Main Focus

Aircraft hydraulic
systems
by Martin Hbner, Chair,
ISO/TC 20/SC 10, Aerospace
fluid systems and components

lmost all modern aircraft use

hydraulic systems generally, applied to flight controls
and landing gear. Such applications,
one assumes, were not imagined by
the inventor of hydraulics, Ctesibius
of Alexandria (285-222 BC) nor by
their re-inventor Benedetto Castelli
(1578-1643 AD), a student of Galileo Galilei.

A harmonized and
reduced diversity of
parts, achieved through
International Standards,
greatly improves the cost
effectiveness of such
customer support.
Aircraft engines produce the necessary pressure and flow which are transmitted, via thousands of metres of pipes,
hoses and fittings, to actuators working on brake flaps or landing gear. For
safety reasons two, three or four independent hydraulic circuits are installed
on every aircraft. The architecture of
these circuits ensures that a hydraulic failure in one of them leads only to
the loss of some so-called redundancies . All the functions necessary for
safe flight and landing remain available. Even in the event of total engine
failure, vital hydraulic functions continue to work, taking their energy from
a special propeller (Ram air turbine), in
order to control the aircraft.

1) ASD is the Aerospace and Defence

Industries Association of Europe
2) SAE is the Society of Automotive
Engineers

30

ISO Focus October 2005

Integrity under extreme

conditions

Standardization and
maintenance

Aircraft and spacecraft both have

the highest requirements for the integrity and reliability of hydraulic systems, under extreme conditions of use.
ISO/TC 20/SC 10, Aerospace fluid systems and components, has determined
to fulfil those requirements by creating
international rules, specifications and
test methods. Its work programme recognizes the importance of including all
involved parties such as airframe manufacturers, airlines, equipment suppliers
and airworthiness authorities. Another vital aspect of aerospace standardization is to consider the whole product life cycle from concept, through
design, manufacture, maintenance and
recycling.
The development of standards requires
close teamwork among specialists in a
variety of specialist fields. Membership
of SC 10 includes expert representatives
from them all ; and SC 10 is in close contact with European and American standardization organizations such as ASD 1)
(formally AECMA) and SAE 2).

International standardization is particularly important in relation to maintenance. Modern aircraft have a working life of several decades. That entails
close attention to testing and replacement of components according to specified schedules and avoidance of any
unnecessary ground time. An aircraft
earns money only when it is flying.
Worldwide customer support systems

About the author

Martin Hbner
has worked in
the standardization department
of Airbus
Germany, since
graduating from
the Technical
University of
Darmstadt,
Germany, in
2001. He is responsible for mechanical
standard parts. Mr. Hbner has chaired
ISO/TC 20/SC 10 since 2003 and can be
reached at martin.huebner@airbus.com

Aerospace :
the new frontier

to provide spare parts within hours are

necessary to satisfy demands, whether
they be in Tokyo, Sydney, New York or
Dsseldorf at very short notice, and
for all parts of every aircraft currently
in service. This implies a tremendous
logistical effort. A harmonized and
reduced diversity of parts, achieved
through International Standards, greatly improves the cost effectiveness of
such customer support. Many airlines
fly a diversity of aircraft types. But
close teamwork between competitors
within the aircraft industry is still evident and enhanced by the standardization process. Such harmonization is
one goal of SC 10.

International
standardization is
particularly important in
relation to maintenance.
Higher pressures will
bring higher revenues
Increased hydraulic pressure
at 5 000 psi in the latest civil aircraft
projects, versus 3 000 psi on todays
aircraft allows a significant weight saving, improves system reliability due to
the smaller fittings and pipes, and eases equipment handling thanks to more
compact components. It also saves volume on the aircraft, since less fluid is
necessary. All this adds up to extra revenue payload.
The interests of the airframe
builder and those of the manufacturer
of fittings, pipes and other equipment
are merged within SC 10, in order to
establish common, worldwide, accepted standards for this new higher-pressure technology.

Military metrics
Hydraulic systems are a main
topic for SC 10, but not the only one.
It also handles fuel and water systems
and standards for military applications.
One big difference between military and
civil aviation is that military aircraft are
designed using the metric system whereas civil aircraft use the inch system. This

is an amazing, deplorable and costly

anachronism.

Whos who
The structure of TC 20/SC 10
is as follows : Chair, Martin Hbner
(Germany), Secretary, Jrgen Schwindt
(Germany)

Member countries of SC 10 are :

France, Germany, USA, UK, Japan,
China, Republic of Korea, Russia and
Ukraine.

and whats what

WG 06, Couplings for rigid pipes

Oliver Harten (Germany)

Since its formation back in 1971,

the main work of SC 10 has been the
development of specifications, definitions and test methods for aerospace
fluid systems. The text of its very first
resolution was : The cord section previously stated in ISO/TC 20 Resolution 194 is amended to change the 7,1
mm size to 7 mm. As a result of more
than 30 years of work, today there are
68 ISO standards for aerospace fluid
systems. Currently, 56 work items are
in progress in SC 10. Its 2005 plenary
was held in Forth Worth, Texas in conjunction with the SAE 2005 AeroTech
Congress & Exhibition.

WG 08, Hydraulic fluids and cleanliness Francois Cros (France)

Some of the standards developed by

SC 10 :

WG 09, Hydraulic power and actuation equipment Peter Keenan

(UK)

ISO 6771:1987, Aerospace Fluid

systems and components Pressure
and temperature classifications

WG 14, Hose assemblies Al Baer

(USA).

ISO 11217:1993, Aerospace

Hydraulic system fluid contamination Location of sampling points
and criteria for sampling

Convenors :

WG 01, Seals and seal retainers
Keith Allen (UK)

WG 03, Tubing Hans van der Velden
(USA)

WG 04, Retaining devices for rigid
and flexible tubes Antony Olszak
(UK)

WG 05, Miscellaneous fluid power and fuel systems Terence Chin
(USA)

ISO 11218:1993, Aerospace Cleanliness classification for hydraulic

fluid

ISO 12333:2000, Aerospace Constant displacement hydraulic motors
General specification for 35 000
kPa systems

ISO 12334:2000, Aerospace Hydraulic, pressure-compensated, variable
delivery pumps General requirement for 35 000 kPa systems

ISO 7169:1998, Aerospace Separable tube fittings for fluid systems,
24 degrees cone General specification

ISO Focus October 2005

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