The Influence of Transmission Line Dynamics on the Performance of Digital Flow Control Units (original) (raw)

ANALYSIS OF HYDRAULICS ACTUATOR SPEED CONTROL USING DIGITAL HYDRAULICS

Digital hydraulics is a forthcoming field which, in spite of the fact that being connected in a few routes since long, brings some new thoughts, ideas and answers for fluid power. The focal and unavoidable segments of digital hydraulic systems are on-off valves. This paper talks about the likelihood to utilize minimal price on/off valves rather than servo valves indeed, even in requiring servo applications. Different on/off control procedures are first checked on and examined. Digital hydraulics makes additionally many challenging issues for component improvement, control, modelling, simulation and treatment of dynamical impacts. These difficulties are differentiated by the potential points of interest of digital hydraulics which are complex: robustness, reliability and cost savings. In any case, other genuinely digital segments, as digital displacement pumps, digital cylinders and transformers were created to improve digital hydraulics. The Digital hydraulic principles used here involves digital valves only. In light of these basic parts, various ideas have been proposed. Results demonstrate that energy efficient and speed control is conceivable with basic and minimal cost on/off valves. In this manner, the digital hydraulics potential option for conventional servo systems.

Using a Neural Network to Minimize Pressure Spikes for Binary-coded Digital Flow Control Units

International Journal of Fluid Power

A unique method of improving energy efficiency in fluid power systems is called digital flow control. In this paper, binary coding control is utilized. Although this scheme is characterized by a small package size and low energy consumption, it is influenced by higher pressure peaks and larger transient uncertainty than are other coding schemes, e.g., Fibonacci coding and pulse number modulation, consequently resulting in poor tracking accuracy. This issue can be solved by introducing a delay in the signal opening/ closing of the previous or subsequent valve, thus providing sufficient time for state alteration and valve processes. In a metering-in velocity control circuit, a feedforward neural network controller was used to create artificial delays according to the pressure difference over the digital flow control unit (DFCU) valves. The delayed signal samples fed to the controller were acquired through the genetic algorithm method, and the analysis was performed with MATLAB software.

Control of a fast switching valve for digital hydraulics

Proceedings from the 13th Scandinavian International Conference on Fluid Power, June 3-5, 2013, Linköping, Sweden, 2013

The success of digital hydraulics is dependent on the ability to produce digital hydraulic valves that can supply both high flows and high switching rates. This paper will elucidate the control scheme of, and results obtained from, such a valve which has been developed at the University of Bath. It will be shown that through the combination of iterative learning control and state variable feedback control it is possible to accurately follow a 100Hz PWM signal on a valve designed for high flow rates (65l/min at 10bar), making it well suited to use in a Switched Reactance Hydraulic Transformer.

Analysis of Wave Propagation Effects in Transmission Lines due to Digital Valve Switching

ASME/BATH 2015 Symposium on Fluid Power and Motion Control, 2015

In digital hydraulic systems, switching valves have opening and closing times in the range of a few milliseconds. Due to this fast switching, high bandwidth pressure pulsation is excited, which is the stimulus for airborne noise up to some kilohertz. Since the human ear is very sensitive to audible noise in this frequency range, an analysis of the influence of the valve’s opening curve on the pressure surge in the pipe system is intended. The study is based on simulations employing dynamic pipe models for linear wave propagation and laminar fluid flow. In particular, a simple pipe system with a valve at one end and a pressure boundary at the other end of the pipe is investigated. It is shown, how the valve opening characteristics of spool and seat type switching valves influences the pipe responses. Also the role of parasitic inductances due to the valve block bores is discussed and it is shown how the switching characteristics influences the dynamical effects on the pressure pulsat...

Is the future of fluid power digital?

Proceedings Of The Institution Of Mechanical Engineers, Part I: Journal Of Systems And Control Engineering, 2012

This article presents digital fluid power as a new branch of fluid power which offers high potential for innovative solutions. The variety of digital concepts is quite large and digital concepts have long been successfully applied in low-power applications. Research and development is now becoming more intensive, being undertaken by several research groups and also more and more in industry. First applications will be brought to industry soon. A successful application requires new components, a sound understanding of system and new control principles.

DIGITAL FLUID POWER – STATE OF THE ART

Digital fluid power technology has rapidly achieved the status of potential and serious fluid power technology. Several research branches exist each having their own strengths and challenges. Applications are also emerging. This paper summarizes the research results so far and tries to find development trends and estimate the future of digital fluid power.

Discussion: Is the future of fluid power digital?

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part I: Journal of Systems and Control Engineering, 2012

Imagine the scenario in which an electric motor company came to the (correct) conclusion that the power density of hydraulic pumps and motors is much higher than that of electric generators and motors. Then imagine that the board of this company gave the (wrong) instruction to the R&D department to utilize the concept of hydrostatic machines to develop electric generators and pumps with the same power density as their hydraulic equivalents. The reasoning of the board parallels the reasoning of the Forward Look article 1 in which Rudolf Scheidl, Matti Linjama and Stefan Schmidt argue that the future of fluid power will become partly digital: ''The overwhelming success of digital concepts in information, communication and power electronics, as well as the analogy between electrical and fluid power systems, suggest that digital concepts should be beneficial in fluid power''. Or, to recast this statement: ''The overwhelming success of feathers for making birds fly, as well as the analogy between birds and fish, suggests that feathers should also be beneficial for fish''. In addition the authors emphasize that ''the positive connotations of the word 'Digital' are good selling points''. Do not be mistaken! I am a strong supporter of research in digital hydraulic systems, although I am not at all convinced that the future of fluid power will be digital. To quote Einstein: ''If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.'' A lot of research in digital fluid power I consider to fall in the category 'absurd', in the sense of 'out of tune' or 'dissonant' with the ruling technology, and I am very curious to see what will be useful in the end. The idea to copy successful electrical concepts in the design of hydraulic systems and components is as old as the hydraulic industry itself. Examples are 'fluidics' or 'fluidic logics' in which a fluid flow is directed in order to perform analog or digital operations, similar to electronic devices. 2 The authors of the Forward Look article refer to another example, AC hydraulics, in which the principle of a three-phase a.c. network is converted to a three-phase alternating flow network. 3,4 Other examples are 'switched reactance hydraulics' 5 and 'PWM electrohydraulic control systems'. 6 Aside from some niche applications, none of these promising developments has been applied successfully in the market. In 2011, Linjama presented an overview of the stateof-the-art of digital fluid power. 7 In that article he

Directly Digital Flow Controller

Analytical Chemistry, 2005

An improved directly digital flow controller is evaluated for its ability to modulate gas flow rates. As in the older device, the "GasDAC" (named for its similarity to a weighted-resistor digital-to-analog converter) is capable of controlling gas flow in a linear and reproducible manner with the advantage of having an adjustable range of flow rates. The new design incorporates venting to prevent "puffing" when the individual flow channels are opened. The temporal characteristics of the GasDAC are also examined; modulation frequencies of 10 Hz with various types of waveforms are possible with the new device.

Automatic Control Valve–Induced Transients in Operative Pipe System

Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 1999

In most cases, the final configuration of complex pipe networks is attained simply by connecting subsystems initially designed to work separately. Thus, automatic control valves (ACV) are often installed in the confluence nodes where the subsystems meet. The present paper deals with the response and hydraulic behavior of ACVs, topics on which data are scarce. More precisely, attention is focused on transients, which occur in a water-distribution pipe system in operation due to the action of an ACV, both from an experimental and numerical point of view. The aim of the water-hammer field tests is to enlarge the amount of the experimental data concerning unsteady-state flow processes in operating pipe systems. The numerical model extends to field conditions and ACVs laboratory work on the hydraulic characterization of valves and the unsteady-state friction simulation.

Theoretical and Experimental Studies of a Digital Flow Booster Operating at High Pressures and Flow Rates

Processes, 2020

The switched inertance hydraulic converter (SIHC) is a new technology providing an alternative to conventional proportional or servo-valve-controlled systems in the area of fluid power. SIHCs can adjust or control flow and pressure by means of using digital control signals that do not rely on throttling the flow and dissipation of power, and provide hydraulic systems with high-energy efficiency, flexible control, and insensitivity to contamination. In this article, the analytical models of an SIHC in a three-port flow-booster configuration were used and validated at high operating pressure, with the low-and high-pressure supplies of 30 and 90 bar and a high delivery flow rate of 21 L/min. The system dynamics, flow responses, and power consumption were investigated and theoretically and experimentally validated. Results were compared to previous results achieved using low operating pressures, where low-and high-pressure supplies were 20 and 30 bar, and the delivery flow rate was 7 L/min. We concluded that the analytical models could effectively predict SIHC performance, and higher operating pressures and flow rates could result in system uncertainties that need to be understood well. As high operating pressure or flow rate is a common requirement in hydraulic systems, this constitutes an important contribution to the development of newly switched inertance hydraulic converters and the improvement of fluid-power energy efficiency.