This article presents simulation data and measurements of a novel valve concept that features a soft landing concept. The purpose is to validate the design framework that has been applied to design the valve. The experimental results are obtained with a test rig manufactured specifically for this type of valve design. The validation includes studying the valves switching dynamics, cushion pressure dynamics, and movement-induced flow (MIF). The tests show that the tendencies are captured accurately although the exact magnitudes of forces do not match fully and a noticeable difference between simulated and measured plunger position is revealed. This amounts in a significant difference in the cushion pressure. Therefore, the pressure model is validated by using the measured lift and velocity derived hereof and this shows sufficient correspondence between the two pressures.

A force-controlled pneumatic actuator with long connecting tubes is a well-accepted solution to develop magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-compatible force control applications. Such an actuator represents an uncertain, second-order, nonlinear system with input delay. The integral sliding mode control, because of guaranteed robustness against matched uncertainties throughout the system response, provides a favorable option to design a robust controller for the actuator. However, if the controller is based on a linear integral sliding surface (LISS), the response of the actuator overshoots, especially when there are large initial errors. Minimizing overshoot results in a smaller controller bandwidth and a slower system response. This paper presents a novel nonlinear integral sliding surface (NLISS) for a sliding mode controller to improve the transient response of the actuator. The proposed surface is a LISS augmented by a nonlinear function of tracking error and does not have a reaching phase when there are initial errors and even multiple steps in the desired trajectory. The surface enables the integral sliding mode controller to offer variable damping, which changes from low to high as the transient error approaches small values and vice versa. Simulation studies and experimental results show that the controller based on the proposed sliding surface successfully eliminates the overshoot without compromising the controller bandwidth, rise, and settling times. For performance evaluation, the controller parameters are tuned using the globalized and bounded Nelder–Mead (GBNM) algorithm with deterministic restarts. The study also establishes the asymptotic stability of the controller based on the proposed sliding surface using Lyapunov's stability criterion.

This paper presents a novel hydrostatic actuator, which is named as linear-driven electro-hydrostatic actuator (LEHA). In an LEHA, the actuator is driven by a novel collaborative rectification pump (CRP), which incorporates two miniature cylinders and two spool valves. Specifically, the CRP is driven by two linear oscillating motors, which are designed and optimized to generate reciprocating motion at high frequency with adequate stroke. CRP offers a highly novel linear fluid pump with flexibility in bi-directionally driving. In this paper, schematic of LEHA is first presented and its kinematic flow rate equation is derived. Then the design of CRP, linear oscillating motor, as well as the whole LEHA prototype is introduced. Performance of the LEHA is demonstrated through a series of experiments and simulation, and analysis of the results is also included.

In digital displacement pump (DDP), the states of valves are nonlinear correlation with the instantaneous flow rate and flow fluctuation. For low-speed working condition, the digital valve has potential to switch several times to improve flow fluctuation. So, the relationship between the valve states and the flow rate is decoded, and a novel optimal fluctuation regulation (OFR) method including OFR-strict (OFR-S) and OFR-relaxation (OFR-R) is designed in this paper. The periodicity and the symmetry of OFR methods are proved and an optimal solution in the predefined minimum characteristic interval (MCI) is realized. Compared to the traditional sequential, partial, and pulse width modulation (PWM) methods, OFR-S has the minimum flow fluctuation, while OFR-R is preferred in low-speed ratio to reduce the digital valve switching frequency. At last, the effects of valve delay and oil compressibility are analyzed. As a theoretical precise optimal solution, OFR method demonstrates its ability in handling nonlinear problems in MCI. And it definitely will be a good base for the nonlinear controller design in the future.

Using a unique inlet metering pump with fixed displacement and speed, this work introduces a new way to control a linear hydraulic actuator velocity. The inlet metering system consists of an inlet metering valve that adjusts the hydraulic fluid flow that enters the pump and a fixed displacement pump. Fluid is supplied to the inlet metering valve at a fixed pressure. Energy losses associated with flow metering in the system are reduced because the pressure drop across the inlet metering valve can be small compared to a traditional valve-controlled system. A velocity control system is designed using the inlet metering pump to control the fluid flow into a hydraulic cylinder. First, the valve dynamic model is ignored, the open-loop response is studied, and closed-loop proportional and proportional derivative controllers are designed. Next, the valve dynamic model is included and closed-loop proportional integral derivative, H ∞ , and two-degrees-of-freedom controllers are designed. Designs with the goals of stability and performance of the system are considered so that a precise velocity control system for the hydraulic cylinder is achieved. In addition to the potentially high efficiency of this system, there is potential for low-cost, fast-response, and less complicated dynamics compared to other systems. The results show that the velocity control system can be designed so that the system is stable for all cases and with 0% overshoot and no oscillation depending on valve dynamics using the two-degrees-of-freedom controller for tracking the desired velocity.

This paper studies the impact of using different types of energy storages integrated with a heat pump for energy efficiency in radiant-floor buildings. In particular, the performance of the building energy resources management system is improved through the application of distributed model predictive control (DMPC) to better anticipate the effects of disturbances and real-time pricing together with following the modular structure of the system under control. To this end, the load side and heating system are decoupled through a three-element mixing valve, which enforces a fixed water flow rate in the building pipelines. Hence, the building temperature control is executed by a linear model predictive control, which in turn is able to exchange the building information with the heating system controller. On the contrary, there is a variable action of the mixing valve, which enforces a variable circulated water flow rate within the tank. In this case, the optimization problem is more complex than in literature due to the variable circulation water flow rate within the tank layers, which gives rise to a nonlinear model. Therefore, an adaptive linear model predictive control is designed for the heating system to deal with the system nonlinearity trough a successive linearization method around the current operating point. A battery is also installed as a further storage, in addition to the thermal energy storage, in order to have the option between the charging and discharging of both storages based on the electricity price tariff and the building and thermal energy storage inertia. A qualitative comparative analysis has been also carried out with a rule-based heuristic logic and a centralized model predictive control (CMPC) algorithm. Finally, the proposed control algorithm has been experimentally validated in a well-equipped smart grid research laboratory belonging to the ERIGrid Research Infrastructure, funded by European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme.

This paper has been written to develop closed-form equations for describing the theoretical displacement of a check-valve type, digital displacement pump. In theory, the digital displacement pump is used to alter the apparent volumetric displacement of the machine by short circuiting the flow path for reciprocating pistons within the machine that would ordinarily deliver a full volumetric flow rate to the discharge side of the pump. The short circuiting for the pistons is achieved by opening and closing a digital valve connected to each piston chamber at a desired time during the kinematic cycle for each reciprocating piston. Experience with these machines has shown that the expected volumetric displacement for the machine tends to decrease with pressure. This paper presents a theoretical explanation for the reduced volumetric displacement of the pump and quantifies the expected behavior based upon the digital valve command, the residual volume of fluid within a single piston chamber, and the fluid bulk modulus-of-elasticity. In summary, it shown that the apparent volumetric displacement of the machine may be reduced by as much as 10% for high-displacement commands and by as much as 30% for low-displacement commands.

Axial piston pumps with variable volumetric displacement are often used to control flow and pressure in hydraulic systems. The displacement control mechanism in these pumps occupies significant space and accounts for significant cost in the pump design. Fixed displacement pumps have lower cost and a more compact design but suffer from a significant energy consumption disadvantage due to the need to control flow and pressure by throttling flow and bypassing unused flow to pressures below the discharge pressure. An inlet metering valve-controlled pump marks a recent development in pumping technology for hydraulic systems. In this design, an inlet metering valve restricts inlet flow reducing inlet pressure so that the specific volume of the fluid is increased as it enters a fixed displacement pump. By altering the specific volume of the working fluid, the inlet metering valve permits precise control over the pump discharge flow. This paper presents a theoretical model for inlet metered pump efficiency. The work considers additional sources of energy loss unique to the inlet metering system. Experimental results associated with inlet metered pump efficiency are presented. A comparison of the theoretical model and the experimental results is also included. It is determined that the current efficiency model accurately predicts efficiencies determined using experimental data.

In this paper, we present a novel design for single-rod hydrostatic actuators that produces a stable response in all operation quadrants. The new design, which can have different embodiments, is built upon compensating for the differential flows coming in and out of single-rod actuators, by alternately connecting cap and rod sides of the cylinder to a flow source in accordance with the energy flow direction between the circuit and the load. We show that previous quadrant division definitions result in either geometric quadrants that do not coincide with motoring and pumping operation, or misrepresentations of the actual energy exchange between the load and the cylinder. The proposed quadrant representation gives the exact information about the right operation of compensating flow valves. The efficacy of the new design has been tested on an instrumented John Deere JD-48 backhoe. Precise redirection of the compensation flow allowed for nonoscillatory motions in all quadrants of operation and various loading conditions.

In this paper, a mathematical model to simulate the pressure and flow rate characteristics of a spool valve is derived. To improve the simulation accuracy, the discharge coefficient through the spool valve ports is assumed to be a function of both the Reynolds number and the orifice geometry rather than treating it as a constant. Parameters of the model are determined using the data obtained by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses conducted on two-dimensional axisymmetric domains using ANSYS Fluent 15 ® commercial software. For turbulence modeling, shear stress transport (SST) k– ω model is preferred after a comparison of performance with the other available turbulence model options. The resulting model provides consistent pressure and flow rate estimations with CFD analyses and a smooth transition between different geometrical conditions. The ultimate aim of this study is to fulfill the need for a model to precisely determine the geometrical tolerances of spool valve components for optimum performance. Estimations of the developed model is compared with the experimental data of a spool valve, and the model is proved to be able to accurately estimate the maximum leakage flow rate, the pressure sensitivity, and the shapes of leakage flow/load pressure curves.

This paper reviews the state of the art of directly driven proportional directional hydraulic spool valves, which are widely used hydraulic components in the industrial and transportation sectors. First, the construction and performance of commercially available units are discussed, together with simple models of the main characteristics. The review of published research focuses on two key areas: investigations that analyze and optimize valves from a fluid dynamic point of view, and then studies on spool position control systems. Mathematical modeling is a very active area of research, including computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for spool geometry optimization, and dynamic spool actuation and motion modeling to inform controller design. Drawbacks and advantages of new designs and concepts are described in the paper.

This paper presents the design and dynamic model for a novel prototype pneumatic boost converter, a device developed to be an energetic equivalent to the electrical boost converter. The design of the system selects pneumatic components that are energetically equivalent to the components used in the analogous system in the electrical domain. A dynamic model for the pneumatic boost converter that describes the rapidly fluctuating pressures and volumes is developed. Movement within the system and mass flow through orifices connecting control volumes are also modeled. A prototype was developed to reclaim air at 653 kPa (80 psig) and experimental pressure data were collected at the inlet and outlet of the system. These experimental data are used to validate the dynamic model by comparing experimental and simulated pressures. The experimental data are also used to calculate the total energy reclaimed by the pneumatic boost converter as well as the system efficiency.

Control of on–off valves for linear flow characteristics is a challenging design problem due to nonlinearity of valve mechanism and fluidic properties under various operating conditions. In this study, averaging pulse width modulation (PWM) is proposed as a control valve signal by implementing PWM with predetermined duty period so that overflow at the open position and underflow at the closed position are divided proportionately around desired mean flow rates during entire cycle periods. Multichannels in a parallel pattern are implemented to yield linear flow characteristics with higher resolution than a single channel. With pressure and temperature measurements, the volumetric flow rate is determined by an empirical model of flow characteristics across flow control valves at given operating conditions. The experimental results on achieving the desired volumetric flow rate of air under actual flow conditions without a flow meter are presented for viability of the proposed methodology in practical uses.

Axial piston pumps with port valves are widely used in applications that require high pressure and high power. In the present research, a new type of double-swash-plate hydraulic axial piston pump (DSPHAPP) with port valves is presented. The structure and working principle of the pump are discussed, and the balance characteristics of the pump are analyzed. A mathematical model of the pump flow distribution mechanism considering the leakage is established, based on which the effects of centrifugal forces acting on the port valves, working pressure, and rotational speed on the flow distribution characteristics are studied. A new method of varying the displacement of the pump that changes the phase relation of the two swash plates is proposed, and the principle and regulating characteristics of the variable method are studied. A detailed analysis of the forces and moments acting on the cylinder and the bearing reaction forces is presented. Finally, the relationship between volumetric efficiency and working pressure, and rotational speed and variable angle, is presented. It is revealed through an analysis that the working principle of the pump is feasible, and that the variable method can meet the requirements of varying the displacement of the pump. The characteristics of static balance and dynamic balance of the double-swashplate pump have the advantage of reducing vibration and noise. The research results also show that the reasonable matching of the working pressure and rotational speed can increase the pump's working performance to its optimum level.

The present study is focused on the construction of a well-performing pilot controlled proportional flow valve with internal displacement-flow feedback. A novel control strategy for the valve is proposed in which the flow rate through the valve is directly controlled. The linear mathematical model for the valve is established and a fuzzy proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller is designed for the flow control. In order to obtain the flow rate used as feedback rapidly and accurately in real-time, back propagation neural network (BPNN) is employed to predict the flow rate through the valve with the pressure drop through the main orifice and main valve opening, and the predicted value is used as the feedback. Both simulation and experimental results show that the predicted value obtained by BPNN is reliable and available for the feedback. The proposed control strategy is effective with which the flow rate through the valve remains almost constant when the pressure drop through the main orifice increases and the valve can be applied to the conditions where the independence of flow rate and load is required. For the valve with the proposed control strategy, the nonlinearity is less than 5.3%, the hysteresis is less than 4.2%, and the bandwidth is about 16 Hz. The static and dynamic characteristics are reasonable and acceptable.

In this paper, an efficiency map is created for a double-acting, single-rod hydraulic-actuator using a critically centered four-way spool valve and a load-sensing pump. The purpose of this research is to provide an understanding of the performance of a valve-controlled hydraulic actuator under all operating conditions. This paper considers a four-quadrant set of operating conditions, where each quadrant represents a different combination of actuator retraction or extension and overrunning or resistive loading. This four-quadrant efficiency map is the first presentation of its kind in the literature, and clearly demonstrates the performance characteristics and limitations for this hydraulic system. For its most common operation of an actuator extending under a resistive load, the map shows that this system can operate at over 82% efficiency and can move large loads. The map also shows physical limitations for the system, such as maximum pressure limits, maximum displacement limits, and valve limits. The efficiency map is plotted in nondimensional form, which presents the most general understanding of system performance and also allows dimensional values to be reconstructed for a similar system of any size.

We propose a novel modeling, estimation, and control framework for homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines, which, by utilizing direct in-cylinder pressure sensing, can detect, and react to, the wide spectrum of combustion, thereby allowing for the prevention or even recovery from partial burn or misfire, while significantly improving the stability of transition control. For this, we first develop a discrete-time cyclic control-oriented model of the HCCI process, for which we completely replace the Arrhenius integral by quantities based on the in-cylinder pressure sensing. We then propose a nonlinear state feedback control based on the exact feedback linearization and the switching linear quadratic regulators (LQRs), and also present how the state and other quantities necessary for this control can be estimated by using the in-cylinder pressure sensing. We also provide a new modeling approach for heat transfer, which, through principal component analysis (PCA), can systematically allow us to choose most significant variables, thereby substantially improving control and estimation precision. Simulation studies using a continuous-time detailed HCCI engine model built on matlab/simulink and Cantera Toolbox are also performed to demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed framework for the scenarios of engine load transition and partial burn recovery with the enlarged regions-of-attraction with less stringent actuation limitation also shown.

This paper proposes an application of the switching gain-scheduled (S-GS) proportional–integral–derivative (PID) control technique to the electronic throttle control (ETC) problem in automotive engines. For the S-GS PID controller design, a published linear parameter-varying (LPV) model of the electronic throttle valve (ETV) is adopted whose dynamics change with both the throttle valve velocity variation and the battery voltage fluctuation. The designed controller consists of multiple GS PID controllers assigned to local subregions defined for varying throttle valve velocity and battery voltage. Hysteresis switching logic is employed for switching between local GS PID controllers based on the operating point. The S-GS PID controller design problem is formulated as a nonconvex optimization problem and tackled by solving its convex subproblems iteratively. Experimental results demonstrate overall superiority of the S-GS PID controller to conventional controllers in reference tracking performance of the throttle valve under various scenarios.

A challenge in realizing switch-mode hydraulic circuits is the need for a high-speed valve with fast transition time and high switching frequency. The work presented includes the design and modeling of a suitable valve and experimental demonstration of the prototype in a hydraulic boost converter. The design consists of two spools driven by crank-sliders, designed for 120 Hz maximum switching frequency at a flow rate of 22.7 lpm. The fully open throttling loss is designed for <2% of the rated pressure of 34.5 MPa. The transition time is less than 5% (0.42 ms at 120 Hz) of the total cycle and the duty cycle is adjustable from 0 to 1. Leakage and viscous friction losses in the design are less than 2% of the rated hydraulic energy per cycle. The experimental results agreed well with the model resulting in a 3% variation in transition time. The use of the high-speed valve in a pressure boosts converter demonstrated boost ratio capabilities of 1.08–2.06.

Switch-mode hydraulic control is a compact and theoretically efficient alternative to throttling valve control or variable displacement pump control. However, a significant source of energy loss in switch-mode circuits is due to throttling during valve transitions. Hydraulic soft switching was previously proposed as a method of reducing the throttling energy loss, by absorbing, in a small variable volume chamber, the flow that would normally be throttled across the transitioning high-speed valve. An active locking mechanism was previously proposed that overcomes the main challenge with soft switching, which is a lock mechanism that releases quickly and with precise timing. This prior work demonstrated a reduction in energy losses by 66% compared to a control circuit. In this paper, a numerical model is developed for a switch-mode virtually variable displacement pump (VVDP) circuit, utilizing the proposed soft switch. The model is then used as a means of designing a proof of concept prototype to validate the model. The prototype design includes methods for controlling the soft switch spring preload, travel distance, piston displacement required to unlock the soft switch, valve command duty cycle, switching cycle period, and load pressure. Testing demonstrated that the soft switch circuit performed as expected in a baseline condition. The operating region for this prototype was found to be quite narrow. However, the model does a good job of predicting the displacement of the soft switch.