Whitepaper | June 2023

Cooling of gearboxes
and stationary hydraulic
systems

Gear and hydraulic oil coolers –

correct selection and dimensioning
Whitepaper | June 2023

Contents

Introduction: Why use hydraulic oil cooling? 3

Application areas 4

Focus on the standard range for stationary hydraulics 6

Air or water as a cooling medium? 7

Selection and computation parameters for hydraulic oil coolers 11

Which structural shapes are customary? 12

What structural shape is suitable for which specific application? 14

Which optional features are available and when are they needed? 15

Features relating to all series 16

Comments on efficiency and sustainability 17

How does a design engineer find the ideal cooler? 18

Core competence in engineering, production and performance tests 19

Summary 21

Contacts 22
Introduction

Why use hydraulic oil cooling? When it comes to hydraulic systems, oil assumes a power transmission
function, in gearboxes it assumes a lubricating and cooling function – thus oil is a very central drive
element. As a consequence, the operating parameters are important – especially temperature – because
like every operating fluid, all hydraulic oils have a specified temperature range within which they are to
be used. This necessitates demand-based cooling, because temperature increases are caused by both
operational and environmental factors. So cooling takes on the task of maintaining hydraulic oil temperature
within the designated level.
4 Application areas

Application areas
As cooling is necessary in many fields of hydraulic application, the selection and configuration of cooling
systems is one of the hydraulic designer‘s tasks.

In stationary hydraulics, single-circuit coolers are predominantly used and are solely responsible for hydraulic oil
temperature control or for cooling gear oils. Typical applications include:

Steel production and processing plants Machine tools

Wind power Shipbuilding/offshore

Tunnel boring machines Test bench technology

Materials handling Gearboxes

5 Application areas

KTR is able to fulfil specific respective demands with a comprehensive range of standard coolers, available
in diverse model ranges each with a precisely graduated performance spectrum. The range is designed as a
modular system and can therefore be adapted to very different customer and market needs with reasonable
effort and from series production.

Applications in mobile hydraulics, such as construction and agricultural machinery, differ from stationary
hydraulics in several respects.

• Multi-circuit coolers are often used, meaning a single cooling unit is included for hydraulic oil, engine oil,
fuel, charge air etc.

• Available installation space is frequently very limited.

• Vehicle and engine manufacturer specifications have to be observed.

• This is an OEM business with customised units produced in series for mobile machine manufacturers.

publication expected
July/August 2023
 6 Focus on the standard range for stationary hydraulics

Focus on the standard range for

stationary hydraulics

This white paper provides the fundamentals for the selection and dimensioning of hydraulic oil coolers
and focuses on standard single-circuit coolers for stationary hydraulics. Multi-circuit coolers for mobile
applications, which KTR designs as OEM systems for specific customers and vehicles, are dealt with in
a separate white paper.

stone protection grid

Oil-air cooler
cooling element
(setup of OAC unit)
cover

engine
fan impeller

protection grid

(setup of OPC unit)

engine

bellhousing

coupling

bracket

foot
cooler at ktr.co
air m
il-
o

pump

filter
 7 Air or water as a cooling medium?

Air or water as a
cooling medium?

One of the initial questions that needs answering when selecting hydraulic oil coolers for stationary applications
is which cooling medium should be used – air or water? In most cases, the design engineer will opt for an oil-air
cooler that can be installed independently from the coolant supply – after all, ambient air is available everywhere!

Oil-air cooler OAC

(Mode of operation)

Cooled
oil out
is sucked in
Ambient air

Oil flows along

laminas cooled by
the air flow

Hot
oil in
 8 Air or water as a cooling medium?

Oil-air-cooler OAC
(Size options)

1512 mm
1035 mm
772 mm
314 mm

OAC100 OAC500 OAC800 OAC2000

er OAC at k
c ool tr.c
Oil-air-cooler OAC a ir
om
l-
Oi

High performance cooling

for stationary hydraulics
and mobile machines
 9 Air or water as a cooling medium?

If cooling water is readily at hand, the use of an oil-water cooler can offer energy-related advantages. Additionally,
oil-water coolers require significantly less installation space and are quieter to run because they have no fan.

Oil-water cooler TAK/TP Hot Outlet of

(Mode of operation) oil in cooling water

Cooled
oil out

Water flows
upwards inside
the end cap

Oil cools during flow

Inlet
cooling water

ler TAK/TP
coo at
er k
t

tr.
wa

co
Oil-

Oil-water cooler TAK/TP

Bundle of pipes heat exchanger
with replaceable tube bundles
10 Air or water as a cooling medium?

Oil-water cooler PHE Oil flows down plates

transfering the heat to
(Mode of operation) adjacent cooling plates

Hot
oil in

Outlet of
cooling water

Inlet
cooling water

Cooled
oil out
Water is pumped upwards
absorbing the heat of
adjacent plates

P H E cooler at
er ktr
Oil-water cooler PHE at .
co
w
oil-

Plate heat exchanger with

soldered stainless steel plates
 11 Selection and computation parameters for hydraulic oil coolers

Selection and computation

parameters for hydraulic oil coolers
When choosing hydraulic oil coolers for stationary Just four parameters are necessary for a precise
applications, the following parameters need to be selection of the cooling capacity:
considered:

• volume flow • cooling load

• intended cooling performance or desired • volume flow
outlet temperature • oil temperature when entering cooler
• pressure drop • temperature of ambient air or cooling water
• viscosity of medium to be cooled when entering cooler
• inlet temperatures of medium to be cooled
• ambient temperature (for oil-air coolers)
• inlet temperature of cooling water
(for oil-water coolers)

Performance diagramme of OAC400

kW/K Example of calculation:

0,6
Q = 12 kW V = 75 l/min
Toil = 65 °C TL = 30 °C
0,5

Calculation of specific cooling capcity

0,4 Difference of inlet temperature ETD [°C] = Toil - TL
Specific cooling capacity required Prequ. = Q/ETD
0,3 The specific cooling capacity required must fall
below the performance curve!

0,2 12 kW/(65 °C - 30 °C)= 0,34 kW/°C

The following was was selected: OAC400

0,1
The actual cooling capacity of the cooler is
0,39 kW/°C x 35 °C = 13,65 kW
0
0 25 50 75 100 125 150
Voil [l/min]
12 Which structural shapes are customary?

Which structural shapes

are customary?
Determining the cooler size is one aspect, however deciding on the structural shape of a hydraulic oil cooler is just
as important. The user, exemplified by KTR’s programme, has the following choice:

conventional oil-air cooler oil-air cooler with

OAC stepless speed control
and auto-cleaning (airside)
OAC ECO2

C at ktr.com C at ktr.com
OA OA

oil-air cooler with oil-air cooler with

integrated pump bellhousing
OPC, OPC2 PIK

C at ktr.com PI K
at ktr.com
OP
13 Which structural shapes are customary?

oil-water cooler with oil-water cooler with

shell-and-tube heat exchanger plate heat exchanger
PHE and integrated pump
CS-PHE

E at ktr.com E at ktr.com
PH PH

oil-water cooler with

shell-and-tube heat exchanger
TAK/TP
P at ktr.com
K-T
TA

oil-water cooler with shell-and-tube

heat exchanger and integrated pump
CS-TAK/TP
P at ktr.com
K-T
TA
14 What structural shape is suitable for which specific application?

What structural shape is suitable

for which specific application?

KTR‘s best-selling cooler model for stationary hydraulics is the OAC oil-air cooler, which uses air as a cooling
medium. Oil flows through a pipe network to which lamellae are welded. The air drawn in by the fan impacts on the
lamellae, which cool down as a result. From there the lower temperature is initially transferred to the pipes and then
to the hydraulic or transmission oil.

Oil-air coolers with an integrated OPC pump form a self-sufficient unit and are mainly suitable for use as bypass
coolers for hydraulic systems as well as for transmissions.

The PIK type oil-air cooler integrated in a bellhousing is space-saving and can easily be integrated into the
hydraulic unit’s construction surroundings.

If water is available as a cooling medium, the use of a PHE or TAK/TP type oil-water cooler should be considered.
Compared to oil-air coolers, oil-water coolers are more compact and quieter when in operation.

i Guidelines for integrating coolers

into a hydraulic circuit

• The oil-air cooler is to be positioned in a way that the fan can

freely take in the air and does not suck in heated exhaust air in
any case.

• In general coolers are installed in the return flow section, as the

system pressure is lower in this area. As an alternative, coolers
with their own pump could be considered – see bypass cooling.

• KTR supplies relevant oil-air cooler sizes with different rotational

speeds. This enables the customisation of cooling capacity
according to requirements and reduces the noise emission.
15 Which optional features are there and when are they needed?

Which optional features are there

and when are they needed?

The following applies to all product lines. When using diverse accessories and additional equipment, hydraulic oil
coolers can be even better adapted to individual requirements or operating conditions.
An overview is given below.

When using cooling units for marine applications, in offshore industries

or in other areas with increased demands on corrosion protection, the
operator should choose the ‚Maritime‘ option which features a special
surface coating.

ATEX-certified hydraulic oil coolers are

X at ktr.com
available for use in potentially explosive
atmospheres.
ATE

A stone protective mesh

safeguards the cooling
network from rockfalls.

Gear oil cooling OPC2-400

Conveyor belt system, Spence Mine, Atacama Desert, Chile
16 Which optional features are there and when are they needed?

A bypass variant is recommended when cooling

highly viscous media to protect the cooling network
and the cooling circuit. A bypass is also useful for
regular cold starts.

A speed-regulated ventilator reduces energy requirements as

well as noise emission levels.

Similarly switches for temperature-dependent activation of a fan

drive ensure cooling in line with demand and reduce energy
requirements.

When utilising as a bypass cooler, this should be used with its own
pump and, as an optional extra, together with an oil filter.

A flow monitor enables the control of volume flows.

Pressure switches monitor the cooler pressure level.

Features relating to all series

All KTR hydraulic oil cooler product lines are manufactured in-house and are characterised by the high quality
materials used. Even at the design stage of each range, great importance is attached to a long service life and
maintenance-friendly operation.

Thanks to the employment of a modular system, variants can be created with little effort. For example, electric
motors with different voltages are available with central oil-air cooler lines – with 380 V/50 Hz, 400 V/50 Hz,
480 V/60 Hz or others.
17 Comments relating to efficiency and sustainability

Comments relating to efficiency

and sustainability

Energy efficiency as well as sustainability are both becoming increasingly important selection criteria for machinery,
equipment and their components. Hydraulic oil coolers can positively influence these criteria as they contribute to the
overall efficiency of the hydraulic system. This is because they ensure that hydraulic fluid is within the scope of the
optimum operating point – see diagram.

KTR hydraulic oil coolers are also renowned for their low internal and external pressure loss and an optimal air flow.
They are likewise distinguished by very good heat exchanger transfer values. This translates into high efficiency, while
energy is actually used to a very high degree in the form of hydraulic cooling.

The well conceived and solid construction of all KTR oil coolers is an integral factor in terms of sustainability. Together
with high-grade materials and a manufacturing process that complies with the highest quality standards, this assures
a long service life and thus a sustainable use of resources that are used in unit production.

Oil-air cooler with continuos speed-control and

self-cleaning OAC ECO2

VMAX
Speed [rpm]

V0

Temperature [°C]

T1 T2
30 sec. 50 °C 70 °C
Start Max.
Max. Stop Speed
reverse speed
(10 min cycle)
18 How does a design engineer find the ideal cooler?

A design engineer or equipment manufacturer who integrates coolers into a system can also influence the
efficiency and sustainability of that cooling system. What is particularly important here is demand-based cooling
which means precise dimensioning, and this is where KTR is happy to provide support. If ambient conditions or
system operation are not consistent, there is the option to increase efficiency by using temperature sensors and
variable-speed fan drives. This entails additional, but affordable costs which are quickly amortised and lead to
reduced energy requirements over the entire service life of the hydraulic equipment.

How does a design engineer find

the ideal cooler?

The necessary cooling capacity and thus the hydraulic oil cooler that is best suited for the respective application
can be established in just a few steps.

So as to determine the required cooler, the user can refer to the KTR ‘Cooling Systems’ catalogue for selection
purposes. Alternatively the online cooling systems configurator at www.ktr.com is available. The third option is to
contact our hydraulics experts at Rheine headquarters, in national sales offices or international subsidiaries who
will be happy to advise on choice and dimensioning. Our specialists bring decades of expertise in the area of
cooling hydraulic fluids and other liquids into this process.

screenshot-www.ktr.com-2023.05.30-16_27_05
https://www.ktr.com/de/en/services-and-tools/configurators/
30.05.2023

For further information,

please contact our
contact persons

Page 22 - 23

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Cooling systems
For mobile machines and stationary hydraulics
Customised solutions or standard design

2023/24
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19 Core competence in engineering, production and performance tests

Core competence in engineering,

production and performance tests

Gear and hydraulic oil coolers have been part of KTR‘s hydraulic product range since the beginning of the
1990s. This portfolio has been continuously expanded and demand continues to increase. That is why KTR
commissioned a cooler production facility around 100 km southwest of Shanghai in Jiaxing, China at the
beginning of 2019. The versatile machines and equipment situated in the 9,000 square metre production hall
enable highly automated production of diverse cooling systems, either in small quantities or in large series.

Production, assembly and logistics in Jiaxing

Robot welding machine with Stacking table for the assembly Vacuum soldering furnace for
automatic turntable of the cooler cores the coolers
20 Core competence in engineering, production and performance tests

The diverse KTR cooler series have been and are constantly being enhanced in terms of, among other things,
performance, energy efficiency and noise emission. To meet these challenges, a test bench which was commissioned in
2022, is now available at KTR‘s R&D centre. Although it was primarily designed to conduct performance tests on combi
coolers for mobile machinery using the MMC series, it is worth noting that the results from the tests on this test bench
also provide important information for the development and optimisation of single-circuit coolers for stationary hydraulics,
such as for the determination of external and internal pressure losses as well as the cooling capacity.

Mixing air fans in the antechamber Conditioning station of the inner circles

Interior radiator test bench - set up for measuring channel patterns.

21 Fazit

Summary
The right cooler for every application
in stationary hydraulics:

• Standard components available from stock

• Broad product spectrum, extendable through customisable options
• Good integrational potential – in both the surrounding structure and process

Custom-specific variants or designs are also possible. Thanks to our OEM business with multi-circuit coolers,
which is essentially based on tailor-made cooling solutions over and above the standard range, KTR is very
flexible both in terms of construction design and production.
22 Contacts

Contacts

Hendrik Stroet
Product manager
hydraulic coolers

Tel. +49 5971 798-519

Email [email protected]

Contact directly

Christoph Bettmer
Product manager
hydraulic components

Tel. +49 5971 798-485

Email [email protected]

Contact directly

Patrick Klesper
Application consultant
Hydraulic components

Tel. +49 5971 798-266

Email [email protected]

Contact directly
23 Contacts

Germany: Sales offices hydraulic components

Postcodes 10 to 59 and 66 Postcodes 01 to 09, 60 to 65, 67 to 99

Gunnar Ehlers Klaus-Peter Sproedhuber

Tel. +49 40 78016026 Tel. +49 9203 9739450
Email [email protected] Email [email protected]

Contact directly Contact directly

ations at ktr
Loc .co
Worldwide: R-
KT

KTR subsidiaries and

sales partners
View all
 Imprint

KTR Systems GmbH

Carl-Zeiss-Str. 25
48432 Rheine
Germany

www.ktr.com

Authorised representative: Nicola Warning

Trade register: Amtsgericht Steinfurt HRB 3688
Value added tax identification No.: DE 811295751

© 2023 KTR Systems GmbH

KTR Systems GmbH develops and produces mechanical couplings, brakes, coolers and hydraulic components for
mechanical and plant engineering. KTR was founded in 1959 and employs more than 1,100 people worldwide. The global
network comprises 24 subsidiaries and 90 sales partners as well as production sites in Brazil, China, Germany, India,
Taiwan and the United States.