HYDRAULIC SYSTEM

Definition
 It is a system where liquid under pressure is used
to transmit energy.
 Hydraulic systems take engine power and convert
it to hydraulic power by means of a hydraulic
pump.
 This power can be distributed throughout the
airplane by means of tubing that runs through the
aircraft. Hydraulic power may be reconverted to
mechanical power by means of an actuating
cylinder, or turbine.
Applications of Hydraulic System in
Aircraft

Primary flight controls:

 Elevators
 Rudders
 Ailerons

Secondary flight controls:

 Flaps
 Slats
 Spoilers
Applications of Hydraulic
System in Aircraft

Utility systems:
 Undercarriage
 Wheel brakes
 Cargo doors
 Passenger stairs
 Bomb bay doors
 Canopy Actuation
Applications of Hydraulic
System in Aircraft
Components of hydraulic System

• A source of energy – engine, auxiliary power unit or

ram air turbine
• A reservoir
• A filter to maintain clean hydraulic fluid
• A multiple redundant distribution system – pipes,
valves
• Pressure and temperature sensors
• A mechanism for hydraulic oil cooling
• A means of exercising demand – actuators, motors,
pumps
• A means of storing energy such as an accumulator
A simple hydraulic system
Components of hydraulic System

 The primary source of power on an aircraft is the

engine, and the hydraulic pump is connected to the
engine gearbox. The pump causes a flow of fluid at a
certain pressure, through stainless steel pipes to
various actuating devices.
 A reservoir ensures that sufficient fluid is available
under all conditions of demand.
 This simple system is unlikely to satisfy the practical
condition, and in practice most aircraft contain
multiple pumps and connections of pipes to ensure that
single failures and leaks do not deplete the whole
system of power.
 A typical dual channel hydraulic system

 A more complex system is shown in following figure as a

simple example to describe the various components of
a hydraulic system
 Advantages of Hydraulic System
 The system is often lighter in weight than a
mechanical system and has a low installation
space requirement – hence ideal for being
buried within the airframe.
 Hydraulic systems can develop a large amount
of force.
 They are generally reliable: they either work
or they do not work!
 They are easy to maintain and are considered
repair-friendly.
Advantages of Hydraulic System

 Theyare smooth and responsive to

operator inputs i.e. little or no delay .
 The small pipe diameters lend themselves
to flexibility of installation
 Thesystem overloads can be withstood
without damage.
Hydraulic Fluid

 Thefluid used within the hydraulic system can be

almost any liquid.
 However, the most common hydraulic fluids
contain specially compounded petroleum oils.
 Theselubricate and protect the system
components from corrosion.
Hydraulic Fluid Lines

 The hydraulic fluid lines transport the hydraulic fluid to and

from the pump through to all the components of the
hydraulic system.
 These lines can be rigid metal tubes, or flexible hose
assemblies.
 The fluid lines can transport fluid either under pressure or
via vacuum (i.e. suction).
 DEFINITION OF TERMS
 Intensityof pressure.
pressure Intensity of pressure is
the force per unit area exerted by a fluid on the
surface of a container.
container It is generally measured
in pounds per square inch.

 Total Effective Pressure.

Pressure This is the total force
exerted on a particular surface of a container.
container It
is calculated from the following formula:
Total effective pressure = Pressure (psi) x surface
area (sq in).
 OPERATING PRINCIPLES
PASCAL'S LAW: In a confined stationary liquid, neglecting the
effect of gravity, pressure is distributed equally and
undiminished in all directions (i.e. pressure is constant). It acts
perpendicular to the surface it touches.
 OPERATING PRINCIPLES
 Hydraulic systems afford convenient means for
transmitting power for the operation of such
services as retractable undercarriages, flaps, bomb
doors, wheel brakes, etc, ie, those services that
require considerable power for short periods at
infrequent intervals.
intervals
 The hydraulic pumps used to generate the
necessary pressure, and pipeline systems which
transmit this pressure to remote points in the
airframe.
 OPERATING PRINCIPLES
 In hydraulic systems, power is transmitted
as fluid pressure to the mechanism which
converts this power into mechanical work.
 If fluid is confined under pressure in any
container, the pressure is the same on all
surfaces of the container
 Types of Systems
 Constant Delivery Type.
Type In this type pump is always
delivering fluid whether or not a service is being
operated. Cutout valves and an accumulator are used.

 Constant Pressure Type.(Live – Line Systems). In this

application the pump incorporates a pressure operated
mechanism which causes the amount of fluid delivered by
the pump to reduce when the system pressure approaches
a set figure, until eventually the delivery ceases
altogether, the pressure being stored in the lines.

 When a service is selected and the system pressure falls,

the pump again starts to deliver fluid until the pressure is
restored. No accumulator is necessary in this system,
which is generally known as the live line system.
 COMPONENTS

 Hydraulic Pump
 Cut out Valves
 Accumulator
 Hand pump
 Reservoir
 Selector valves
 Thermal relief valve
 Hydraulic Pump
 This unit generates the hydraulic
pressure and delivers it to the pressure
lines in the system.
 It is usually either engine driven or
electrically powered.
 If the pump is driven via the engine gear
box it will be running continuously,
 But some electrically operated pumps
incorporate a pressure operated switch
which ensures that the pump is running
only when the pressure in the system
falls below a predetermined level
 Relief /Cut-Out Valves
 The pressure in the pump
rises until the relief valve
opens and when a selected
service has completed its
operation

 Then this cut-out valve,

which is frequently
incorporated in the pump,
and is usually in automatic
by pass valve known as a
cut-out
 Accumulator
 An accumulator consists of a
steel cylinder, closed at one end
connected to the pressure line at
the other, and a flowing piston.
 This piston separates hydraulic
fluid at one end of the cylinder
from compressed air at the
other.
 The accumulator is initially
charged with air at about half
the normal operating pressure of
the system, and hydraulic fluid
from the pump will force the
piston towards the compressed
air acts as a spring.
 Hand Pump
 This is installed as an
emergency power
source when the
engine driven pump
or engine fails or
when a leak occurs
in the pipeline
system.
 Thermal Relief Valve
 These valves are designed to
relieve excessive pressure caused
by the increase in temperature of
fluid in the hydraulic system of an
aircraft.
 The fluid is normally trapped
between non return valves and
selector valves or jacks, etc and,
because it may be considered as
being incompressible, the
temperature increase could cause
an unacceptable pressure build up
in the pipe lines.
 Selector Valve
 Each service has its own
selector valve.

 Although more than one

jack within the service may
be operated by the selector
valve,eg, two undercarriage
jacks, a tail or nose wheel
jack and fairing door jacks
may operate from a single
selector valve.
 Emergency Operation of the Services
 In some twin engine aircraft a pump is mounted on each
engine, thus reducing the risk of failure of the system due
to pump or engine failure.

 The hand pump if frequently used as an alternative

source, but its operation of the services, particularly the
undercarriage, is usually slow.

 Owing to the limitations of the hand pump, and to provide

against total loss of fluid, additional means of lowering
the undercarriage and separate accumulator or a
compressed air bottle,
bottle connected via an emergency
control valve through independent pipe lines to the down
side of the undercarriage.

 On some aircraft fitted with hydraulically powered

controls,
controls two or even three separate systems are used.
Thus, in the event of failure of the main system, there is
always a standby available for use.
 DISADVANTAGES
 Temperature: Wrong selection of hydraulic fluid for a system
will damage the components
 Contamination:Contaminants present in the hydraulic fluid
will damage the system performance and productivity. Hence,
it requires continuous filtration
 Flammability: The hydraulic fluids are highly auspicious for
causing accident
 Hazardous liquid: Handling hydraulic fluids is messy and too
much exposure can lead to health issues
 Leakage: If hydraulic fluid leaks in hot areas, it may catch fire