TY - JOUR
TI - Revealing and minimizing hidden energy losses in hydraulic lines of mobile machinery
AU - Bogrekci Ismail
AU - Demircioglu Pinar
AU - Kozaka Orcun E
AU - Uysal Nuri
JN - Thermal Science
PY - 2025
VL - 29
IS - 4
SP - 3061
EP - 3074
PT - Article
AB - In a mobile material handling system powered by hydraulic drives, abnormally  high line pressures were observed during operation, raising concerns about  energy losses and inefficiencies in the hydraulic circuit design. To  quantify the actual power consumed by hydraulic motors vs. the power lost  due to line friction, a comprehensive measurement and simulation study was  conducted. Pressure sensors (minimes test points) were installed at the  inlet and outlet of each hydraulic motor to collect real-time pressure data.  Losses were categorized into two main components: internal motor losses and  line friction losses. An Excel-based tool was developed to calculate power  losses [kW], and a MATLSIMULINK model was constructed to simulate  pressure drops across the system, including components such as elbows,  reducers, and fittings. Results indicated that frictional losses in the  hydraulic lines accounted for nearly 50% of the total power drawn by the  motors. Although the original line design adhered to standard velocity-based  guidelines, Reynolds number analysis revealed a transitional to turbulent  flow regime, contributing significantly to energy loss. Simulation of  different internal diameters demonstrated that increasing the line size  from 1/2"-5/8" in a critical segment reduced the associated power loss from  4-0.8 kW - a reduction of over 80%. Overall, approximately 7 kW of hydraulic  power was recovered from a 55 kW engine, enabling the redirection of surplus  energy to auxiliary hydraulic functions and improving overall fuel  efficiency.