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Apart from the basic material properties of liquid lubricants, such as, e.g., the viscosity and density of the hydraulic fluid, it is also important to have information regarding the electrical properties of the fluid used. The latter is closely related to the purpose, type, structure, and conditions of use of a hydraulic system, especially the powertrain design and fluid condition monitoring. The insulating capacity of the hydraulic fluid is important in cases where the electric motor of the pump is immersed in the fluid. In other cases, on the basis of changing the electrical conductive properties of the hydraulic fluid, we can refer its condition, and, on this basis, the degree of degradation.

The paper first highlights the importance of knowing the electrical properties of hydraulic fluids and then aims to compare these properties, such as the breakdown voltage of commonly used hydraulic mineral oils and newer ionic fluids suitable for use as hydraulic fluids.

Knowledge of this property is crucial for the design approach of modern hydraulic compact power packs. In the following, the emphasis is on the more advanced use of known electrical quantities, such as electrical conductivity and the dielectric constant of a liquid.

Based on the changes in these quantities, we have the possibility of real-time monitoring the hydraulic fluid condition, on the basis of which we judge the degree of fluid degradation and its suitability for further use.

The purpose of this paper is to systematically investigate the fluid lag phenomena and its influence in the hydraulic fracturing process, including all stages of fluid-lag evolution, the transition between different stages and their coupling with dynamic fracture propagation under common conditions.

A plane 2D model is developed to simulate the complex evolution of fluid lag during the propagation of a hydraulic fracture driven by an impressible Newtonian fluid. Based on the finite element method, a fully implicit solution scheme is proposed to solve the strongly coupled rock deformation, fluid flow and fracture propagation. Using the proposed model, comprehensive parametric studies are performed to examine the evolution of fluid lag in various geological and operational conditions.

The numerical simulations predict that the lag ratio is around 5% or even lower at the beginning stage of hydraulic fracture under practical geological conditions. With the fracture propagation, the lag ratio keeps decreasing and can be ignored in the late stage of hydraulic fracturing for typical parameter combinations. On the numerical aspect, whether the fluid lag can be ignored depends not only on the lag ratio but also on the minimum mesh size used for fluid flow. In addition, an overall mixed-mode fracture propagation factor is proposed to describe the relationship between diverse parameters and fracture curvature.

In this study, relatively simple physical models such as linear elasticity for solid, Newtonian model for fluid and linear elasticity fracture mechanics for fracture are used. The current model does not account for such effects like leak off, poroelasticity and softening of rock formations, which may also visibly affect the fluid lag depending on specific reservoir conditions.

This study helps to understand the effect of fluid lag during hydraulic fracturing processes and provides numerical experience in dealing with the fluid lag with finite element simulation.

A NUMBER of major industrial fires which were fed in part by the petroleum oils used in the hydraulic systems have accelerated the trend towards the use of fire‐resistant fluids in systems located where a fire hazard exists and wherever heat or flame are in proximity to high pressure hydraulic equipment, a fractured pipe line or faulty fitting can result in the hydraulic oil being ejected considerable distances into open furnaces, melting pots, welding torches, etc. It is for all such cases where a true fire hazard exists that the fire‐resistant fluids are now in demand.

A NEW high and low temperature aircraft hydraulic rig is now in operation at the Dunlop Rubber Company's Aviation Division at Foleshill, Coventry. The purpose of the new rig is to test hydraulic system components—particularly those of wheel‐braking systems—of supersonic aircraft using the more advanced type of hydraulic fluid such as Imperial Chemical Industries Silcodyne H (DP.47). The rig is able to operate throughout a temperature range typical of that likely to be experienced by such high‐performance military aircraft.

AS A RESULT of a co‐operative effort under the leadership of the U.S. Bureau of Mines, an economic fire‐resistant hydraulic water‐in‐oil fluid for coal mine equipment is claimed to have been evolved. Water‐in‐oil emulsions are relatively new. In this instance, a globule of water is forced into a globule of oil. Being on the outside, the oil furnishes a certain amount of the lubricity required to keep the hydraulic pumps operating properly and economically, because the pumps ordinarily depend for self‐lubrication on the hydraulic fluid being pumped. While such a fluid has been used in industrial machinery with good results, as far as is known, no tests have previously been made under actual coal‐mine operating conditions.

The purpose of this paper is to establish the influence of oil concentration in oil-in-water emulsions on their flammability on hot surfaces and on their viscosity. The interest in fire test systematization is obviously developing due to many grades and applications of fluids and new design solutions asking for higher parameters in exploitation, including pressure and temperature. Higher temperature and pressure have a synergic effect on fire risk; thus, a special attention has to be given to selecting fluids based on fire tests.

This test simulates a hazardous event when a fluid drops on a hot surface: 10 ml of fluid is dropped during 40-60 seconds on a manifold kept at a constant temperature, from a distance of 300 ± 5 mm above the surface. Tests were done under the procedure of SR EN ISO 20823:2004, with an original equipment. The apparent viscosity of the tested fluids was determined using a rheometer Rheotest 2. The tests were done for the fully mineral oil (Prista MHE-40) and for emulsions with different oil volume in water: 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 per cent, respectively.

The mineral oil MHE 40 Prista does not burn repeatedly for manifold temperature lower than 440°C, but it burns at 450°C on the clean surface and at 425°C on dirty surface, as obtained after testing the same oil, but at a temperature for which the oil burns. The emulsions do not burn even at 90 per cent oil in water, but the apparent viscosity of the emulsion is too high and unstable, above 20-30 per cent (volume) oil in water. No evident relationship was found between the apparent viscosity of the emulsions and their behavior on hot surface.

The hydraulic fluids were ranked, taking into account the flammability characteristics determined with the help of this test.

This paper aims to reduce the risk of fire in hazardous environments using fire-resistant fluids.

Testing hydraulic fluids under the procedure of SR EN ISO 20823:2004 is required by European and national regulations to avoid large-scale accidents produced by the ignition of hydraulic fluids.

As far as the authors have known, the test procedure was only used for establishing whether a certain fluid passes or does not pass this test. The authors did not find any references for establishing the influence of oil concentration on the flammability characteristics. Also, the equipment has an original design, allowing for a good repeatability and a high protection of the operator.

The National Engineering Laboratory is one of the larger stations of the British Government's Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Current programmes include theoretical and experimental studies of non‐Newtonian lubricants, the development of new methods of measuring the compressibility of hydraulic fluids, research into the behaviour of oils under hydrostatic tension, and investigations of various aspects of the phenomenon of aeration in hydraulic fluids. The Laboratory's facilities for carrying out sponsored research and testing in this field are briefly described.

HYDRAULIC POWER and control is being applied more and more widely in industry and is finding both general and specialised uses. Generally, hydraulics could be just another item in the designer's toolchest—another way of applying power and of exercising control. In the specialist fields hydraulics is being used as the force transmitting element in complex closed loop control systems and where the very nature of a fluid medium is to be used with advantage.

HYDRAULIC ACTUATION of machinery has been performed for many years in a relatively modest way, but the increasing complexity of modern machinery has, of recent years, generated a greater appreciation of the virtues of this method of operation and control. The mechanical transmission of power by levers, cams and gears, might be regarded as the traditional method, but as greater demands were made for automatic operation and control, design complications became increasingly complex, and the principles of hydraulics, which had hitherto been employed only on simple presses, assumed much greater importance.

Suspension is a significantly important component for automotive and railway vehicles. Regenerative hydraulic-electric shock absorbers (RHSA) have been proposed for the purpose of attenuating vibration of vehicle suspension, and also recover kinetic energy originated from vehicle vibration that is conventionally dissipated by hydraulic dampers. To advance the technology, the paper aims to present an RHSA system for heavy-duty and railway vehicles and create a dynamic modelling to discuss on the development process of RHSA model.

First, the development of RHSA dynamic model can be resolved into three stage models (an ideal one, a second one with an added accumulator and a third one that considers both accumulator and system losses) to comprehensively evaluate the RHSA's characterisation. Second, a prototype is fabricated for testing and the results meet desired agreements between simulation and measurement. Finally, the study of key parameters is carried out to investigate the influences of hydraulic-cylinder size, hydraulic-motor displacement and accumulator pre-charged pressure on the RHSA system.

The findings of sensitivity analysis indicate that the component design can satisfy the damping characteristics and power performance required for heavy-duty vehicle, freight wagon and typical passenger train. The results also show that reducing the losses is highly beneficial for saving suspension energy, improving system reliability and increasing power-conversion efficiency.

The paper presents a more detailed method for the development and analysis of a RHSA. Compared with the typical shock absorbers, RHSA can also recover the vibration energy dissipated by suspension.