HYDROSTATIC

TRANSMISSION
 Benefits of Hydrostatic Transmission

HSTs offer many important advantages over other forms

of power transmission. Depending on its configuration, an
HST:
• transmits high power in a compact size
• exhibits low inertia
• operates efficiently over a wide range of torque-to-speed
ratios
• maintains controlled speed (even in reverse) regardless of
load, within design limits
• maintains a preset speed accurately against driving or
braking loads
• can transmit power from a single prime mover to
multiple locations, even if position and orientation of
the locations changes
• can remain stalled and undamaged under full load at
low power loss
• does not creep at zero speed
• provides faster response than mechanical or
electromechanical transmissions of comparable
rating, and
• can provide dynamic braking
 Integral Parts of a Hydraulic Circuit

A hydraulic circuit consists of a:

• Hydraulic motor
• Hydraulic pump
• hydraulic gadgets like valves, filters, high-pressure
hoses, metal tubing, hydraulic fluid reservoir etc.
 Hydraulic Fluids
• Hydraulic fluids are used to transmit power in
hydraulic equipment and power transmission
applications.
• Most industrial hydraulic oil and transmission fluids
consist of petroleum or mineral oils, oil-water
emulsions, synthetic lubricants, or water-glycol
mixtures. High water content fluids (HWCF) and
high water base fluids (HWBF) are used in
applications where the leakage of a flammable fluid
is likely to cause ignition. Wax, paraffin and stearate
compounds are well-suited for anti-corrosive and
anti-static applications.
 Hydraulic fluid Properties

• Hydraulic oil and transmission fluids vary in terms of

kinematic viscosity, operating temperature, pour
point, boiling point, and flash point.
• Kinematic viscosity becomes important for the flow
through capillary tubes.
• Operating and boiling point temperature becomes
important for stability of the fluid.
• Flash point is the lowest temperature at which a
liquid produces sufficient vapors to form an ignitable
mixture in air near the surface of the liquid and as
such defines the susceptibility of a liquid to catch fire.
 Desirable properties of Hydraulic fluids
• Good Lubricity
A hydraulic system has various components that
contain surfaces that are in close contact and move in
relation to each other. A good hydraulic fluid must
protect against wear and separate and lubricate such
surfaces.
• Stable Viscosity
Viscosity is a vital fluid property that varies with
temperature and pressure. Fluids having large changes
of viscosity with temperature are commonly referred as
low viscosity index fluids and those having small
changes of viscosity with temperature are known as
high viscosity index fluids. A hydraulic fluid must have a
stable viscosity over the range of operating
temperatures and as such should have a high viscosity
index.
• Chemical and Physical Stability
The characteristics of a fluid should remain
unchanged during an extended useful life. Since
many aspects of stability are chemical in nature, the
temperatures to which the fluid will be exposed is
an important criterion in the selection of a hydraulic
fluid.
• System Compatibility
The hydraulic fluid should be inert to materials used in or
near the hydraulic equipment. If the fluid in anyway
attacks, destroys, dissolves or changes parts of the
hydraulic system, the system may lose its functional
efficiency and may start malfunctioning.
• Good Heat Dissipation
Pressure drops, mechanical friction, fluid friction, leakages,
all generate heat. The fluid must carry the generated heat
away and readily dissipate it to the atmosphere or coolers .
• Flash Point
The flash point of a hydraulic oil is defined as the
temperature at which flashes will be generated
when the oil is brought into contact with any
heated matter. Flash point of the fluid must be
above the operating temperature.
• Fire Resistant
The hydraulic liquids are petroleum derivatives and
thus for critical applications, artificial or synthetic
hydraulic fluids are used which have high fire
resistances. Various grades of fluids with high water
content are also available nowadays for oil hydraulic
systems.
• Prevent Rust Formation
Moisture and oxygen cause rusting of iron parts in
the system that can lead to abrasive wear of system
components and also act as catalyst to increase the
rate of oxidation of the fluid. Fluids with rust
inhibitors minimize rust formation in the system.
• Low Coefficient of Expansion
The hydraulic fluid should have a low coefficient of
expansion to minimize the total volume of the
system required at the operating temperature.
• Low in Volatility
The fluid should posses low vapor pressure or high
boiling point characteristic. The vapor pressure of a
fluid varies with temperature and hence the
operating temperature range of the system is
important in determining the suitability of the fluid.
A Schematic Representation

/ Motor
 Hydraulic Motors

• Hydraulic motors make use of fluid pressure for

driving mechanical loads.
• A hydraulic motor cannot function as an isolated
unit like an electric motor does.
• A hydraulic pump supplies the motive power for its
operation.
• The pump draws hydraulic fluid from the reservoir
and supplies it under pressure to the hydraulic
motor linked mechanically to the workload. The
pump receives mechanical power for its operation
through a prime mover that is either an internal
combustion engine or an electric motor.
• After going through the hydraulic motor, the
hydraulic fluid is returned to the reservoir, filtered,
and reused as required. Hydraulic motors are fluid
power actuators capable of delivering linear or
rotary motion depending on their design.
• They are fast becoming popular for a variety of
technical applications. Due to their inherent
advantages they are being preferred to replace
electrical motors or systems incorporating complex
mechanical linkages.
• Compared to electric motors, which deliver only
rotational power and must be sized to suit the load
application, hydraulic motors are much smaller in size
even when the application involves heavy loads.
• In a heavy electromechanical system a big electric
motor needs to be directly located on the motion axis
which may not be always feasible. It would also
require a continuous supply of electricity usually
from an external source.
 Benefits of hydraulic motors

• Smaller size: A relatively small hydraulic motor is

required as compared to an electric motor for the
same application.
• No space constraint: Hydraulic motor can be placed
with ease and connected to a pump located
remotely within the system through an
arrangement of high-pressure flexible hoses that
can be conveniently routed.
• Hydraulic motors delivering rotary power are
mainly of two types and are classified on torque
and rotational speed.
• HSLT ( High Speed Low Torque)
• LSHT (Low Speed High Torque) motor.
• The LSHT motor can have a speed range from 0.1 to
1000 revolutions per minute whereas HSLT motor
speeds can range from 1000 to 5000 revolutions per
minute.
• The size advantage can be gauged from the fact that
the size of a 5hp hydraulic motor will be roughly that
of a 350 ml can. In addition, there would be very low
level noise and vibration generation and much higher
efficiency.
• HSLT and LSHT hydraulic motors are available in
different types namely:
• Piston,
• Gear and
• Vane type
 Axial piston motors
• The axial piston motor is of the 'swashplate type'
and has a bank of cylinders arranged in a circle (360
degrees) parallel to each other. Each cylinder has a
piston, which reciprocates with one end of the
piston pushing against an eccentric swash-plate
located at one end of the bank of cylinders. There is
a mechanical arrangement through which the
eccentric plate is connected to an output shaft that
is axially aligned with the cylinders.
During motor operation, the cylinders are filled with high-
pressure hydraulic fluid in a particular sequence
making the pistons move outwards to push
sequentially against the swash-plate causing it to
rotate. On the return stroke of the piston the fluid is
swept back at low pressure to return to a reservoir. The
operation imparts rotational movement to the output
shaft, of which one end is connected to the swash-plate
and other to the workload. This is a design that caters
to a very compact cylindrical hydraulic motor. Most
axial hydraulic motors are HSLT.
Axial Piston Type Motor
 Radial piston motors
• A radial piston hydraulic motor has a bank of
cylinders with a series of pistons riding on cams along
a camshaft, which is attached to the output shaft. The
reciprocating movement of the pistons gives rotary
movement to the camshaft/output shaft that is
tapped for power. In another variation cylinders are
arranged radially with the pistons moving inwards to
push against a cam located in center causing it to
rotate. These motors are generally used as wheel motors
Radial Piston Type Motor
• Gear type hydraulic motors can be classified as
internal gear or 'gerator' type and external gear
motors.
• Gerator motors are very quiet in operation and
designed to transmit rotary power through an
output shaft connected to a rotor moving inside an
outer stator. Supply of hydraulic fluid under
pressure makes the rotor move eccentrically along
the inner periphery of the stator.
• An external gear hydraulic motor has a set of
meshing gears enclosed in a sealed housing have
passages supply and return of hydraulic fluid.
pressure from the pump. This fluid exerts force of
the vanes to make them move like fan blades. This
action results in rotating the output shaft, which is
tapped for power.
• Pressurized hydraulic fluid flowing into the housing
has an action on the gear teeth and makes the
gears rotate. The rotational movement of the gears
is transmitted to the workload through an output
shaft connected to the rotating gears and passing
through the motor housing.
• Vane type hydraulic motors have movable vanes
connected to a centrally located output shaft. The
whole arrangement is enclosed in a housing/ case
that receives hydraulic fluid under
 Hydraulic Motor Applications

Hydraulic motors are mainly used in heavy earth

moving equipment like excavators, skids, forklifts,
heavy dumper trucks, bulldozers etc. where
hydraulic cylinders extend and retract as vital
operational parts while the machine performs
various work. These cylinders are hydraulic motors
transmitting linear power.
• Due to the high torque at low speeds, loaders and
other construction equipment use heavy hydraulic
motors to drive the wheels for moving the machines
around.
• There is one motor for each wheel and the diesel
engine is used to drive the pump, which deliver
hydraulic fluid to the motors.
• Due to the very heavy loads when the motor stalls,
the building pressure inside the supply circuit of the
hydraulic operates a pressure relief valve preset to a
specific pressure to return the supply of the fluid
back to the reservoir. It also triggers a mechanism to
reverse the direction of rotation to release the load
and free the machine after which normal rotational
direction is resumed. An electric motor would either
trip or burn out.
• Compact and extremely efficient, small hydraulic
motors can be used for various machining
operations like boring, reaming, drilling etc. Due to
their small size they are tools of choice for
applications like:
• Dynamite blast hole pump drive
• Fan drives
• Drill and tap machine tool
• Conveyor drives
 Motor Problems

The majority fall into these categories:

• Improper fluid — The motor is no different than any of the
other components of the hydraulic system—it must have
clean fluid, in adequate supply, and of the proper quality
and viscosity.
• Poor maintenance — A poor maintenance program runs a
close second in the cause of major problems. Typical slips
in a program include:
• failure to check and repair lines and connections to stop
leaks; faulty connections can allow dirt and air into the
system, lower pressure, and cause erratic operation.
• failure to install the motor correctly. Motor shaft
misalignment can cause bearing wear which can lead to
lost efficiency. A misaligned shaft also can reduce the
torque, increase friction drag and heating, and result in
shaft failure.
• Improper operation — Exceeding a motor’s operating
limits promotes motor failure. Every motor has design
limitations on pressure, speed, torque, displacement,
load, and temperature. Excessive pressure can generate
heat because of motor slippage, and can cause the
motor to exceed torque limits. Excessive speed can
cause heating and can cause wear of bearings and
other internal parts.
• Excessive torque can cause fatigue and stress to
bearings and the motor shaft, especially on
applications that require frequent motor reversing.
Excessive load can create bearing and shaft fatigue.
And finally, excessive temperature can cause loss of
efficiency because the oil becomes thinner, and can
produce rapid wear because of lack of lubrication.
 Hydraulic Pumps

• Hydrostatic pumps are positive displacement pumps

i.e. They cause a fluid to move by trapping a fixed
amount of it then forcing (displacing) that trapped
volume into the discharge pipe.
 Types of Hydraulic pumps
Hydraulic Pumps

Gear Gerotor Rotary Screw Bent Axis Axial Radial Peristaltic

Pumps pumps Vane pumps pumps Piston Piston pumps
pumps pumps pumps
 Gear Pumps

• Gear pumps with external teeth are fixed

displacement. They are simple and economical pumps.
The swept volume or displacement of gear pumps for
hydraulics will be between about 1 cm3 (0.001 litre)
and 200 cm3 (0.2 litre). These pumps create pressure
through the meshing of the gear teeth, which forces
fluid around the gears to pressurize the outlet side.
Some gear pumps can be quite noisy, compared to
other types, but modern gear pumps are highly
reliable and much more efficient than older models.
Gear Pump (With external teeth)
External gear pump
Gear pump (with internal teeth)
Internal Gear (Gerotor) Pump
 Gear pumps
• As the gears rotate they separate on the intake side
of the pump, creating a void and suction which is
filled by fluid. The fluid is carried by the gears to the
discharge side of the pump, where the meshing of
the gears displace the fluid. The mechanical
clearances are small—on the order of a thousandth
of an millimeter (micrometres). The tight
clearances, along with the speed of rotation,
effectively prevent the fluid from leaking
backwards.
• The rigid design of the gears and housing allow for
very high pressures and the ability to pump highly
viscous fluids.
 Applications
• External gear pumps are the most common type of
pump for hydraulic power applications. This is
because of their simplicity, reliability, and very high
power ratings. A typical 10 hp (7 kW) gear pump may
fit into a 100 by 100 by 100 mm envelope, a fraction of
the size of a comparable electric motor. Maximum
operating pressures are between 1000 and 4000 psi (7
and 28 MPa, 70 - 280 bar). Many commercial models
are designed to operate as either a motor or pump.
• Internal gear pumps perform better at lower speeds
and with higher viscosity fluids than external gear
pumps. Engine oil pumps are usually internal gear
designs.
 Gerotor pumps
• The gerotor pump is a variation of internal gear
pump.
• The name gerotor is derived from "Generated
Rotor". A gerotor unit consists of an inner and outer
rotor. The inner rotor has N teeth, and the outer
rotor has N+1 teeth. The inner rotor is located off-
center and both rotors rotate. During part of the
assembly's rotation cycle, the area between the
inner and outer rotor increases, creating a vacuum.
• This vacuum creates suction, and hence, this part of
the cycle is where the intake is located. Then, the
area between the rotors decreases, causing
compression. During this compression period, fluids
can be pumped, or compressed (if they are gaseous
fluids).
• Gerotor pumps are generally designed using a
trochoidal inner rotor and an outer rotor formed by
a circle with intersecting circular arcs.
• A gerotor can also function as a motor. High
pressure gas enters the intake area and pushes
against the inner and outer rotors, causing both to
rotate as the area between the inner and outer
rotor increases. During the compression period, the
exhaust is pumped out.
Rotary Vane Pump
• A rotary vane pump is a positive-displacement pump that
consists of vanes mounted to a rotor that rotates inside of
a cavity. In some cases these vanes can be variable length
and/or tensioned to maintain contact with the walls as the
pump rotates.
• simplest vane pump is a circular rotor rotating inside of
a larger circular cavity. The centers of these two circles
are offset, causing eccentricity. Vanes are allowed to
slide into and out of the rotor and seal on all edges,
creating vane chambers that do the pumping work.
• On the intake side of the pump, the vane chambers
are increasing in volume. These increasing volume
vane chambers are filled with fluid forced in by the
inlet pressure. On the discharge side of the pump,
the vane chambers are decreasing in volume, forcing
fluid out of the pump. The action of the vane drives
out the same volume of fluid with each rotation.
• The pumps are used for automatic transmission and
power steering.
• They have higher efficiencies than gear pumps, but
are also used for mid pressures up to 180 bars in
general.
Screw Pumps
• Screw pumps (fixed displacement) are a double
Archimedes spiral, but closed. This means that two
screws are used in one body. The pumps are used
for high flows and relatively low pressure (max 100
bar). The advantage of the screw pumps is the low
sound level of these pumps; the efficiency is not
that high.
 Bent Axis Pump

• Bent axis pumps (axial piston pumps using the bent

axis principle) have the best efficiency of all pumps.
Although in general the largest displacements are
approximately one litre per revolution, if necessary
a two liter swept volume pump can be built. Often
variable displacement pumps are used, so that the
oil flow can be adjusted carefully. These pumps can
in general work with a working pressure of up to
350 bars
 Axial Piston Pump

• Axial piston pumps using the swash plate

principle have a quality that is almost the
same as the bent axis model. They have the
advantage of being more compact in design.
The pumps are easier and more economical
to manufacture; the disadvantage is that they
are more sensitive to oil contamination
 Radial Piston Pump

• Radial piston pumps (fixed displacement) are used

especially for high pressure and relatively small
flows. Pressures of up to 650 bar are normal. In fact
variable displacement is not possible, but
sometimes the pump is designed in such a way that
the plungers can be switched off one by one, so that
a sort of variable displacement pump is obtained.
 Torque Converters
• A torque converter is a modified form of fluid
coupling that is used to transfer rotating power from
a prime mover to a rotating driven load.
• Difference in fluid coupling and torque converter is
that the former is incapable of multiplying the torque
whereas the latter is capable of increasing the torque.
• In a torque converter there are at least three rotating
elements: the pump, which is mechanically driven by
the prime mover; the turbine, which drives the load;
and the stator, which is interposed between the
pump and turbine so that it can alter oil flow
returning from the turbine to the pump.
• The stator is mounted on an overrunning clutch,
which prevents the stator from counter-rotating
with respect to the prime mover but allows for
forward rotation.
 Operation
A torque converter has three stages of operation:
• Stall: The prime mover is applying power to the pump
but the turbine cannot rotate. For example, in an
automobile, this stage of operation would occur when
the driver has placed the transmission in gear but is
preventing the vehicle from moving by continuing to
apply the brakes. At stall, the torque converter can
produce maximum torque multiplication if sufficient
input power is applied The stall phase actually lasts
for a brief period when the load (e.g., vehicle) initially
starts to move, as there will be a very large difference
between pump and turbine speed.
• Acceleration: The load is accelerating but there still
is a relatively large difference between pump and
turbine speed. Under this condition, the converter
will produce torque multiplication that is less than
what could be achieved under stall conditions. The
amount of multiplication will depend upon the
actual difference between pump and turbine speed,
as well as various other design factors.
• Coupling: The turbine has reached approximately 90
percent of the speed of the pump. Torque
multiplication has essentially ceased and the torque
converter is behaving in a manner similar to a plain
fluid coupling. In modern automotive applications,
it is usually at this stage of operation where the
lock-up clutch is applied, a procedure that tends to
improve fuel efficiency.
• The key to the torque converter's ability to multiply
torque lies in the stator. In the classic fluid coupling
design, periods of high slippage cause the fluid flow
returning from the turbine to the pump to oppose
the direction of pump rotation, leading to a
significant loss of efficiency and the generation of
considerable waste heat.
• Under the same condition in a torque converter, the
returning fluid will be redirected by the stator so
that it aids the rotation of the pump, instead of
impeding it. The result is that much of the energy in
the returning fluid is recovered and added to the
energy being applied to the pump by the prime
mover. This action causes a substantial increase in
the mass of fluid being directed to the turbine,
producing an increase in output torque.
• Since the returning fluid is initially traveling in a
direction opposite to pump rotation, the stator will
likewise attempt to counter-rotate as it forces the
fluid to change direction, an effect that is resisted
by the one-way stator clutch.
• During the stall and acceleration phases, in which
torque multiplication occurs, the stator remains
stationary due to the action of its one-way clutch.
However, as the torque converter approaches the
coupling phase, the energy and volume of the fluid
returning from the turbine will gradually decrease,
causing pressure on the stator to likewise decrease.
Once in the coupling phase, the returning fluid will
reverse direction and now rotate in the direction of
the pump and turbine, an effect which will attempt
to forward-rotate the stator. At this point, the stator
clutch will release and the pump, turbine and stator
will all (more or less) turn as a unit.
TRANSMISSION IN A HYDRAULIC EXCAVATOR