{"id":2777,"date":"2024-03-07T15:37:59","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T14:37:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/encyclopedia\/open-center-system\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T11:52:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T09:52:43","slug":"open-center-system","status":"publish","type":"encyclopedia","link":"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/en\/open-center-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Center System"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2777\" class=\"elementor elementor-2777 elementor-956\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-735b55f8 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"735b55f8\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2820cb8b\" data-id=\"2820cb8b\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9fb9997 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9fb9997\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1>Open Center System &ndash; Idle Mode Through the &ldquo;Open Center&rdquo;<\/h1><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/en\/open-center-system\/\" target=\"_self\" title='Open Center System - Idle Mode Through the \"Open Center\"The open center system is a hydraulic circuit in which the hydraulic flow can not only be switched but also offer&hellip;' class=\"encyclopedia\">open center system<\/a> is a hydraulic circuit in which the hydraulic flow can not only be switched but also offer an idle mode. For this purpose, an &ldquo;open center valve&rdquo; is installed in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/steuerblock-hydraulik.html\">control block<\/a>. <\/p><h2>Open Center System and Its Components<\/h2><p>Components of an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/en\/open-center-system\/\" target=\"_self\" title='Open Center System - Idle Mode Through the \"Open Center\"The open center system is a hydraulic circuit in which the hydraulic flow can not only be switched but also offer&hellip;' class=\"encyclopedia\">Open Center System<\/a>:<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/en\/hydraulic-tank\/\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Hydraulic tank: Reservoir for the pressure mediumThe hydraulic tank is the reservoir for the hydraulic fluid or the hydraulic medium of a hydraulic system. As a rule, this is a&hellip;\" class=\"encyclopedia\">Hydraulic Tank<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/en\/hydraulic-pump\/\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Hydraulic pump provides pressure and volume flowThe hydraulic pump is the core component of a hydraulic system. It ensures the circulation of the hydraulic fluid. In doing so, it generates&hellip;\" class=\"encyclopedia\">Hydraulic Pump<\/a> with Drive<\/li><li>Open Center Valve<\/li><li>Actuator<\/li><li>Return Lines<\/li><\/ul><h3>Operating Principle of an Open Center System<\/h3><p>The hydraulic oil stored in the unpressurized <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/en\/hydraulic-tank\/\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Hydraulic tank: Reservoir for the pressure mediumThe hydraulic tank is the reservoir for the hydraulic fluid or the hydraulic medium of a hydraulic system. As a rule, this is a&hellip;\" class=\"encyclopedia\">hydraulic tank<\/a> is drawn in by the pump and pressed into the lines at high pressure. The volume flow passes through the open center valve, which has three states:  <\/p><ol><li>Circuit A: Normal Flow<\/li><li>Circuit B: Flow-Through<\/li><li>Circuit C: Reverse Flow<\/li><\/ol><p>In normal flow, the actuator moves in the desired direction. Hydraulic cylinders extend or hydraulic rotary motors move clockwise. <\/p><p>In reverse flow in circuit C, the actuator is moved in the opposite direction. The hydraulic cylinder (prerequisite: a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/en\/double-acting-hydraulic-cylinder\/\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Double-acting hydraulic cylinderIn contrast to the single-acting cylinder, the double-acting cylinder has two fluid ports. By applying pressure to the opposing piston surfaces on both sides, highly controlled extension and&hellip;\" class=\"encyclopedia\">double-acting hydraulic cylinder<\/a> is installed) retracts or the hydraulic rotary motor moves counterclockwise. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/en\/open-center-system\/\" target=\"_self\" title='Open Center System - Idle Mode Through the \"Open Center\"The open center system is a hydraulic circuit in which the hydraulic flow can not only be switched but also offer&hellip;' class=\"encyclopedia\">open center system<\/a> does not work with a single-acting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/plungerzylinder.html\">plunger cylinder<\/a> if the hydraulic cylinder cannot be returned to its initial position via external return (gravity, spring, hydropneumatic element).  <\/p><p>In circuit C, during flow-through, the volume flow passes practically through the center of the opened valve (hence &ldquo;open center valve&rdquo;) and back into the tank.<\/p><h3>Benefits of the Open Center System<\/h3><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/en\/open-center-system\/\" target=\"_self\" title='Open Center System - Idle Mode Through the \"Open Center\"The open center system is a hydraulic circuit in which the hydraulic flow can not only be switched but also offer&hellip;' class=\"encyclopedia\">open center system<\/a> is primarily used in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/en\/mobile-hydraulics\/\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Mobile hydraulics &ndash; fundamentals and examplesThe fluid-powered transmission of forces on vehicles is referred to as mobile hydraulics. This primarily refers to vehicles that operate with high forces and therefore&hellip;\" class=\"encyclopedia\">mobile hydraulics<\/a>. It is essentially a comfort circuit designed to simplify the handling of excavators, crawlers, and cranes. With the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/en\/open-center-system\/\" target=\"_self\" title='Open Center System - Idle Mode Through the \"Open Center\"The open center system is a hydraulic circuit in which the hydraulic flow can not only be switched but also offer&hellip;' class=\"encyclopedia\">open center system<\/a>, the operator always has the option to interrupt the movement of the boom, tool, or other hydraulic components without triggering the reverse movement. The alternative would be to shut down the pump, which requires either switching off the drive motor or equipping the pump drive with a separable coupling. However, this is technically feasible only with considerable effort.     <\/p><h3>Disadvantages of Open Center Systems<\/h3><p>Even when the volume flow is pumped directly back into the tank, the system consumes energy. Construction vehicles typically use a large-volume, high-performance diesel engine. During idle mode, fuel is simply consumed without being used productively. In addition, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/en\/open-center-system\/\" target=\"_self\" title='Open Center System - Idle Mode Through the \"Open Center\"The open center system is a hydraulic circuit in which the hydraulic flow can not only be switched but also offer&hellip;' class=\"encyclopedia\">open center system<\/a>s are known for their high flow losses. While the system enables safe and comfortable handling of the construction vehicle, this comes at the cost of reduced fuel efficiency.     <\/p><h3>Alternative: Closed Center System<\/h3><p>The alternative to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/en\/open-center-system\/\" target=\"_self\" title='Open Center System - Idle Mode Through the \"Open Center\"The open center system is a hydraulic circuit in which the hydraulic flow can not only be switched but also offer&hellip;' class=\"encyclopedia\">open center system<\/a> is the closed center system, in which the volume flow is interrupted via controllable shut-off valves. This can be done manually or automatically through pressure sensors. While the closed center system is considerably more complex, it offers significantly higher fuel efficiency by avoiding unnecessary idle modes.  <\/p><h3>Application of Open Center Systems<\/h3><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/en\/open-center-system\/\" target=\"_self\" title='Open Center System - Idle Mode Through the \"Open Center\"The open center system is a hydraulic circuit in which the hydraulic flow can not only be switched but also offer&hellip;' class=\"encyclopedia\">open center system<\/a> is primarily used in cost-effective and simple construction vehicles, as a complex closed center system would disproportionately increase the costs for such vehicles. However, in highly modern, fuel-optimized systems, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bf-hydraulik.com\/en\/open-center-system\/\" target=\"_self\" title='Open Center System - Idle Mode Through the \"Open Center\"The open center system is a hydraulic circuit in which the hydraulic flow can not only be switched but also offer&hellip;' class=\"encyclopedia\">open center system<\/a> is no longer employed. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-17578f6\" data-id=\"17578f6\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18d5d30 elementor-widget elementor-widget-sidebar\" data-id=\"18d5d30\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"sidebar.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div 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