In this short series I would like to talk about one of the most basic closed loop adjustments - the

charge pressure, addressing the two questions, that normally arise in relation to this very important setting, namely: a) How high should the charge pressure be? and b) Where to read the charge pressure? Which will be discussed in two separate parts, starting, obviously, with the Part 1. Indeed, before going into the adjustment itself (most of the times simple and dull procedure, which resumes to turning an adjustment screw and securing it with a nut) we must define its value. The easiest way to get the answer is by consulting the machine's technical manual - the answer will be there, and any mechanic will be able to perform the adjustment. However not all mechanics can answer this questions with certainty without a manual, nor can they justify the necessity of the pressure to be set at that particular value. Ergo the following IH elucidation, aimed to those, who prefer "knowing why" over "blind following instructions". Let us take a look at basic closed loop layout. The primary purpose of a charge pump is to make sure the loop stays filled with oil - without it the oil would eventually "escape" the loop through the pump and motor internal leakage, and our transmission would cavitate itself to death. The charge pump is connected to the closed loop via a couple of check-valves (single check-valve in case of unidirectional transmissions), which make sure the loop is "charged" always at the low pressure side. A relief valve, which is most of the times mounted inside the pump, limits the charge pressure to a certain level, which if set incorrectly negatively influences the transmission's performance. The rule of thumb is - the charge pressure of a closed loop should be set to a value high enough to ensure correct operation of the loop, and not more! The charge system is a pure heat load, therefore setting the charge pressure too high results in unnecessary oil heating and energy waste. Another good reason to keep the charge pressure as low as possible is the fact that the motor's output torque is defined by the lines delta P, and not the absolute pressure at the high pressure loop side, therefore the same output torque can be achieved at a lower absolute pressure with a lower charge pressure setting. Lowering the absolute high pressure of a system reduces internal leakage (decreasing losses), as well as the high pressure load on pipes, hoses, and other high pressure exposed components. Another very important issue about the charge pressure is the relief valve operation. Unlike a common relief valve, whose function is to stay closed and open only during pressure surges, the charge pressure relief valve stays open most of the time, metering oil to tank to maintain the desired pressure level. In some designs these valves can demonstrate significant pressure override (difference between cracking pressure and full flow pressure), which causes the charge pressure to drop when the flow through the valve decreases (either due to lowering the pump speed, or due to the system pressure rise and consequent leakage increase). It is important to take this under consideration, and that is why the charge pressure adjustment should be performed at normal operating temperature and speed.

OK, setting the charge pressure too high is bad, but what about setting it too low? Absolute majority of closed loop pumps uses the charge pressure to supply servo pressure. As a rule, closed loop pumps are designed in a way that the internal high pressure induced forces act to destroke the pump, which means that the servo-pressure can become a pressure-limiting factor. For example, in automotive closed loop transmissions that use high valve plate carry-over angles and strong springs in the swashplate centering mechanism, the servo-cylinder may require 25-30 bars to allow the high pressure reach 420-440 bar. Setting the charge pressure at a 20 bar level will effectively limit the maximum attainable pressure of such transmission to an unacceptably low level. It is also very important to consider closed loop circuits equipped with loop flushing. Most modern designs use flushing valves with relatively low force springs and fixed orifices in the poppet, which are a rough analogue of flow limiters, and aren't adjustable. However in systems that use pressure limiters for loop flushing purposes, setting the pump charge pressure below the flushing valve setting will render the flushing circuit inoperable - something that can easily result in instant overheating and lead to a major failure. Therefore it is important to distinguish between different flushing valve types, and to understand that when a pressure limiter valve is used for flushing, it is this valve that limits the charge pressure when the pump is on stroke. Resuming all the above - the charge pressure should be set to a "golden middle" value - as low as possible without compromising the correct transmission operation. Set it too high - and you will have unnecessary losses, set it too low - and you may limit your system maximum pressure or jeopardize the loop flushing. The best way to determine this value is through experiment and observation - something the guys at the factory already did before putting the recommended value in that manual. If you have it - good - use it as a reference. If you don't have it - use your head and the above mentioned factors to determine the best charge pressure value for the loop you are tweaking. It is very depressing to find closed loops with charge pressure set to 35 bars when 18 bars is enough, it is like watching them rich old folks burn their money on slot machines - doesn't cause you any harm at all, but still makes you wonder why throwing away all that money... And, to all the craftsmen out there: If you believe that tuning the charge pressure up a little can boost performance - It can't! (unless, of course, the charge pressure had been previously set too low). If you believe that when a closed loop starts loosing charge pressure, turning the charge pressure adjustment screw in a couple of turns can help - it can't! Repairing the components will... If you believe that scoring of a charge pressure relief valve seat and poppet is a sufficient reason to replace it - most of the times it's not! The valve wasn't built to stay closed and leak-proof - it is leaking all

the time! Does the poppet move freely? It does? Then leave it be... Now, with no doubts left as for the correct charge pressure setting, what needs to be discussed is the charge pressure reading (where, how and what for), which will be done in Part 2. This is the second part of the short IH series devoted to its majesty charge pressure (read part 1 here). In this bit I would like to talk about peculiarities of closed loop charge pressure measuring, namely how, where and what for. As a rule, a technician may require to read charge pressure of a closed loop in one of the two cases either he is adjusting its level, or he is troubleshooting a malfunctioning transmission. Despite of the charge circuit being relatively simple, there are more than one ways, or better, places to measure charge pressure in a "standard" closed loop. A good technician should understand the differences between the measuring points, because the information these readings can provide varies greatly with the point you are reading it at. Let us take a look at a typical closed loop charging circuit. Here we have the charge pump ( I put the suction filter on the schematics, as well as the suction line pressure measuring port just to show that this option can exist, and that this port can be used for verifying suction line condition), the charge pressure relief valve, oil conditioning element/elements (a filter, a cooler, or both), and the check-valve. Note that on the diagram I put two relief valves. The actual position of the relief valve (whether it is before or after the oil conditioning elements) will depend on the manufacturer, some brands have, actually, both of the relief valves installed, one of them being a safety valve (installed before the filter or cooler to protect them during cold starts, often called a "cold start valve", and is normally set around 5-10 bars above the "normal" relief valve setting), and the other one being the charge pressure relief valve. On the diagram you can see that there are three points in the charge system where we can install our pressure gauge and take a reading - directly at the charge pump outlet (before the oil conditioning elements), after the oil conditioning elements (before the check valve), and after the check vale (in the low pressure side of the loop). Let us consider them one at a time. 1. Directly at the charge pump outlet, before the filter. This is a good place to measure charge pressure for "adjusting" purposes, and often there will be a conveniently placed test port, but there's a catch - in pumps that have charge pressure relief valves installed before the filter (cooler, or both) clogging of the filter can result in insufficient oil supply to the loop and the consequent cavitation, which will occur without the charge pressure drop at this measuring point - a situation that can lead a technician to wrong conclusions. Sauer Danfoss series 90 is a good example of such pump design. 2. After the oil conditioning elements. Again a good place to measure charge pressure, without the above described drawback of leading into an error in case of clogging of the oil conditioning system, and most of the pumps have a test port in this point. There's still a drawback , however, and quite similar to the above one - in case of a check valve malfunction (blocked valve) the loop will cavitate, without the

charge pressure drop at this measuring port - once again making it possible to come to an incorrect conclusion. Despite of what some might think, it is possible for such a simple thing as a check valve to malfunction. For example, Sauer Danfoss series 90 - multifunction valves can easily fail due to particle contamination. In some small pumps, the check valves are actually small ball valves, that can through time damage the housing and literally fall into the oil passage blocking the loop feeding gallery (example). Want another example? - Take a look at these two check valve/relief valve assemblies from different size Rexroth A4VG pumps, as you can see - the threads are equal, while the travel of the poppets is not. If the smaller pump gets the "bigger pump valve", the poppet will have very little travel, resulting in partial blockage of the charge oil passage and the consequent loop cavitation. It must also be noted that the charge pressure at this measuring point will be affected by the oil conditioning system pressure drop (will be lower than at the point 1) - something that can be used for filter condition monitoring, for example, or for verifying if the cooler is obstructed. 3. And finally - the reading taken after the check valve, or directly in the low pressure side of the loop. This is the best place to see if the loop is cavitating, because any volumetric or charge feeding problem will be immediately indicated by the pressure drop. One thing you don't want to do is to use a low scale pressure gauge at this point, like the one you used in the above described points (unless, of course, you are fond of gambling or are collecting burst pressure gauges). The best way.to take the reading at this point is with a high range digital pressure gauge. An analogue one will also do, but it may be difficult to read with precision low pressure values on a high range scale. Although this point is the best spot to check for cavitation symptoms, it's not always the best place to read the charge pressure for adjustment purposes, especially on old equipment, which can have lines' pressure fluctuations due to the drifting null condition (IH articles on hydrostatic transmission null adjustment techniques are here). So, if you are simply adjusting charge pressure of an operational closed loop, the most convenient points to read it are points one or two. Reading and comparing pressures at both points will give you an idea of the pressure drop, caused by the oil conditioning system, and will help you come to a conclusion whether the filter/radiator needs to be changed/cleaned. In this case it will be OK to use a low scale pressure gauge. If you are troubleshooting a closed loop and are suspecting excessive leakage - you should first measure the pressure in the low pressure side of the loop during its operation, and then, if the cavitation condition (charge pressure drop) is confirmed, you should measure the charge pressure at the point one, to see if it drops too. If it's not dropping, the malfunction is being caused by the charge oil flow interruption either due to the filter/cooler clogging or due to a check valve malfunction.

Understanding these simple differences is very important for correct charge pressure adjustment and efficient closed loop troubleshooting, and can literally save you many an hour of downtime