure 5 Filter units