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Calcimator

Hydraulic Filtration Calculator

Calculate filter Beta ratio efficiency, ISO cleanliness targets, and filter element life for hydraulic systems.

Inputs

Results

Filtration efficiency (%)

99.5

Target ISO cleanliness code16
System turnovers/hr18
Passes to reach target919
Cleanup time (min)3,063.3
Filter element life (hrs)50
Clean element ΔP (PSI)5
Changeout ΔP (PSI)15
Filter Location2
Flow Utilization100%
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Beta ratio (βx), System flow rate (GPM), and Filter micron rating (µm).
  2. Set System oil volume (gal), Element dirt capacity (g), and Contamination rate (mg/min).
  3. Adjust Operating pressure (PSI) as needed.
  4. Review the Filtration efficiency (%) result.
  5. Use Target ISO cleanliness code and System turnovers/hr to inform your decision.

How the result changes with Beta ratio (βx)

Beta ratio (βx)Filtration efficiency (%)
50199.8
1,75199.94
3,25099.97
4,50099.98

What each input means

Beta ratio (βx)
Filter Beta ratio at the rated micron size (β200 = 99.5% efficient, β1000 = 99.9%).
System flow rate (GPM)
Hydraulic flow rate through the filter.
Filter micron rating (µm)
Absolute micron rating of the filter element.
System oil volume (gal)
Total hydraulic fluid volume in the system.
Element dirt capacity (g)
Filter element dirt-holding capacity in grams (from manufacturer).
Contamination rate (mg/min)
Rate of new contaminant entering the system (environment-dependent).
Operating pressure (PSI)
System operating pressure (determines filter housing rating).

What each result means

Filtration efficiency (%)
Percentage of particles captured at the rated micron size.
Target ISO cleanliness code
Achievable ISO 4406 cleanliness class for the 6 µm range.
System turnovers/hr
Number of times total fluid volume passes through the filter per hour.
Passes to reach target
Number of full volume passes needed to achieve target cleanliness.
Cleanup time (min)
Estimated time to bring fluid to target cleanliness from a dirty state.
Filter element life (hrs)
Estimated operating hours before element replacement needed.
Clean element ΔP (PSI)
Approximate pressure drop across a clean filter element.
Changeout ΔP (PSI)
Pressure drop indicating element replacement needed (3× clean ΔP).

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Beta ratio (βx) = 200, System flow rate (GPM) = 15, Filter micron rating (µm) = 10, System oil volume (gal) = 50 = 7 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Filtration efficiency
    Filtration efficiency = (1 - 1 / betaRatio) * 100
    99.5 = 99.5
  3. Calculate Target ISO cleanliness code
    16 = 16
  4. Calculate System turnovers/hr
    System turnovers/hr = (flowGpm * 60) / systemVolGal
    18 = 18

Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.

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