Hydraulic Oil: What is it?

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Hydraulic oil powers systems in various applications, including automobiles, aircraft, and construction equipment. Different fluids and base oil stocks are used, and biodegradable forms are used in environmentally sensitive areas. Hydraulic systems require a power source, and pumps and motors come in various sizes. Special additives are used in aircraft hydraulic oil to withstand temperature changes.

Hydraulic oil is the fluid used to power hydraulic systems in applications as diverse as automobile brakes, garbage truck lifts and aircraft flight controls. There are many different fluids used for this purpose including mineral oil, water, synthetic compounds and water based blends to name a few. The base oil stock could be glycol, castor oil, ethers, esters, organophosphate ester, mineral oil, polyalphaolefin and silicone or propylene glycol. Blends are created with chemicals and synthetics based on the use of the oil. Hydraulics allow you to move heavy or resistant objects with ease.

When hydraulic oil is used in machinery where an oil spill could harm the environment, biodegradable forms are used. These are made of a vegetable oil base, usually canola oil, rather than a petroleum or chemical base, so that if there is a spill, it won’t harm the environment. Biodegradable hydraulic oil is often used in agricultural tractors, construction equipment and boats, as well as in logging and logging applications.

For most people, the most common use of hydraulic oil is in the brake systems and power steering systems of automobiles. The oil used for these applications is usually mineral based with low compressibility. Because a hydraulic system circulates fluid in and out of a stationary reservoir, the oil must have little or no compressibility, making it possible to reuse it over and over again. This circulation process also allows the hydraulic oil-powered system to be easily controlled and accurately positioned.

All hydraulic systems have a power source that drives a pump to move hydraulic oil through the system. Hydraulic pumps come in various sizes, from small automobile pumps to huge industrial pumps for construction equipment. Likewise, there are many motors of different sizes and electric motors to supply power to hydraulic pumps.

In aircraft, the oil used must be able to withstand large temperature changes. Several companies manufacture and supply aircraft hydraulic oil with special additives for anti-wear and temperature change capabilities. The electrically powered hydraulic motor or pumps in aircraft help the pilot move the control surfaces in the air, as well as provide hydraulic assisted braking and steering systems on the ground. In military aircraft equipped with the M61 gun, hydraulics are actually used to operate the gun.




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