Fundamentals of Mass Conservative System Simulation in Fluid Power

This article illustrates the development of a dynamic system simulation tool for fluid power on basis of mass flows. The goal is to increase the predictability and efficiency of system simulation tools in fluid power. State of the art simulation tools make use of simplified differential equations. Especially in closed systems or long-term simulations, the volume flow based approach leads to significant variations of simulation results as balancing of flow parameters and its integrations to potentials lead to a violation of the equation of continuity. However, with a mass flow and energy conservative approach we obtain a clear and physically correct model implemented in the simulation tool DSHplus. The new basis of calculation enables further implementation of thermo-hydraulic and multi-phase flow models such as cavitation or particle transport into the concentrated parametric system simulation.