Conditioning System

Fluid

Need for Fluid Conditioning

Fluid-conditioning devices provide fluid that is
clean and maintained at an acceptable operating
temperature
As much as 75% of hydraulic system failures
can be traced to system fluid contamination

Sources of Contaminants
Contaminants in a hydraulic system include
those:
Built into the system during manufacture
e.g. welding scales, lapping compounds, sands
from casting, debris during manufacturing
System Generated: like wear products generated
inside the mating components
Maintenance generated: contaminants generated by
opening or closing of system and exposed often to
dirty maintenance environment

Sources of Contaminants
External conditions can
lead to contamination
of system fluid
Routine refilling of the
reservoir can contribute
to fluid contamination
Use of dirty tools
Dirty replacement oil

Effects of Contamination
Dirt in hydraulic fluid reduces the fluids ability
to:

Provide lubrication
Seal clearances
Transfer heat
Transfer energy

This leads to increased wear, increased part

clearances, and lost system operating efficiency

Effects of Contamination
Dirt leads to excessive wear

Controlling and Removing

Contaminants
The best route to follow to assure a clean
operating system is preventing contaminants
from entering the hydraulic system
This solution is not easily achieved
Designers, machine operators, and maintenance
personnel must be aware of the sources of
contaminants and how contaminants enter a
system

Controlling and Removing

Contaminants
The reservoir must be considered:
The basic unit for storage of system fluid
A primary contamination-control component
A primary heat-control component

Controlling and Removing

Contaminants

The reservoir helps condition fluid

Controlling and Removing

Contaminants

Strainers and filters trap insoluble material

contained in hydraulic fluid
Strainers are generally considered coarse filters
designed to remove only larger particles
Filters are generally considered fine filters that
can remove small particles

Filters can be classified as surface type or depth

type filters.
Surface-type filters provide a surface containing
numerous holes to trap particles

Controlling and Removing

Contaminants
Surface-type filters provide a surface
containing numerous holes to trap particles
Depth-type filters use a mass of porous material
to provide numerous flow routes that trap
particles

Controlling and Removing

Contaminants
Surface-type filter

Eaton Fluid Power Training

Depth-type filters use a mass of porous material to

provide numerous flow routes that trap particles
Microscopic view of
numerous fluid flow
routes in depth-type
filter media

 Depth-type filters are classified as either

absorbent or adsorbent
Absorbent filters trap solid particles, water, and
suspended soluble materials
Adsorbent filters also use chemical treatments
such as activated charcoal to remove contaminants

Strainer
A sump strainer has a basic housing
Attached to the reservoir end of the pump inlet
line

Zinga Industries, Inc.

Filtration Ratings
Level of filtration is commonly indicated by a
micron rating
One micron is .000039
Filtration level of 25 microns is commonly
recommended as a minimum
Always follow the recommendation of the manufacturer
No of dirt particles larger than a given particle size
counted upstream of the test filter divided by no of dirt
particles counted downstream od the filter element under
same pressure drop condition.

Filtration Ratings
Comparison of particle sizes

Filter Ratings
Filters have absolute or nominal ratings
Absolute rating indicates all particles larger than
the stated size will be removed
Nominal rating indicates the average pore size
Nominal rating does not guarantee removal of all
particles larger than the stated size

Filter System Locations

Filters may be located in:
Pump inlet lines
System working lines
Return and drain lines

Flow resistance through inlet line filters is a

special concern as pump cavitation may
develop if the filter element produces excessive
pressure drop

Filter System Locations

Pump inlet line is a basic filter location

Filter System Locations

System working line is a basic filter location

Filter System Locations

System return line is a basic filter location

Filter System Locations

Other filter locations: pump case drain

Filter System Locations

Other filter locations: in pressure-relief valve
return line

Filter System Locations

Other filter locations: in bypass flow control
line

Filter System Fluid Routing

One of three methods is used to route system
fluid through a filter to assure filtration:
Full-flow filtration
Proportional filtration
Off-line filtration

Filter System Fluid Routing

In full-flow filtration, all of the pump output is
filtered
In proportional filtration, only part of the pump
output is filtered during each system cycle
Off-line filtration uses a separate, small pump
to continuously circulate system fluid from the
reservoir through a filter

Filter System Fluid

Routing
Full flow filtration

Filter System Fluid

Routing
Proportional filtration

Filter System Fluid

Routing
Off-line filtration

Filter System Fluid

Routing
Portable off-line filtration

Donaldson Company, Inc.

Front

Back

Filter System
Maintenance
A critical part of maintenance is a plan for the
routine service of the filtration system
Schedule for filter and fluid replacement
Reservoir cleaning
Proper storage and handling of the hydraulic fluid
used in the system