Diesel Effect: The Reasons and Preventions

At times rod seals in a hydraulic system start leaking or fail due to an effect called the 'diesel effect'. Technically, diesel effect occurs when the air within the hydraulic cylinder draws past the rod seals, diluting within the hydraulic fluid and exploding when pressurized. This whole process concludes to what we call the diesel effect. This aeration causes a number of problems in the hydraulic cylinder.

Hydraulic Cylinder and Diesel Effect

If a double-acting hydraulic cylinder withdraws due to the weight of its heaviness then the cylinder's rod side can ask for more volume of fluid than what the pump is actually supplying. In such a case, a negative pressure gets developed in hydraulic cylinder's rod side which eventually, draws air past rod seals within the cylinder. This is a persistent problem with the rod seals which are designed to retain high pressure fluid and abstain the air out. Now the result of such aeration is the dilution of air within the hydraulic fluid.

This aeration is undesirable as it results in overheating and reduction of lubrication. Moreover, the compression of air and oil leads to explosion thus, rendering the cylinder damaged by firing its seals. If noticed carefully, one can notice that 'diesel effect' is actually an alias name for the combustion process of a diesel engine.

Precautions

The problem of diesel effect can be handled smartly by keeping a regular check on the adjustment and operation of circuit protection devices. As the saying goes that a stitch in time saves nine, the faults in a hydraulic machine, or any other machine for that matter, if identified beforehand can save a great deal in terms of money, time and efforts.