This SAE Recommended Practice identifies general requirements for hydraulic fluids to be used for ship systems and equipment with respect to power transmission, lubrication, and passive applications. It also indicates the environmental limits within which the fluids shall perform their intended purpose satisfactorily and reliably. Characteristics of particular importance to ship systems and equipment are discussed.

Purpose

This document provides the general environment and equipment imposed requirements that dictate fluid and lubricant characteristics. The purpose of this document is to provide system and equipment designers with guidance necessary for the selection of a satisfactory hydraulic fluid for a particular application. This document does not recommend a particular fluid for any application. Rather, this document identifies the parameters that must be considered in the selection of fluids. Examples of specification and typical values for properties of fluids often used in ships systems and equipment are listed in Appendix A. While most of the data applies to Military Specification fluids, many commercial fluids are available with similar properties.

Rationale

This document has been reaffirmed to comply with the SAE 5-Year Review policy.