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Hydraulic oil cooler sizing

Enter pump, losses and reservoir to see how hot the oil gets and which cooler keeps temperature within the limit.

Pre-sizing and estimating tool: results do not replace design, calculations or reports signed by a licensed professional, nor verification against the applicable codes and standards.

Pre-sizing
Power unit
Reservoir and ambient

Tank area estimated as A ≈ 0.065 · V^(2/3), with V in liters. Coefficient: still air 10 to 15 W/(m²·K) (1.8 to 2.6 Btu/(h·ft²·°F)); ventilated up to 25.

Cooler
—Heat to remove in the cooler
—

Oil temperature over the shift

Warm-up from ambient, with the reservoir alone and with the sized cooler.

Tap the chart to see the values.

Heat balance

Heat generated, dissipated by the tank at maximum temperature, and the share left for the cooler.

Tap the chart to see the values.

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Method, assumptions and references

Equations used

Input power: P = Q · p ÷ η_pump; heat generated: Qh = P × loss share × duty factor
Tank dissipation: Qn = k · A · (T_oil − T_air), A ≈ 0.065 · V^(2/3) (V in L, A in m²)
Cooler: Qc = Qh − Qn; air-oil P01 = Qc ÷ (T_oil − T_air); water: ṁ = Qc ÷ (4.18 · ΔT_water)
Warm-up: T(t) = T_air + Qh ÷ (kA) · [1 − e^(−t · kA ÷ (m · cp))], oil cp = 1.9 kJ/(kg·K), ρ = 870 kg/m³

Assumptions and limits

  • Thermal mass of the oil only (tank and piping heat too, so actual warm-up is slower).
  • An air-oil cooler’s capacity falls with temperature difference; check catalog P01 at your oil viscosity.

Standards and technical documents

  • ISO 4413:2010: Hydraulic fluid power — General rules and safety requirements for systems
  • Bosch Rexroth: The Hydraulic Trainer, vol. 3 (Planning and design of hydraulic power systems)
  • Parker Hannifin: Industrial Hydraulic Technology

U.S. regulations

  • OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147: control of hazardous energy (hydraulic)
  • NFPA 30: flammable and combustible liquids (mineral hydraulic oil)

Frequently asked questions

How much heat does a hydraulic power unit generate?

Everything not turned into useful work: in fixed-pump circuits with relief valves, 25% to 40% of motor power. A 25 hp unit may generate 4 to 7 kW (14,000 to 24,000 Btu/h) of heat.

What is the maximum hydraulic oil temperature?

Typical operating range is 105 to 140 °F (40 to 60 °C). Above 140 °F oxidation accelerates (oil life halves every 18 °F) and viscosity may fall below the pump minimum.

How do I select an air-oil cooler?

Compute P01: heat to remove divided by the difference between oil inlet and air temperature. Pick the catalog model with equal or higher P01 at your oil flow.