580

581

INTRODUCTION
The

side

mounted hydraulic reservoir commonly referredto

as a saddle mounted tank has been utilized on the Yale

tractor shovels for a number of years. The hydraulic reservoir is mounted on the rear frame near the operator
compartment; and the exterior surfaces are utilized to
provide apcess ladders, operator platform, handrail
lJIountings,and accessory items, such as the steering
frame lock and brackets. The fuel tank mounted on the
opposite side is similar in design, thereby lJIaintaining
the overall styling of the maphine. It also allows
operator access to the machine from either side. The
sloped bottom of the tank provides the vehicle ground
clearance when working on side slopes. Additionally,
the sloped bottom affords easier cleaning and draining
of the hydraulic reservoir. The drawing on Page 3
illustrates the design concept of the Yale hydraulic
reservoir.

OPERATOR
PLATFORM

VACUUM BREAKER
VALVE

The Yale tractor shovel uses a closed and pressurized

system. This design approach prevents external contamination from entering the hydraulic system, and improves
the inlet conditions imposed on the hydraulic pumps.
Entrained air in the hydraulic fluid is also minimized.
The air volume maintained within the tank provides the
cushioning effect during surge flow conditions.
HYDRAULIC

SYSTEM

RETURN

RESERVOIR DESIGN CONSIDERATION

There are four major topics to be considered in the design criteria of a hydraulic reservoir.

1)

Overall machine styling

2)

Performance requirements of the hydraulic system

3)

Serviceability

4)

Cost consideration of the design

Overall Machine Styling '- The Vehicle EngineeringGroup

has the responsibility for the overall vehicle styling,
and the Systems Engineering Group work in close coordination in the design and placement of components on the
machine. Vehicle appearance is considered a valuable
marketing asset for the sale of the construction equipment machines today; and it is for this reason, compromises must be made when designing the hydraulic reservoir.

ACCESS
STEPS

EMERGENCY
STEERING PUMP
INLET

TYPICAL HYDRAULIC TANK ASSEMBLY,

CLEAN-OUT
PORT

582
The design variables of: ground clearance, platform
sizing, location of tanks are obtained from the vehicle
group to be used as general guidelines for the initial
envelope sizing of the reservoir. The Hydraulics Engineer must now predict the system demands and design
parameters which will ultimately establish the design
for the hydraulic reservoir.

Performance Requirements- The actual hydraulic reservoir

sizing must be based on the circuit requirements and the
machine operational design parameters. In this endeavor,
the design is aimed towards adequate air and oil capacity
to achieve the desired oil circulation for maximum heat
transfer, and at the same time to minimize variation of
the oil level within the reservoir. Before preceding
with the sizing of the reservoir, an oil volume requirement must be established. This is a ratio of the total
pump flow to the tank oil volume of approximately 3 to 1.
This ratio will be modified based on other circuit considerations. If the reservoir oil volume selected is
low, and the return flow velocities are of large magnitude, turbulence in the tank will result. This will
cause surface agitation of the oil, allowing entrainment
of air in the oil. Operating the hydraulic pumps with
heavily entrained air, oil mixtures will cause pump
damage and greatly decrease the life of the hydraulic
pump.
Air entrained oil passing through the hydraulic system
will be subjected to a compression and expansion cycle.
The energy absorbed in the air bubble during this condition is given up to the fluid in the form of heat, thus
raising the overall operating temperature of the system.
The added heat in the hydraulic fluid will also cause
deterioration of the fluid additives and the formation
of coagualted pentane. These semi-solids will cause
blockage of the filters in the system.
Another factor that effects the oil volume requirements
are the grade and slope on which the machine is designed
to operate. A minimum oil level must be maintained above
the pump suction tube to prevent vortexing of the hydraulic fluid entering the suction tube. An oil level of
four inches is recommended. Also the addition of a perforated sleeve on the suction tube redistributes the entrance velocities and aids in preventing the formation
of the vortex. The perforated tube also acts as a
strainer to prevent large particle contaminants from
entering the hydraulic system.
Before establishing the final oil volume requirements to
meet the system operating parameters, a preliminary heat

583
load analysis must be performed. There are two operating
parameters that are taken into consideration for the heat
load analysis.
First, the heat load is calculated on the basis of the
system valving open center pressure losses, with the
machine being roaded at maximum speed. It is assumed
that under these conditions, no useful work is being done
with either the main or steer hydraulic systems~ and

therefore,a maximum heat input occurs.

Differential pressure losses in the discharge circuit of

the hydraulic pump are calculated including the losses
across open center valving in both the main and steer
hydraulic systems. Once the differential pressure has
been established for the discharge system, from the main
hydraulic and steer hydraulic pumps, the pump overall inefficiency is established and then summated to obtain the
total heat load in the system. 3If the heat generation
level is 5000 BTU's per hour or lower, it is probable
that the system will dissipate the heat by itself. If
the heat generation level exceeds 10,000 BTU's per hour,
it will be necessary to perform the heat balance characteristics of the system to establish whether a hydraulic
cooler will be required for the system operation. The
heat balance equation for steady state condition is as
follows:
qe

qa + qd

= Heat

Where q

loss generated
internally in the
hydraulic system
(BTU/hr.)

q
a

qd

(1)

Heat absorbed by oil,

tank, and hydraulic
system components
(BTU/hr.)

= Heat dissipated or
transferred to atmosphere (BTU/hr.)

Secondly, the heat load is analyzed dynamically based on

a maximum machine work cycle and now includes the work
circuit portion of the main and steer hydraulic systems.
In order to fully evaluate the energy loss during the
working functions of the machine, it is necessary to establish both the flow and pressure profiles versus time
for the work circuit of both systems.

585

584
From this data, an average rate of work (dG) can be calculated using the equation: dT
--

qe

(2)

= KlQt.P
ep

qe

= 0.22

(T

Ts)1.25

+ 0.171 Fs [(0.01;m)4
4

Ii 0.25

(3)

(0.01 Ts) ]

-K dG
saT
Where: Kl = 1.481 BTU/hr.-PSI-Ga1.
-3

The air pressure developed in the reservoir is also

utilized to prevent cavitation at the pumps and in the
work circuit. The main control valve contains anti-cavitation valves in the cylinder work ports. These
check valves allow oil to flow from the reservoir to the
unpressurized side of the cylinder during over-running
load conditions.

BTU/ft. lb.
K2 = 1.285 x 10
t.P = Differential Pressure PSI

= Pump

Overall efficiency

ep

Average diameter of tubing,

reservoir, and system components

4 x System

(4)

Volume

Area
T
Ts
FS
E

Average Maximum System Temperature of

Ambient Temperature of
Gray body
Emission

shape factor

With the heat balance calculations completed, the final

oil volume will be determined. The next step is to establish the air volume requirements within the tank. The
air chamber in the hydraulic reservoir provides a cushioning effect for the thermal expansion of the oil, for the
accitional oil returning to the reservoir when the cylinders are retracted, and the surge flow caused by overrunning loads. The air pressure developed in the reservoir sets the working stress level requirements for the
tank structure. In some cases, it is necessary to add
a pressure relief valve to the tank. This is generally
true for the high flow rates encountered in the larger
machines. The pressure relief valve is set at 15 PSIG,
and the air volume is.calculated so that it does not exceed this setting under extreme conditions. This minimizes the replenishment of air required during non-operation of the machine, and reduces the intake of moisture
into the fluid.

= 0.5

This is an important
factor in maintaining the cleanIf voids are allowed to
liness of the hydraulic
fluid.
develop on the rod side of the work cylinder, external
contaminates
and moisture will enter the system reducing
the life of the component.

To determine the peak reservoir air pressure and resultant required air volume, the following operating conditions are considered:

a) The oil volume increases due to thermal

expansion of the oil.

Factor

b)
If it is found necessary to supply an oil cooler to meet
the stabilization temperatures of the hydraulic system
within the design parameter, the heat load equations must
be modified to include pressure losses in the cooling
circuit. Since the heat load analysis is based on estimated duty cycles and also include empirical data, the
machine hydraulic heat load is always evaluated during
the performance testing of the prototype machine to insure hydraulic heat stabilization does not exceed the
design objective (100F over ambient).

(Limited to 100F ~T)

The increase in oil volume when the hoist

cylinders are lowered with the engine stopped

c) The increase in air pressure resulting from

the differential temperature of 100F

587
586
The pump suction tube must be sized to meet the requirements of the pump manufacturer. It is advisable to position the pump suction tube at the neutral axis of oil
level in the reservoir, so that machine attitudes will
have minimal affect on oil level. To reduce the entrance
velocity affect at the throat of the tube, the tube may
be scarf cut. This will vary the velocity at the entrance of the tube. A strainer or perforated tube sleeve
can also be used to vary the entrance velocity. In the
case of the hydraulic reservoir design used on Yale
loaders, the perforated tube sleeve is a removable member
to allow for cleaning and servicing.

Using the gas laws:

Initial conditions:

PlVlTl
(5)

V3

= Vz

Vz

= VT

- [VI + C Vs]

Pz

Vc

(6)
(7)

PlVl

The pump suction tube within the reservoir and the hydraulic lines to the pump inlet port must now be evaluated for the size and number of bends to insure that any
entrained air in the oil will not come out of solution
and cause damage to the pump.

VZ
(8)

P3 = PZVZ

-v;-

Pmax
Pm

If multiple pumps are to be used in the system, the suction tube must be sized for a flow velocity of four (4)
to five (5) feet per second based on the total system
pump flow.

+ [P3 +'P]
4

- PSIG

To further evaluate the inlet conditions imposed on the

hydraulic pumps, the pressure drop calculations are performed under cold start up conditions to insure that the
maximum pump inlet vacuum does not exceed five (5) in.
hg.

(Design)

<

Where:

- 14 . 5

Vs

Total

System

VT

Total

Reservoir

VI
Vz

= Air Volume

Oil Volume
Volume

Initial

= Air Volume due to thermal

expansion of oil

Vc

Oil volume increase from hoist

cylinders
(head end) with control
valve in power down and bucket
cylinders
in roll back position
and the engine off.

P4

Increase

in air pressure
= 3.Z PSIG

due

to

6T of 100F
Coefficient
vOl/vol/oF

of cubica14expansion
4.5 x 10-

The position of the return line manifold filter box in

the hydraulic tank may now be establsihed. The filter
box is positioned in a manner that allows the filter retainer plates to protrude above the static oil level.
In some cases, the hydraulic filters are located above
the static oil level of the tank. Generally, this occurs
when filter elements are stacked to meet the flow requirement of the machine. The filter element protruding above
the oil level does not cause air entrainment due to the
cascading affect of the returning oil above the surface
level. Additionally, the filter element with its inside/
out flow capability on the return line provides an excellent diffuser to disperse the return velocity in the hydraulic tank. The filter element is a specially designed
component for the Yale front end loader. Considerable
development work by both the supplier and Eaton Corporation were required to achieve the design performance and
reliability of the element.
Since the element has an inside/out flow requirement, the
pleat design of the media, and the supporting members fo~
the media had to be modified over conventional filter

588

589

designs to withstand the high return line surge flow,

under certain conditions.
Early in the development phase
of the filter, it was observed that the column strength
in the pleat was insufficient to withstand the forces induced by the high surge flow.
When this condition existed, the pleats would bunch together, blocking the flow through the element and increasing the pressure drop across the element. Also the conventional 'V' shaped pleat design elements fatigued at
the tip of the pleats causing the media to open, resulting in loss of filtration.
The filter element design
was flow tested utilizing the standard Itest procedure
procedure developed by Oklahoma State University and
further field tested in actual operation to insure the
design parameters had been achieved.

The graph, Figure 1, describes the empirical friction

coefficient of the filter media.
With this design tool,
it was then possible to predict the ambient temperature
condition at which the by-pass valve would open, and what
the flow ratio between the by-pass valve and the filter
element is under varying speed conditions.
~

6P._Q.
p.
.

_ELEIIEIITIPSID>
FLOW ACIIQSS EtEIIEIfT (GPM).
SPECIFIC ...vrrv
OF FLUID.
V' VISCOSITYOF 'WID ICENTlS1OKESI.
f FRICTION coo..

,.M
PQ'

.01
.008

A single filter element has a flow rating of 70 GPM and

a 8-10 2 ratio of 6. The micron rating is 25 ~ absolute.
This is compatible with the contamination level requirements of the hydraulic pumps to achieve the required design life. Additional performance characteristics of
the hydraulic filter, such as the loaded burst pressure
of the filter media and the pressure drop characteristics versus oil visocity had to be established to provide the design parameters for the filter by-pass valve.

15004
(j

it
w
8 .002
Z
0
>=
2
II:
IL .001
.1

.2

To confirm the filter burst pressure data supplied by the

vendor, a prototype element was placed on test using a
600 weight base stock gear oil, and the flow increased
across the element until media failure was observed.
The
burst data obtained from this test was used to establish
the maKimum over-ride pressure requirements of the by-pass valve.
To define the performance of the filter/by-pass valve
combination, including variations of oil viscosity due
to ambient temperature conditions, it was necessary to
develop an empirical flow factor for the filter media.

1 OSU-F-5
Method for Verifying the Flow Fatigue
Characteristics of a Filter Element, Recommended Procedures for Evaluating Fluid Power Components and Systems,
FPRC No. 72-1, March 1972
2 OSU-F-2

8-10

ratio

definition,

Multi-pass

Method

for

evaluating the Filtration Performance of a Fine Hydraulic

Fluid Power Filter, Recommended Procedures for Evaluating
Fluid Power Components and Systems, FPRC No. 72-1,
March 1972

Figure 1

Using

the

flow

factor

.8 1.0

.4

FLOW/VISCOSITY

RATIO

2D

4D

Q
v

Flo~ Factor for Hydraulic

Filter Element

equation,

fPQ2,

it

is possible

to predict the differential pressure across the filter

element with varying conditions of flow and oil temperatures. Graph Figure 2 illustrates a family of flow
curves and the resultant
P versus oil temperature characteristics of each.

591

590

35

60 gpm-

Ll.PC.fpQ2
p- SPECIFIC GRAVITY.

50 gpm

a:
w

a'RATE OF FLOW (GPM).

30

U)
U)

LI.Pc CAL.
f FRICTION

!:i
i:i:

This data may also be plotted to describe the flow requirement in the system at different operating oil temperatures to cause opening of the by-pass valve.
Graph
Figure 3 describes the performance of the filter/by-pass
valve combination.

ON

40 gpm

25!

PRESSURE

RATIO

v= KINEMATIC

COEF.

DROP.

BASED

.9..
11"

30

VISCOSITY

(CENTISTOKES).

U)
U)

20
I

- - - - - -- -

30 gpm

DESIGN CRACK
OF

SYSTEM

PRESSURE

BY.PASS

--

VALVE.

a:

:::::I

15
w
a:.
0.0
I
...I en 10
<1:0.

BY.PASS

wen 20.
a: I:::::IZ
U)w
U)
:E 15
Ww
a:...I
o.w

U)
U)

20 gpm

ffi 5
w:E

u..w
!:!::...I
ow

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

SYSTEM OPERATINGTEMPERATURE (FO)

180

40"-

~---T---'-------I
I
I
ENGINE IDLE
SPEED
I
I
I
I
I

ci! ~ 10
-I-

;:

00 25
a:uU)
<1:0.

!z-WU)
a:
a: 5
Ww
H:!:i
aU:

60"

1BO"t

10

20

30

40

50

60

TOTAL RETURN OIL FLOW

70

80

90

-,

I
I
I
I

I
ENGINE HIGH
IDLE SPEED
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
.J
I
I

100 110 120 130 140

(GPM)

.BY.PASS VALVECRACK PRESSURE

Figu~e

Diffe~ential P~e88u~e Aa~OBB Filte~

Element VB. System Ope~ating Oil
Tempe~ature at Varying Flow Rates

Figu~e 3

Performanae Cha~aateri8tias of Filte~/By-Pass

Valve System vs Operating
Engine Speed

Tempe~ature

&

This design analysis also allows the Hydraulic Engineer

to evaluate ~he number of filter elements required for
a particular system to achieve the desired filtration.
It may be used to evaluate the performance of the
system filter/by-pass combination on other types of
hydraulic fluids.
To insure the proper air volume requirements are maintained with the hydraulic reservoir, a fill tube is provided. This limits the amount of oil that can be put
into the hydraulic reservoir.
The filler cap is designed
with a bleed port to allow decompression of the hydraulic'
tank before removal of the cap. The tank mounting

593

592
bracke~s are welded to the reservoir utilizing a three
bolt mounting to prevent induced torsional strain in the
hydraulic reservoir structure.
The hydraulic reservoir supplies a dual function, when
it becomes the reservoir for the emergency steer system
accessory package. The emergency steer system pump suction is located near the bottom of the tank and well below the main pump suction tube, thus providing a reserve
oil supply in the event of a main system hose failure.
The design criteria is to provide one minute of machine
steering time on the emergency system before depletion
of the oil in the tank. The emergency steer motor/pump
unit is normally mounted high in the machine, thus
forcing the pump to operate on a negative inlet condition.
It is for this primary reason, the pump suction
inlet port does not use a screen or perforated tube
arrangement.
The oil level sight gauge is positioned
the tank in step area to allow operator
hydraulic oil level before mounting the
work period.
In this location, the oil
class is also out of the splash area of
its protected from damage.

on the face of
observation of
machine for the
level sight
the tires and

The vacuum breakers and relief valve components are

mounted on a 'T' fitting on the back side of the hydraulic reservoir.
The vacuum breaker valve contains a
breather to prevent contaminants from entering the hydraulic reservoir when the vacuum breaker valve is operational.
This valving group is located on the inside of
the rear frame to reduce its exposure to the dusty environment during machine operation.

Serviceability and Maintenance Considerations - The Hydraulic Engineer must always address himself to the serviceability and maintenance requirements of the hydraulic
components used in the systems he designs.
The location
of the upper access cover on the side wass of the hydraulic tank is positioned above the oil level to allow its
removal without the need to first drain the oil. The
full f10w return filters are also positioned slightly
above the oil level to allow accessibility during filter
change-out.
The lower access cover is positioned near
the bottom of the tank to allow thorough cleaning and inspection of the tank prior to filling. The by-pass box
can be removed, and its components easily serviced.
The intent of the Hydraulic System Design Engineer of today is to increase the interval between service and maintenance of the components.
As described earlier, the

full flow return filtering system is designed to meet

this criteria.
It also reduces the possibility of contaminants entering the system during service maintenance
periods, thereby increasing life of the hydraulic components within the system.
Construction Detail--Cost Reduction - The construction
details of the tank design were evaluated to achieve the
optimum method of fabrication with cost being ~ major
consideration.
The basic construction of the tank
utilizes a 900 bent sheet, which forms the rear wall and
one side wall of the tank. The front wall in the step
area of the tank is formed to also provide the bottom
surface of the tank. A single flat sheet forms the remaining side wall.
Positioning problems during welding
of the tank are virtually eliminated by the use of this
design.
Filter box and pump suction tube can be fabricated to the rear wall of the tank prior to main assembly
of the tank structure.
The fuel tank on the opposite
side of the machine, with its common styling, allows the
same formed members to be used for its construction.
REFERENCES

1. Oklahoma State University Recommended Procedures

for Evaluating Fluid Power Components and Systems, March, 1972, FPRC No. 72-1, OSU-F-5 Method for Verifying the Flow fatigue Characteristics of a Filter Element

2. Oklahoma State University Recommended Procedures

for Evaluating Fluid Power Components and Systems, March, 1972 FPRC No. 72-1, OSU-F-2 Multi-pass Method for Evaluating the Filtration
Performance of a Fine Hydraulic Fluid Power
Filter Element
3.

Henke, Russell W., Introduction

Circuits and Systems

to Fluid Power

594

595

OPERATOR
PLATFORM

VACUUM
VALVE

30

BREAKER

I
I

C/)
C/)

00
a:- 25
oC/)
D.
wen 20'
a:~
:JZ
Cl)W
CI):E
Ww 15
...10

.600,71

'IDLE

~/

SPEED

a:...I
D.w

:!=

10

IDLE SPEED
I
ENGINE

I
I
I
II

~t
~f2 5
Ww

tt!:i

10

20

30

40

50

60

TOTAL RETURN OIL FLOW

'BY.PASS

VALVE

CRACK

~II

180~

c-.---

oU::

SYSTEM

BY.PASS

~~,~

70

80

90

100 110 120 130 140

(GPM)

PRESSURE

PERFORMANCECHARACTERISTICSOF FILTER/BY.PASS VALVE

SYSTEMvs OPERATINGTEMPERATURE& ENGINE SPEED.

RETURN

.04
Q. now

ACIOOSS E1.EIiEHT"""
ACIOOSS mOO!...
-,.

f' ...e.",
"'" w I'U'"
V' , , OF"... fe,...........
,.,."""", COEI'.
02

,.~

01
008

i
CLEAN-OUT
PORT

!Z
.004
w
!;i
...
...
w

TYPICAL HYDRAULIC TANK ASSEMBLY,

TRACTOR SHOVEL.

002

~
~
II:
...

001

1
FLOW/VISCOSITY

FLOW

FACTOR

FOR

RATIO

HYDRAULIC

10

Q
v

ALTER

ELEMENT.

20

40

596

35

60 gpm-

b.pc'f,oa2

p.SPECIFIC

GRAVITY.
a'RATE
OF FLOW (GPM).
b. Pc . CAL. PRESSURE DROP.

50 gpm

ffi

30

!:J
i:i:

en
en
0
0:

= FRICTION
ON RATIO

40 gpm

25

BASED

Q.
V

11=KINEMATIC VISCOSITY
(CENTISTOKESI.

20
w
0:
:;)
en 15
en
w
0:.
Q..-0

COEF.

DESIGN CRACK PRESSURE

- - - - - - - -

30 gpm

20 gpm

..J- 10
cren
-Q..

OF SYSTEM BY.PASSVALVE.- -

VENDOR
RATING.

...Z...

PERFORMANCE

wz
o:w 5
w:e

LLW
!:!::..J
Ow

20

40

60

80

100

SYSTEM OPERATING TEMPERATURE

120

140

160

(Fe)

fig. 2
DIFFERENTIAL PRESSUREACROSS FILTER ELEMENT vs SYSTEM
OPERATING OIL TEMPERATUREAT VARYING FLOW RATES.

180