Chapter A 03 Hydraulic Systems

Many hydraulic systems may be found on ships. Depending on the type of ship these
could include:
1) Hydraulic tools
2) Hydraulic systems for large doors
3) Hydraulic opening and closing of hatches
4) Hydraulic cranes
5) Controllable pitch propellers
6) Remote operating systems for valves
7) Steering gear
8) Operating systems in modern diesel engines

Basically hydraulic systems are power transmission systems. We can compare the
common types of power systems briefly as below:
Hydraulic tools
These can also be thought of as power transmission systems. They could transmit
power produced by manually moving a handle up and down to a ram capable of
lifting several tons.

One example of hydraulic tools found on ships is hydraulic bolt tightening equipment.
When we tighten a nut and bolt with a spanner, then the bolt is actually stretched and
ends up in tension. It is important to tighten the bolt to the correct tension. This is
especially true of large safety critical bolts on large diesel engines. While it could be
possible to tighten large bolts with a large spanner this is not accurate enough for
modern engines. By using hydraulic tightening the tension in the bolt can be
accurately achieved and several bolts can be tightened to the same tension evenly at
the same time. This is also important to do. Below is a picture of a hydraulic
tensioning device for cylinder cover nuts of a medium speed diesel engine:

Four hydraulic jacks are being lowered into place by the engine room crane. They are
held on a special carrier and are connected together by hydraulic pipes. They will then
be screwed onto the cylinder cover studs and connected to a compressed air operated
pump. A manual pump could also be used and in fact a manual pump is often
available for use if the compressed air pump breaks down. Both compressed air and
manual pumps can be operated at different speeds. This allows the pressure of oil to
be increased very slowly and exactly when almost at the correct value. Obviously a
compressed air pump is less labour intensive. The principle of how the nuts are
tightened is shown below:
The engine maker gives an exact tightening pressure for that equipment and
application. When that pressure is applied as on the right hand illustration, the bolts
are in the correct tension. The nut is then screwed down firmly, by hand, using a small
rod. The hydraulic pressure is then slowly released and the hydraulic tightening
equipment removed.

Bolts are undone in a similar way. The hydraulic pressure is increased until the nut
can be moved. The pressure is checked and should be the same as the tightening
pressure. The nut is unscrewed a bit and the hydraulic pressure released.

Hydraulic systems
There are many slightly different hydraulic circuits, but in the end they are all more or
less variations of three basic systems as follows.
The basic constant flow system uses a simple and therefore relatively cheap pump
with constant speed and constant delivery. It pumps oil through a non-return into a
system with one or more control valves and loads (only one of each shown but there
could be more). The loads could be almost any sort of small actuator including jacks,
rams and hydraulic motors. When the system is working there must be a constant
hydraulic oil pressure between the non-return valve and the control valve(s). This is
achieved in two ways:
1) When the pressure reaches the set value an un-loader valve releases the pump
delivery pressure and send the delivery back to the oil tank. The non-return
valve will then shut and the pressure will remain in the system until the control
valve is used and oil is delivered to the load. The pressure will then drop a bit
and the un-loader valve will shut and stay shut until the pump brings the
pressure in the system back up to the set value. Sometimes the same effect is
achieved, by a pressure switch, in place of the un-loader, which starts and
stops the pump.
2) The system, as so far described would tend to have fairly large, temporary
drops in pressure each time the load was operated. To reduce this effect an
accumulator can be fitted as shown in the drawing. An accumulator is simply a
pressure vessel with a bladder inside containing an inert gas such as nitrogen
(N2) under pressure.
This system gives a more accurately controlled system pressure. The difference is that
a more complicated pump is used. It is a variable delivery pump where the delivery
flow is controlled from zero to maximum to keep the pressure constant.
Although it may look at first different, this system should be familiar because it is the
system used in electro hydraulic steering gears. (See chapter A 02).

There are 3 basic circuits:

1) The main circuit. A constant speed variable delivery variable direction pump
is in a closed circuit. It delivers oil from one side of a load to the other side. It
does this according to command signals. The pressure in the system varies
from a basic minimum to larger pressures according to the resistance of the
load. If the pressure in one side becomes dangerously high it is relieved to the
other side. This can sometimes happen due to external forces on the load. (as
explained in chapter A 02 this could be something like a large solid object
hitting the rudder).
2) Servo circuit. This is in fact a small basic constant flow system supplying oil
to a servo system, which controls the pump delivery. The servo pressure
regulating valve spills oil to the replenishing oil system which works at a
lower pressure. A servo system is a system where a small low power signal
from a control system is increased in power to the point where it can move
something to an exact position. Taking this system as an example. A small low
power electrical signal controls the servo hydraulic system to move a fairly
heavy control mechanism of the large main pump exactly as required. The
servo oil pressure could also be used to operate other control valves in the
system
3) Replenishing circuit. The main system must be kept full of oil for it to work
properly. The replenishing system is a small, low pressure, basic constant flow
system, which keeps the main system full. It is possible to simply have a tank
full of oil, above the level of the whole system, connected in a similar way,
instead of the replenishing pump.

Problems with hydraulic systems

Hydraulic systems are usually very reliable and give many years trouble free
operation if they are operated properly and the correct oil is used. However the
following can cause serious trouble:
a) Dirt in the hydraulic oil.
b) Water in the hydraulic oil
c) Overheating for any reason.
d) Sometimes flexible hoses can fail and hydraulic oil can be sprayed about. This
could obviously be a fire and/or pollution risk.
They also do not work properly with air in the circuits but this is usually fairly easy to
take out.

To reduce dirt, the system oil tank should be kept shut and there should be an air filter
on a breather fitting. Only totally clean oil should be used. Filters are normally fitted
in the system. Dirt particles of 25 microns can cause problems. Return filters are
usually 20micron mesh and suction filters 40 – 100 microns. (1 micron = 1/1000
mm).

Normally hydraulic oil temperatures should be 30 - 60ºC. Maximum temperature is

about 90ºC. If in contact with electronic parts this could be 80ºC. Generally for most
hydraulic oils the life of the oil is about halved for every 8º above 60ºC.
Hydraulic drawings
We often find slightly different conventions and symbols for hydraulic circuit
drawings, especially on older drawings. One very common system is shown below
and other systems are very similar. Very similar systems are used for compressed air
circuit drawings. Some of these symbols we have already seen.

We start with boxes as below. Two boxes means a valve with 2 possible positions.

Three boxes means a valve with three possible positions.

We now add what these possible positions are. There are several possible
combinations but for example we could have the following:

Below is the symbol for a valve with 2 possible positions where hydraulic oil could
flow 2 possible ways as shown by the arrows

Next we have a valve with three possible positions where hydraulic oil could flow 2
possible ways as shown by the arrows or flow of oil could be blocked as in the center
box.

The next thing we have to make clear is what causes the valves to change between
possible positions. Various thing s such as control levers, solenoids or hydraulic
signal pressure could. These are added on the ends of the symbol as for example
below:

Return spring Electrical solenoid

Control lever
It would not be usual to have 2 control levers on one valve so a more normal symbol
would be as below. We can also see below the way of indicating that a valve is
hydraulically operated by signal oil.

The above drawing tells us that we have 2 valves. One is operated by a control lever
and has 3 possible positions. If the lever is moved to position 1 then oil can flow in
the directions shown by the arrows in the left hand box. In lever position 0 no oil
flows. In lever position 2, oil can flow as the arrows in the right hand box. The second
valve is pilot oil controlled by the first. This is only part of a larger diagram so where
the oil is coming from or going to is not clear. But with control lever position 1 pilot
oil pressure will be put on the 2 way valve left side and drained from the right. Oil can
then flow through the 2 way valve in the directions shown by the arrows in the left
hand box.

Hopefully the general principle of this system of diagrams is now clear. Other
symbols, which can also be used are shown below.
Pilot controlled check valves are non-return valves, which can be controlled by a
pilot oil pressure to be open in both directions. Above is a diagram of a double pilot

controlled check valve. Below is a typical application of such valves. The diagram
shows a valve actuator system in which it is important that if the hydraulic pressure is
lost the valve does not move about.

In the diagram below we see oil supply and return pipes to a solenoid operated
control valve. From the control valve oil can be supplied through a pair of pilot
controlled check valves to actuator cylinders. Oil pressure passes through one of the
check valves to one of the actuator cylinders. If that was all that happened the actuator
action would be blocked by the other check valve but the pressure in the line is used
to open the return, so the actuator will move. If no oil pressure is supplied the actuator
will be held in place by the oil which will not pass through either check valve.
Typically the actuator cylinders and the pilot operated check valves could be fitted to
a valve in the bottom of a tank in the bottom part of a ship. The control valve could be
in a waterproof box on the upper deck. The oil tank and pump could be in the ships
engine room and the control signals to the control valve could be in a cargo or ballast
control room. There could be a large number of other similar valves on the same
system working in a similar way. We can see that the system could be spread all over
the ship connected by lots of pipes. It could cause major problems if no double acting
check valves were fitted and if one or more pipes were broken or the hydraulic
pressure lost. Tank valves all over the ship could partly open and interconnect tanks.
This actually did happen on one ship. The ship lost stability and capsized. The
hydraulic pressure could be lost in such a system if the pump stopped and a few
attempts were made to operate valves.

Restrictors can be of various sorts as above and are used to control the flow of
hydraulic oil. This is often done to set the speed at which an actuator moves. A good
example would be in a hydraulic lift. We do not want it to move at maximum speed
and then stop suddenly. A system could be made where oil passed through different
restrictors at different points of the operation and so started slowly and stopped
gently. A lift also needs a lot of force to lift but may lower with its own weight. It
may need some braking action when lowering. In this case a throttle check valve
(above) could be used. There would be full delivery through the check valve for
lifting but lowering would be through a restrictor. Often the restrictor can be adjusted
when first setting up the lift hydraulic system.

The above is only a brief practical summary of hydraulic systems. Hydraulics is a

specialise subject but a basic understanding is needed to understand ships systems.
 Other frequently used symbols

Some applications of hydraulic systems are shown below:

A hydraulic operated crane

Principle of operation of hydraulic rams
A hydraulic ram used to open and shut a hatch cover on a cargo ship

A similar hatch from a distance