Working fluid

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For fluid power, a working fluid is a gas or liquid that primarily transfers force, motion, or mechanical energy. In hydraulics, water or hydraulic fluid transfers force between hydraulic components such as hydraulic pumps, hydraulic cylinders, and hydraulic motors that are assembled into hydraulic machinery, hydraulic drive systems, etc. In pneumatics, the working fluid is air or another gas which transfers force between pneumatic components such as compressors, vacuum pumps, pneumatic cylinders, and pneumatic motors. In pneumatic systems, the working gas also stores energy because it is compressible. (Gases also heat up as they are compressed and cool as they expand; this incidental heat pump is rarely exploited.) (Some gases also condense into liquids as they are compressed and boil as pressure is reduced.)

For passive heat transfer, a working fluid is a gas or liquid, usually called a coolant or heat transfer fluid, that primarily transfers heat into or out of a region of interest by conduction, convection, and/or forced convection (pumped liquid cooling, air cooling, etc.).

The working fluid of a heat engine or heat pump is a gas or liquid, usually called a refrigerant, coolant, or working gas, that primarily converts thermal energy (temperature change) into mechanical energy (or vice versa) by phase change and/or heat of compression and expansion. Examples using phase change include water↔steam in steam engines, and refrigerants in vapor-compression refrigeration and air conditioning systems. Examples without phase change include air or hydrogen in hot air engines such as the Stirling engine, air or gases in gas-cycle heat pumps, etc. (Some heat pumps and heat engines use "working solids", such as rubber bands, for elastocaloric refrigeration or thermoelastic cooling and nickel titanium in a prototype heat engine.)

Working fluids other than air or water are necessarily recirculated in a loop. Some hydraulic and passive heat-transfer systems are open to the water supply and/or atmosphere, sometimes through breather filters. Heat engines, heat pumps, and systems using volatile liquids or special gases are usually sealed behind relief valves.