Dynamic test system diagnostics

Abstract

A dynamic test system includes a test station and at least one controller. The test station includes: a hydraulic actuator configured to drive actuation of a test object using a hydraulic fluid flow; and a control valve including a housing, a valve body contained within the housing, the valve body having a position to control the flow rate and direction of the hydraulic fluid flow, a valve body driver configured to adjust the position of the valve body based on a reference signal, and a valve position sensor configured to detect the flow rate and direction of the hydraulic fluid flow, and the valve position sensor is configured to output a position signal indicative of the position of the valve body. The at least one controller is configured to obtain a current position of the valve body using the position signal, obtain a diagnostic reference, detect a diagnostic condition based on a difference between the current position and the diagnostic reference, and generate a diagnostic signal.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 580,102, filed on September 1, 2023, entitled “Dynamic Testing System Diagnostics,” the contents of which are incorporated by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to a test station of a dynamic test system and, more particularly, to speed control of a hydraulic actuator of the test station. Background Art

[0004] Dynamic testing systems, such as those developed by MTS Systems, include test stations that perform various tests by applying loads and displacements to a test object using hydraulic actuators in accordance with a test procedure. The test stations may include, for example, a vehicle test station that applies simulated driving conditions to a moving vehicle, or a building test station that applies simulated seismic activity to a building.

[0005] The actuators of the test station are driven by a flow of hydraulic fluid. The actuation performed by each actuator is controlled using a control valve (eg, a proportional control valve) that regulates the flow and direction of the hydraulic fluid flowing through the actuator.

[0006] There are various types of failures that can occur in a test station. Some of these failures may be related to leaks in the hydraulic fluid flow path, such as leaks at the control valves, hydraulic actuators, or other components of the test station. Such leaks can reduce the efficiency of the test station's operation. Additionally, such leaks may be an early sign of a more serious failure.

[0007] Other possible failures are related to the accuracy with which the hydraulic actuator performs the programmed or commanded actuation. For example, it is important that the movement actuation of the test object accurately reflects the desired movement dictated by the test procedure to ensure that the test is conducted correctly and produces valid test results. The accuracy with which the hydraulic actuator performs the programmed or commanded actuation is also important for safety reasons, such as ensuring that the maximum actuation speed does not exceed a safety threshold when a worker is present.

[0008] Therefore, it is very important to detect these and other test station failures as early as possible. Summary of the invention

[0009] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to diagnostic methods for dynamic test systems and dynamic test systems configured to perform these methods.

[0010] One embodiment of a dynamic test system includes a test station and at least one controller. The test station includes a hydraulic actuator and a control valve, the hydraulic actuator being configured to drive (or cause) actuation of a test object using a hydraulic fluid flow. The control valve includes a housing, a valve body contained within the housing, a valve body driver, and a valve position sensor, the valve body having a position to control the flow and direction of the hydraulic fluid flow, the valve body driver being configured to adjust the position of the valve body based on a reference signal, and the valve position sensor being configured to output a position signal indicating the position of the valve body. The at least one controller is configured to obtain a current position of the valve body using the position signal, obtain a diagnostic reference, detect a diagnostic condition based on a difference between the current position and the diagnostic reference, and generate a diagnostic signal indicating the detected diagnostic condition.

[0011] In some embodiments, the hydraulic actuator includes a cylinder and an actuator rod including a piston contained within the cylinder, and movement of the piston and actuator rod relative to the cylinder drives the actuation.

[0012] In some embodiments, the housing of the control valve includes: an inlet port connected to a supply source of high-pressure hydraulic fluid; an outlet port connected to a low-pressure reflux reservoir; a first port connected to a first working volume formed by an inner cavity of a cylinder and a piston; and a second port connected to a second working volume formed by the inner cavity of the cylinder and the piston, and the position of the valve body directs the hydraulic fluid flow received at the inlet port to one of the first port and the second port or not to any of the first port and the second port and controls the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid flow.

[0013] In some embodiments, the test station includes an actuation sensor configured to generate a feedback signal indicative of an actuation parameter, at least one controller configured to generate a control reference signal corresponding to a desired actuation based on a test procedure and to generate an actuator command signal based on a difference between the control reference signal and the feedback signal, the actuator command signal directing a valve body driver to adjust a position of the valve body.

[0014] In some embodiments, the diagnostic reference includes a maximum velocity of the actuator rod.

[0015] In some embodiments, the diagnostic reference includes an actuation parameter related to the feedback signal.

[0016] In some embodiments, the actuation sensor comprises a displacement sensor, the feedback signal indicates a direction or speed of movement of the actuator rod relative to the cylinder, and the actuation parameter is related to the direction or speed of movement indicated by the feedback signal.

[0017] In some embodiments, the actuation sensor comprises a load cell, the feedback signal is indicative of a force applied by the actuator, and the actuation parameter is related to the force indicated by the feedback signal.

[0018] In some embodiments, the diagnostic condition includes a displacement sensor failure, an actuation sensor failure, or a hydraulic fluid leak.

[0019] In some embodiments, the current position of the valve body is obtained by at least one controller during execution of a test routine at the test station, and the diagnostic reference includes an expected position of the valve body based on at least one previous execution of the test routine.

[0020] In some embodiments, the expected position of the valve body is obtained based on a map of the position of the valve body over time during at least one previous execution of a test program stored in a computer readable medium.

[0021] In some embodiments, at least one controller forms a mapping by a process comprising generating a plurality of actuator command signals during a test period during execution of a test program, obtaining a plurality of positions of a valve body during the test period, forming a mapping of the positions during the test period, and storing the mapping in a computer-readable medium.

[0022] In some embodiments, the valve body actuator includes a servo or a solenoid, and the valve body includes a spool or a piston.

[0023] In some embodiments, at least one controller is configured to execute a safety measure when the difference satisfies a threshold condition.

[0024] In some embodiments, the safety measures include issuing an audible and / or visual alarm or signal; issuing an electronic notification; directing a valve body actuator to adjust the position of the valve body to limit or block the flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator; and / or closing a safety input valve that controls the flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator.

[0025] A method controls a dynamic test system, the system including a test station and at least one controller. The test station includes a hydraulic actuator and a control valve, the hydraulic actuator being configured to drive actuation of a test object using a hydraulic fluid flow. The control valve includes a housing, a valve body contained within the housing, a valve body driver, and a valve position sensor, the valve body having a position to control the flow and direction of the hydraulic fluid flow, the valve body driver being configured to adjust the position of the valve body based on a reference signal, and the valve position sensor being configured to output a position signal indicating the position of the valve body. In the method performed by at least one controller, a current position of the valve body is obtained using the position signal, and a diagnostic reference is obtained. A diagnostic condition is detected based on a difference between the current position and the diagnostic reference, and a diagnostic signal indicating the detected diagnostic condition is generated.

[0026] In some embodiments, the hydraulic actuator includes a cylinder and an actuator rod including a piston contained within the cylinder, and movement of the piston and actuator rod relative to the cylinder drives the actuation.

[0027] In some embodiments, the housing of the control valve includes: an inlet port connected to a supply source of high-pressure hydraulic fluid; an outlet port connected to a low-pressure return reservoir; a first port connected to a first working volume formed by an inner cavity of the cylinder and a piston; and a second port connected to a second working volume formed by the inner cavity of the cylinder and the piston.

[0028] In some embodiments, the position of the valve body directs hydraulic fluid flow received at the inlet port to one or neither of the first port and the second port and controls the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid flow.

[0029] In some embodiments, the test station includes an actuation sensor configured to generate a feedback signal indicative of an actuation parameter, and the method includes generating a control reference signal corresponding to a desired actuation based on a test program and generating an actuator command signal based on a difference between the control reference signal and the feedback signal. In some embodiments, the actuator command signal is used to command a valve body driver to adjust a position of the valve body.

[0030] In some embodiments, the diagnostic reference includes a maximum velocity of the actuator rod.

[0031] In some embodiments, the diagnostic reference includes an actuation parameter related to the feedback signal.

[0032] In some embodiments, the actuation sensor comprises a displacement sensor, the feedback signal indicates a direction or speed of movement of the actuator rod relative to the cylinder, and the actuation parameter is related to the direction or speed of movement indicated by the feedback signal.

[0033] In some embodiments, the actuation sensor comprises a load cell, the feedback signal is indicative of a force applied by the actuator, and the actuation parameter is related to the force indicated by the feedback signal.

[0034] In some embodiments, the diagnostic condition includes a displacement sensor failure, an actuation sensor failure, or a hydraulic fluid leak.

[0035] In some embodiments, the current position of the valve body is obtained by at least one controller during execution of a test routine at the test station, and the diagnostic reference includes an expected position of the valve body based on at least one previous execution of the test routine.

[0036] In some embodiments, the expected position of the valve body is obtained based on a map of the position of the valve body over time during at least one previous execution of a test program stored in a computer readable medium.

[0037] In some embodiments, the method includes using at least one controller to form the mapping, including: generating multiple actuator command signals within a test period during execution of the test program, obtaining multiple positions of the valve body within the test period, forming a map of the positions within the test period, and storing the map in a computer-readable medium.

[0038] In some embodiments, the valve body actuator includes a servo or a solenoid, and the valve body includes a spool or a piston.

[0039] In some embodiments, the method includes executing a safety measure when the difference satisfies a threshold condition.

[0040] In some embodiments, the safety measures include issuing an audible and / or visual alarm or signal; issuing an electronic notification; directing a valve body actuator to adjust the position of the valve body to limit or block the flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator; and / or closing a safety input valve that controls the flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator.

[0041] Another embodiment of a dynamic test system includes a test station and at least one controller. The test station includes: a plurality of hydraulic actuators, each of which is configured to receive a hydraulic fluid flow and drive actuation of a test object using the hydraulic fluid flow during testing; and a plurality of control valves, each of which corresponds to one of the hydraulic actuators. Each control valve includes a housing, a valve body contained within the housing, a valve body driver, and a valve position sensor, the valve body having a position that controls the flow and direction of the corresponding hydraulic fluid flow, the valve body driver being configured to adjust the position of the valve body based on a reference signal, and the valve position sensor being configured to output a position signal indicating the position of the valve body. At least one controller is configured to obtain a current position of the valve body of each control valve using the corresponding position signal at a time during execution of a test program; estimate a total flow of the hydraulic fluid flow at that time based on the obtained current position of the control valve; obtain an expected total flow corresponding to the time based on at least one previous execution of the test program; and detect a diagnostic condition based on a difference between the estimated total flow and the expected total flow; and generate a diagnostic signal indicating the detected diagnostic condition.

[0042] In some embodiments, the system includes a map of total flow rates of hydraulic fluid flow during at least one previous execution of the test routine, and the expected total flow rate corresponds to the total flow rate indicated by the map at that time.

[0043] In some embodiments, at least one controller is configured to obtain an expected total flow corresponding to the time using a process comprising: for each control valve, obtaining an expected position of the valve body corresponding to the time based on at least one previous execution of a test procedure; and calculating an expected total flow of the hydraulic fluid flow based on the sum of these expected positions.

[0044] In some embodiments, each hydraulic actuator includes a cylinder and an actuator rod including a piston contained within the cylinder, and movement of the piston and actuator rod relative to the cylinder drives the actuation.

[0045] In some embodiments, the housing of each control valve includes: an inlet port connected to a supply source of high-pressure hydraulic fluid; an outlet port connected to a low-pressure return reservoir; a first port connected to a first working volume formed by an inner cavity of the cylinder and a piston; and a second port connected to a second working volume formed by the inner cavity of the cylinder and the piston.

[0046] In some embodiments, for each control valve, a position of the valve body directs hydraulic fluid flow received at the inlet port to one or none of the first and second ports and controls a flow rate of the hydraulic fluid flow.

[0047] In some embodiments, each hydraulic actuator includes a corresponding actuation sensor configured to generate a feedback signal indicating a parameter of the corresponding actuation, and at least one controller is configured to generate a control reference signal corresponding to the desired actuation for each control valve based on a test procedure by the corresponding controller, and for each control reference signal, generate an actuator command signal based on a difference between the control reference signal and the corresponding feedback signal. Each actuator command signal instructs the corresponding valve body driver to adjust the position of the valve body.

[0048] In some embodiments, at least one controller is configured to execute a safety measure when the difference satisfies a threshold condition.

[0049] In some embodiments, the safety measures include issuing an audible and / or visual alarm or signal; issuing an electronic notification; directing a valve body driver to adjust the position of a corresponding valve body to limit or block the flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator; and / or closing a safety input valve that controls the flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator.

[0050] Another method controls a dynamic test system, the system including a test station and at least one controller. The test station includes: a plurality of hydraulic actuators, each hydraulic actuator configured to receive a hydraulic fluid flow and drive actuation of a test object using the hydraulic fluid flow during testing; and a plurality of control valves, each control valve corresponding to one of the hydraulic actuators. Each control valve includes a housing, a valve body contained within the housing, a valve body driver, and a valve position sensor, the valve body having a position that controls the flow and direction of the corresponding hydraulic fluid flow, the valve body driver configured to adjust the position of the valve body based on a reference signal, and the valve position sensor configured to output a position signal indicating the position of the valve body. The method is performed by at least one controller and includes: obtaining a current position of the valve body of each control valve at a time using the corresponding position signal; estimating a total flow of the hydraulic fluid flow at the time based on the obtained current position of the control valve; obtaining an expected total flow corresponding to the time based on at least one previous execution of a test procedure; detecting a diagnostic condition based on a difference between the estimated total flow and the expected total flow; and generating a diagnostic signal indicating the detected diagnostic condition.

[0051] In some embodiments, the system includes a map of total flow rates of hydraulic fluid flow during at least one previous execution of the test routine, and the expected total flow rate corresponds to the total flow rate indicated by the map at that time.

[0052] In some embodiments, obtaining the expected total flow corresponding to the time includes: for each control valve, obtaining an expected position of the valve body corresponding to the time based on at least one previous execution of the test procedure; and calculating the expected total flow of the hydraulic fluid based on the sum of these expected positions.

[0053] In some embodiments, each hydraulic actuator includes a cylinder and an actuator rod including a piston contained within the cylinder, wherein movement of the piston and actuator rod relative to the cylinder drives the actuation.

[0054] In some embodiments, the housing of each control valve includes: an inlet port coupled to a supply source of high-pressure hydraulic fluid; an outlet port coupled to a low-pressure return reservoir; a first port coupled to a first working volume formed by an inner cavity of the cylinder and a piston; and a second port coupled to a second working volume formed by the inner cavity of the cylinder and the piston. For each control valve, the position of the valve body directs the flow of hydraulic fluid received at the inlet port to one of the first port and the second port or not to any of the first port and the second port and controls the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid flow.

[0055] In some embodiments, each hydraulic actuator includes a corresponding actuation sensor configured to generate a feedback signal indicative of a parameter of the corresponding actuation.

[0056] In some embodiments, at least one controller is configured to generate a control reference signal corresponding to a desired actuation for each control valve based on a test procedure by a corresponding controller, and generate an actuator command signal for each control reference signal based on a difference between the control reference signal and a corresponding feedback signal. Each actuator command signal instructs a corresponding valve body driver to adjust a position of a valve body.

[0057] In some embodiments, the method includes executing a safety measure when the difference satisfies a threshold condition.

[0058] In some embodiments, the safety measures include issuing an audible and / or visual alarm or signal; issuing an electronic notification; directing a valve body driver to adjust the position of a corresponding valve body to limit or block the flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator; and / or closing a safety input valve that controls the flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator.

[0059] This summary is provided to introduce selected concepts in a simplified form, which are further described in the detailed description below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to help determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all of the disadvantages noted in the background technology. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0060] Figure 1 is a simplified diagram of an example of a dynamic testing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] Figure 2 and Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an example of a test station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] Figure 4 is a simplified diagram illustrating diagnostic functions that may be performed using a valve body position signal in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating a diagnosis method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] Figure 6 is a graph showing a pattern of valve body position changes over time during execution of a test routine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for forming a mapping according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating a method of controlling a dynamic test system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0067] Fig. 9 is a simplified diagram of an example of a controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Elements identified with the same or similar reference characters refer to the same or similar elements. However, different embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in many different forms, and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and the scope of the present disclosure will be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art.

[0069] The functions described herein may be performed by a single controller, multiple controllers, or at least one controller. As used herein, when describing one or more functions being performed by a "controller", such as a specific controller, one or more controllers, or at least one controller, embodiments include performing the (these) functions by a single controller or processor or multiple controllers or processors, unless otherwise specified. In addition, as used herein, when multiple functions are performed by at least one controller, all functions may be performed by a single controller, or some functions may be performed by one controller and other functions may be performed by another controller. Therefore, at least one controller performing one or more functions does not require each controller to perform all functions.

[0070] Figure 1 is a simplified diagram of an example of a dynamic test system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The test system 100 may include one or more test stations 102, each of which may be configured to perform a test or condition simulation by applying forces and / or displacements to a test object 103 (e.g., a car, a building, etc.) using a hydraulic actuator 104 driven by a flow of hydraulic fluid 107.

[0071] The flow 107 may be provided based on a hydraulic fluid flow 108 generated by one or more hydraulic power units (HPUs) 110. The system 100 may include a reservoir 116 that stores pressurized hydraulic fluid received from the HPU 110 and discharges a hydraulic fluid flow 118 that may be used to form the flow 107 supplied to the test station 102. The system 100 may include a distributor 120 that receives the hydraulic fluid flow from the HPU 110 and / or the reservoir 116 and distributes the hydraulic fluid flow 107 to the test station 102. Other configurations of the system 100 may be used to supply the desired hydraulic fluid flow 107 to the test station 102.

[0072] The system 100 may be a closed system in which, for example, a low pressure hydraulic fluid flow 107 ′ (such as a combined return flow 124 ) exhausted from the test station 102 is returned back to the HPU 110 via the hydraulic distribution system 120 .

[0073] The system controller 126 may be operable to control various aspects of the system 100 , including the functioning of the HPU 110 , valves (eg, accumulator and / or distributor valves), and / or other aspects of the system 100 to supply the desired flow of hydraulic fluid 107 to the test station 102 .

[0074] Figure 2 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a test station 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As described above, the test station 102 includes a plurality of hydraulic actuators 104, such as hydraulic actuators 104A-D, which are configured to apply force to and / or drive motion of a test object 103. Each of the hydraulic actuators 104A-D is driven by a corresponding flow portion 106A-D of a hydraulic fluid flow 107, which is driven by a hydraulic power unit 110 ( Figure 1 ) is generated by one or more of the following.

[0075] Each test station 102 may include a test station controller 130 that is generally configured to perform tests on the test object 103 based on the execution of a test program stored, for example, in a non-transitory computer readable medium. In response to the execution of the test program, the test station controller 130 controls the hydraulic fluid flows 106A-D using corresponding control valves 132 to control the actuators 104 to apply force and / or motion to the test object 103 in a conventional manner.

[0076] Computing device 134 may be configured to generate a graphical user interface through which a user may interact with and / or control test station 102 , such as through a series of communications with test station controller 130 , control execution of test programs, view data, and / or perform other tasks.

[0077] One or more safety input valves 136 (e.g., solenoid valves) may control the flow of high pressure hydraulic fluid 107 to the test station 102, such as in response to a control signal from the test station controller 130, the system controller 126, or another suitable device (e.g., an emergency stop device). Each safety input valve 136 has a fully open state that provides a substantially unrestricted path for the flow of hydraulic fluid 107 to flow to the test station 102. The valves 136 also have a closed or substantially closed state in which the valves 136 block or substantially block the flow of hydraulic fluid 107 to the test station 102. The solenoids of the valves 136 may have a default or de-energized state corresponding to the closed or substantially closed state.

[0078] When the safety input valve 136 is in a substantially closed state, the opening in the valve 136 allows the hydraulic fluid stream 107 to flow to the test station 102. However, the flow rate of the stream 106 is significantly restricted. Regardless of the setting of the control valve 132, this limits the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid 107 to the test station 102 and the actuator 104, thereby limiting the movement speed of the actuator 104.

[0079] For example, in response to detecting a fault, or before an operator enters the test area where the actuator 104 and the test object 103 are located, the safety input valve 136 can be set to a substantially closed state by the test station controller 130, the system controller 126, or another controller of the system 100. Thus, one or more safety input valves 136 provide a certain level of safety for the test station 102.

[0080] Figure 3 1 is a simplified diagram of an example of a test station 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As discussed above, the test station 102 includes a test station controller 130 and at least one hydraulic actuator 104 and its corresponding control valve 132. Figure 3 Only one pair of hydraulic actuators 104 and control valves 132 are shown in the figure to simplify the description, but it should be understood that the test station 102 may include two or more actuators 104 and corresponding control valves 132, such as Figure 2 shown.

[0081] The control valve 132 of each hydraulic actuator 104 operates to control the flow rate (e.g., gallons per minute) of hydraulic fluid flow 106 received from a high pressure source (e.g., HPU 110) 137 to the actuator 104, and the discharge of flow 107' to a low pressure reservoir 138 (e.g., a reservoir returning to the HPU 110). In addition, the control valve 132 controls the direction of flow through the hydraulic actuator 104 to control the actuation applied to the test object 130.

[0082] In one example, the hydraulic actuator 104 includes a cylinder 140 and an actuator rod 142 having a piston 144 contained within the cylinder 140. The cylinder 140 includes a first port 146 and a second port 148 through which the hydraulic fluid stream 106 flows. The valve 132 controls the direction of the hydraulic fluid stream 106 flowing through the first port 146 and the second port 148 to control the movement direction of the actuator rod 142 and the movement speed of the actuator rod 142 relative to the cylinder 140 based on the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid stream 106.

[0083] The control valve 132 may take any suitable form. Examples of the control valve 132 include a servo valve or a solenoid valve configured to provide the variable flow and direction control described above. Figure 3As shown, the control valve 103 generally includes an electronic device 150, a valve body 152, and a valve body actuator 154. The valve body 152 has an adjustable position to control the direction and flow of the hydraulic fluid flow 106. The electronic device 150 is configured to control the valve body actuator 154 in response to an actuator command signal 156 to adjust the position of the valve body 152. For example, the valve body 152 can take the form of a spool valve, and the valve body actuator 154 can take the form of a servo. An example of this type of control valve 132 is described in U.S. Publication No. 2016 / 0123355.

[0084] In some embodiments, the control valve 132 includes a position sensor 158 configured to detect a position of the valve body 152, such as relative to a housing 160 of the valve 132. The electronic device 150 is configured to output a position signal 162 that indicates the detected position of the valve body 152, thereby indicating the amount and direction of the flow 106 flowing through the valve 132. As discussed below, the position signal 162 can be used to facilitate various diagnostics of the system 100, such as diagnosing the valve 132, the corresponding hydraulic actuator 104, and the test station 102.

[0085] During execution of a test procedure, the test station controller 130 issues a reference signal 164 related to a desired actuation to be performed by the hydraulic actuator 104 on the test object 103. Each actuator 104 includes an actuation sensor 166 configured to sense a parameter (e.g., displacement and / or force) of the actuation performed by the actuator 104 and to issue a feedback signal 168 indicative of the sensed parameter. The actuation sensor 166 may include, for example: a displacement sensor 166A, such as a linear variable differential transformer, configured to detect displacement and / or movement of the actuator rod 142 relative to the cylinder 140 and generate a feedback signal 168A indicative of the detected displacement and / or movement; and / or a load cell 166B, configured to detect a force applied by the actuator 104 (e.g., a force applied by the actuator rod 142 to the test object 103) and generate a feedback signal 168B indicative of the detected force, such as a linear variable differential transformer. Figure 3 Conventional regulator circuit 169 may be used to process signals 168A and / or 168B (eg, amplify, filter, etc.) to produce final feedback signal 168 .

[0086] The actuator controller 170 is configured to compare the reference signal 164 with the feedback signal 168 corresponding to each actuator 104 and issue a differential signal as the command signal 156 for the corresponding control valve 132. Figure 31 as receiving a single reference signal 164 and issuing a single command signal 156 corresponding to the depicted actuator 104 , the actuator controller 170 may be configured to receive multiple reference signals 164 and corresponding feedback signals 168 for each hydraulic actuator 104 of the test station 102 from the test station controller 130 and issue the command signal 156 to control the valve 132 .

[0087] Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to using the position signal 162 issued by the control valve 132 to perform dynamic testing of system diagnostics. Figure 4 1 is a simplified diagram illustrating diagnostic functions that may be performed using the valve body position signal 162 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The diagnostic controller 180 represents at least one controller of the system 100, such as the system controller 126, the test station controller 130, and / or a separate controller of the system 100. The diagnostic controller 180 is generally configured to perform Figure 5 Although the illustrated method relates to diagnostics performed based on the valve body position of a single control valve 132 , it should be understood that the diagnostic controller 180 may be configured to perform the method for multiple valves 132 .

[0088] At 182 of the method, the diagnostic controller 180 obtains a current position 184 of the valve body 152 of the valve 132, and at 186, the diagnostic controller 180 obtains a diagnostic reference 188. In some embodiments, the diagnostic controller 180 receives and possibly processes the corresponding position signal 162 ( Figure 3 ), or by accessing the current position 184 from a memory of the system 100 (e.g., after the position signal 162 has been received and processed by a controller of the system 100). The diagnostic controller 180 may obtain the diagnostic reference 188 from the memory of the system 100. As used herein, "memory" corresponds to a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0089] The current position 184 may take the form of a value obtained after processing the corresponding position signal 162. For example, since the position signal 162 indicates the position (value) of the valve body 152 relative to the housing 160 and is directly related to the flow rate of the stream 106, it may be beneficial to convert the position of the valve body 152 into a value representing the flow rate, a value representing the speed of the actuator rod 142 of the corresponding actuator 104, or other values ​​that allow comparison with the value of the diagnostic reference 188. Therefore, the position 184 may take these or other suitable forms.

[0090] At 190 of the method, the diagnostic controller 180 detects a diagnostic condition based on a difference between the current position 184 and the diagnostic reference 188. At 192 of the method, the diagnostic controller 180 generates one or more diagnostic signals 194 indicative of the detected diagnostic condition, such as Figure 4 shown.

[0091] In some embodiments, the diagnostic signal 194 indicates the corresponding valve 132 and / or hydraulic actuator 104. This can be achieved by, for example, including one or more identification codes in the signal 194, or based on the channel (e.g., the channel of the multiplexer) transmitting the diagnostic signal 194. Therefore, the signal 194 can allow a technician to easily pinpoint a fault, thereby saving time to correct the fault and reducing downtime of the test station 102.

[0092] The detected diagnostic condition may indicate a fault, such as when the difference satisfies a threshold condition, such as being greater than, equal to, or less than a predefined value. The fault may be related to: a hydraulic fluid leak at the valve 132, the hydraulic actuator 104, or another location along the path of the flow 106; an operational fault of the position sensor 158 and / or the actuation sensor 166; an operational fault of the valve electronics 150; a fault in the actuation performed by the hydraulic actuator 104; and / or other faults.

[0093] In some embodiments, when the diagnostic condition indicates a fault, the controller of the system 100 performs one or more safety measures. Examples of safety measures include fault notification, such as through an audible and / or visual alarm or signal, issuing an electronic message, or other notification. Safety measures may include actions to prevent further operation of the hydraulic actuator 104 and / or the test station 102. For example, the actuator controller 170 may issue an actuator command 156 that indicates the position of the valve body 152 to limit or block the flow of hydraulic fluid 106 to the actuator 104 and reduce the flow of flow 106 to zero or near zero (e.g., less than 0.5 gallons per minute) to clamp or substantially clamp the actuator rod 142 in its current position relative to the housing 140 and stop actuation. The controller of the system 100 may also close one or more safety input valves 136 to limit the flow of hydraulic fluid 106 to the test station 102. Other safety measures may also be employed.

[0094] Because the current position 184 of the valve body 152 indicates the direction and amount of hydraulic fluid 106 flowing through the valve 132 and the hydraulic actuator 104 at a given hydraulic fluid pressure (e.g., 3000 psi), there is a correlation between the current position 184 of the valve body 152 and one or more parameters of the actuation performed by the hydraulic actuator 104, such as the direction and speed of movement of the actuator rod 142 relative to the cylinder 140, and / or the force applied by the hydraulic actuator 104. Therefore, in one embodiment, the diagnostic reference 188 includes an expected actuation parameter 188A corresponding to the valve body position 184.

[0095] In one example, for a given valve body position 184, the actuation reference 188A indicates expected actuation parameters, such as an expected speed and / or direction of movement of the actuator rod 142 relative to the cylinder 140, or an expected force applied by the hydraulic actuator 104. These actuation parameters can be determined based on parameters of the hydraulic actuator (e.g., the cross-sectional area of ​​the cylinder 140 or piston 144) and the pressure of the fluid stream 106. The expected actuation parameters 188A can be determined by real-time calculation or using a mapping of the expected actuation parameters 188A to the position of the valve body 152 stored in memory and accessible by the diagnostic controller 180.

[0096] A diagnostic condition may be detected (step 190) based on a difference between the expected actuation parameter 188A and the feedback signal 168 associated with the corresponding actual actuation parameter detected or measured by the actuation sensor 166. When the difference satisfies a threshold condition, the diagnostic condition may indicate a fault, such as a hydraulic fluid leak, a position sensor 158 failure, and / or an actuation sensor 166 failure.

[0097] When the expected actuation parameter 188A is related to the feedback signal 166A and indicates a direction or speed of movement of the actuator rod 142 relative to the cylinder 140, the diagnostic controller 180 may determine the difference between the measured actuation parameter and the expected direction and / or movement of the actuator rod 142 indicated by the actuation reference 188A to detect a diagnostic condition in step 190. A diagnostic signal 194 indicative of the detected diagnostic condition may then be generated in step 192. If the difference exceeds a threshold condition, the diagnostic signal 194 may indicate a fault related to a hydraulic fluid leak, a fault of the position sensor 158, a fault of the displacement sensor 166B, a fault of the valve electronics 150, and / or other faults. For example, if the speed indicated by the feedback signal 166A is lower than the expected speed 188A by a predefined amount, this may indicate that the hydraulic fluid may be leaking and / or other faults are present.

[0098] When the expected actuation parameter 188A is related to the feedback signal 166B and indicates the force applied by the hydraulic actuator, the diagnostic controller 180 can determine the difference between the measured force and the expected force indicated by the actuation reference 188A to detect a diagnostic condition in step 190. A diagnostic signal indicative of the detected diagnostic condition can then be generated in step 192. A diagnostic signal 194 indicative of the detected diagnostic condition can then be generated in step 192. If the difference exceeds a threshold condition, the diagnostic signal 194 can indicate a fault related to a hydraulic fluid leak, a fault of the position sensor 158, a fault of the load cell 166B, a fault of the valve electronics 150, and / or other faults. For example, if the force indicated by the feedback signal 166B is lower than the expected force 188A by a predefined amount, this tends to indicate that the hydraulic fluid may be leaking and / or other faults are present.

[0099] The diagnostic reference 188 may include a maximum speed 188B of the actuator rod 142 relative to the cylinder 140 stored in memory. The maximum speed 188B is directly related to the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid stream 106 and the parameters of the hydraulic actuator, such as the cross-sectional area of ​​the cylinder 140 or the piston 144. Thus, for example, the maximum speed 188B diagnostic reference may take the form of a value corresponding to a speed limit of the actuator rod 142 or a flow rate of the hydraulic fluid stream.

[0100] The maximum speed 188B may be set by a user and stored in memory based on parameters of the hydraulic actuator 104 (e.g., speed and / or force limits), the position of the hydraulic actuator 104 or the function performed thereby, and / or the state of the test station 102. For example, the maximum speed 188B may have a higher setting when the test station 102 is executing a test procedure, and a relatively lower setting (e.g., less than about 10-15 mm / sec or a corresponding flow rate) when a worker is located near the hydraulic actuator 104.

[0101] A diagnostic condition may be detected based on a difference between the maximum speed 188B and the valve body position 184 (step 190). The maximum speed 188B and / or the valve body position 184 may be converted as needed to allow for a direct comparison of these values ​​so that a difference may be determined. When the difference satisfies a threshold condition, such as when the valve body position 184 indicates a speed that matches or exceeds the maximum speed 188B diagnostic reference, a diagnostic signal 194 may indicate an overspeed fault of the hydraulic actuator 104. The controller of the system 100 may then execute a safety measure, as discussed above, to stop or limit movement of the actuator stem 142.

[0102] According to another embodiment, an expected position 188C diagnostic reference associated with an expected position of the valve body 152 and an expected flow rate of the hydraulic fluid flow 106 through one valve 132 of the test station 102 at a given time during the execution of the test procedure is used to detect a diagnostic condition. When the difference between the current valve body position 184 and the expected position 188C satisfies a threshold condition, a diagnostic condition, such as a hydraulic fluid leak, may be detected (step 190). For example, when the current valve body position 184 indicates a flow rate of the hydraulic fluid flow 106 that is greater than the flow rate indicated by the expected position 188C by a predefined threshold, this may indicate that there is a hydraulic fluid leak in the path through the valve 132 and the hydraulic actuator 104.

[0103] Various techniques may be used to obtain the expected position 188C (step 186). In one embodiment, the expected position 188C is obtained based on one or more previous executions of the test program.

[0104] During the execution of the test procedure, the position of the valve body 152 of each valve 132 of the test station 102 is adjusted over time in response to the actuation command 156 to adjust the flow and direction of the hydraulic fluid flow 106 and cause the corresponding hydraulic actuator 104 to perform the desired actuation on the test object 103. Since the test station may repeat the test procedure many times, unless a serious failure occurs, the valve body 152 of each valve 132 will generally repeat a certain position pattern during the time period of executing the test procedure. Figure 6 An example of such a pattern 196 of the position 184 of the valve body 152 of the control valve 132 over time during execution of a test routine is shown.

[0105] In some embodiments, a map of the pattern 196 of valve body position 184 over a test period is formed so that an expected valve body position 188C can be obtained in method step 186. The map is stored in a memory and can take any suitable form.

[0106] In one example, the map includes a series of samples of the valve body position 184 in the pattern 196 at different times during execution of the test. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for forming a mapping according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0107] In the method 200, a plurality of command signals 156 are generated during a test period during execution of a test procedure. As described above, the command signals 156 control the position of the valve body 152, thereby controlling the actuation performed by the hydraulic actuator 104. In 202, a plurality of positions 184 of the valve body 152 are obtained during the test period, such as based on the position signal 162 from the position sensor 158. In 204, the plurality of obtained positions 184 are then mapped during the test period, and the mapping is stored in a memory in 206.

[0108] Therefore, method step 186 ( Figure 5 ) includes the diagnostic controller 180 at a given time t during execution of the test program 1 The valve body position is obtained 184. In 186, with time t 1 The corresponding expected position is 188C P 1 is obtained from the mapping, such as Figure 6 Generate a diagnostic signal 194 (step 192) indicating a diagnostic condition based on the current position 184 and the expected position 188C (P 1 ) to detect the difference between them (step 190).

[0109] As described above, when the difference satisfies a threshold condition (e.g., is greater than a predefined threshold amount), the diagnostic condition may be a fault, such as a leak in the fluid path through the valve 132 and the corresponding hydraulic actuator 194. When the diagnostic signal 194 indicates a fault, the system controller 126 or another controller of the system 100 may execute a safety measure, such as one or more of the safety measures described above. For example, the safety measure may include closing the safety input valve 136, and / or issuing the actuator command signal 156 to adjust the valve body 152 to a position that blocks or substantially blocks the flow 106 from flowing through the valve 132.

[0110] Additional embodiments of the present disclosure relate to determining a flow of hydraulic fluid 106 (eg, Figure 2 The estimated total flow of the flows 106A-D in FIG. 106A-D) and the expected total flow 188D diagnostic reference ( corresponding to the expected total flow of the hydraulic fluid flow 106 at that time) are shown in FIG. Figure 4 ) to detect faults in the test station 102, such as leakage of hydraulic fluid.

[0111] Figure 8 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method executed by the diagnostic controller 180 to control the system 100, such as the test station 102 of the system 100, according to this embodiment of the present disclosure that may be executed by the system 100. At some time during the execution of the test procedure, the current position 184 of the control valve 132 of the test station 102 is obtained using the diagnostic controller 180. At 212, the total flow of the hydraulic fluid stream 106 flowing through the control valve 132 at that time is estimated.

[0112] As used herein, an estimated total flow rate may be a value indicative of or related to the sum of the flow rates of the hydraulic fluid 106 flowing through the various control valves 132 or the hydraulic fluid 107 input to the test station 102. In one embodiment, the estimated total flow rate of the hydraulic fluid 106 flowing through the control valves 132 at that time is determined based on the current position 184 of the corresponding valve body 152 at that time, which may be indicated by the corresponding position signal 162. In one example, the estimated total flow rate may be determined based on the sum of the current positions 184 at that time, which may be calculated by the diagnostic controller 180.

[0113] At 214 of the method, the diagnostic controller 180 obtains the expected total flow 188D, such as from a memory of the system 100. In some embodiments, the expected total flow 188D is determined based on one or more previous executions of the test program. In one example, the expected total flow 188D can be obtained or represented by a total flow map of the flow 107 flowing to the test station 102 over time during the execution of the test program. The total flow map can be stored in a memory accessible to the diagnostic controller 180.

[0114] In some embodiments, the system 100 may include a flow meter 210 configured to measure the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid flow 107 flowing through the test station 102, such as Figure 2 For example, the total flow map may be established by sampling the measured flow of the hydraulic fluid flow 107 during execution of the test procedure.

[0115] In another example, the expected total flow 188D may be determined based on a map of the pattern 196 of the valve body position 184 during one or more previous executions of the test discussed above. Here, the expected position maps may be added together to form a total flow map, or the diagnostic controller 180 may use the expected position maps to obtain the expected position of each valve body 152 at that time. The diagnostic controller 180 may then add the expected positions together to obtain the expected total flow 188D at that time in step 214.

[0116] At 216, a diagnostic condition is detected based on the difference between the estimated total flow and the expected total flow, and a diagnostic signal 194 is generated at 218 indicating the diagnostic condition. When the difference satisfies a threshold condition (e.g., is greater than a predefined threshold amount), the diagnostic condition may be a fault, such as a leak in the fluid path through the valve 132 and the corresponding hydraulic actuator 194. When the diagnostic signal 194 indicates a fault, the system controller 126 or another controller of the system 100 may perform a safety measure, such as one or more of the safety measures described above. For example, the safety measure may include closing the safety input valve 136, and / or issuing the actuator command signal 156 to adjust the valve body 152 to a position that blocks or substantially blocks the flow 106 through the valve 132.

[0117] The controller of the system 100 (e.g., the system controller 126, the test station controller 130, the actuator controller 170, the diagnostic controller 180, the valve electronics 150, etc.) can take any suitable form to control the various functions described herein. In one example, the controller of the system 100 can take the form of Fig. 9 The example controller 220 is shown in the form of an example controller 220. The controller 220 may include one or more processors 222 and a memory 224, which may be a local memory or a memory accessible to the controller 220. The one or more processors 222 are configured to perform various functions described herein in response to executing instructions (such as a test program) contained in the memory 224.

[0118] The one or more processors 222 may be components of one or more computer-based systems and may include one or more control circuits, a microprocessor-based engine control system, and / or one or more programmable hardware components, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The memory 224 represents a local and / or remote memory or computer-readable medium. As used herein, such a memory 224 includes any suitable computer-readable medium that complies with the subject matter of the patent, and does not include transient waves or signals. Examples of the memory 224 include conventional data storage devices, such as hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, and / or other suitable data storage devices. The controller 220 may include a circuit system 226 for receiving input signals 228 (e.g., sensor signals), issuing control signals 230 (e.g., signals 156, 164, etc.), and / or transmitting data 232, for use by the one or more processors 222, such as in response to executing instructions stored in the memory 224 by the one or more processors 222. Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A dynamic testing system, comprising: A test station, the test station comprising: a hydraulic actuator configured to drive actuation of a test object using a flow of hydraulic fluid; and A control valve, the control valve comprising: case; a valve body contained within the housing, the valve body having a position for controlling the rate and direction of flow of the hydraulic fluid; a valve body driver configured to adjust a position of the valve body based on a reference signal; and a valve position sensor configured to output a position signal indicative of a position of the valve body; and At least one controller, the at least one controller being configured to: Using the position signal to obtain the current position of the valve body; Obtain diagnostic references; detecting a diagnostic condition based on a difference between the current position and the diagnostic reference; and A diagnostic signal is generated indicative of the detected diagnostic condition.

2. The dynamic testing system according to claim 1, wherein: The hydraulic actuator comprises: cylinder; and an actuator rod including a piston contained within the cylinder; wherein movement of the piston and the actuator rod relative to the cylinder drives the actuation; The housing of the control valve comprises: an inlet port coupled to a supply of high pressure hydraulic fluid; an outlet port coupled to a low pressure reflux reservoir; a first port coupled to a first working volume formed by an inner cavity of the cylinder and the piston; and a second port coupled to a second working volume formed by an inner cavity of the cylinder and the piston; and a position of the valve body directs the hydraulic fluid flow received at the inlet port to one of the first port and the second port or not to any of the first port and the second port, and controls the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid flow.

3. The dynamic testing system according to claim 2, wherein: The test station includes an actuation sensor configured to generate a feedback signal indicative of a parameter of the actuation; The at least one controller is configured to: generating a control reference signal corresponding to a desired actuation based on a test procedure; as well as generating an actuator command signal based on a difference between the control reference signal and the feedback signal; and The actuator command signal instructs the valve body driver to adjust the position of the valve body.

4. The dynamic testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The diagnostic reference includes a maximum speed of the actuator rod.

5. The dynamic testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The diagnostic reference includes an actuation parameter related to the feedback signal.

6. The dynamic testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The actuation sensor comprises a displacement sensor; The feedback signal indicates the direction or speed of movement of the actuator rod relative to the cylinder; and The actuation parameter is related to the direction or speed of movement indicated by the feedback signal.

7. The dynamic testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The actuation sensor comprises a force sensor; The feedback signal is indicative of a force applied by the actuator; and The actuation parameter is related to a force indicated by the feedback signal.

8. The dynamic testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The diagnostic conditions include a displacement sensor failure, an actuation sensor failure, or a hydraulic fluid leak.

9. The dynamic testing system according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein: The current position of the valve body is obtained by the at least one controller during execution of a test procedure at the test station; and The diagnostic reference includes an expected position of the valve body, the expected position being based on at least one previous execution of the test procedure.

10. The dynamic testing system according to claim 9, wherein: The expected position of the valve body is obtained based on a map of the position of the valve body over time during at least one previous execution of the test program stored in a computer readable medium.

11. The dynamic testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The valve body actuator includes a servo or a solenoid, and the valve body includes a spool or a piston.

12. The dynamic testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The at least one controller is configured to execute a safety measure when the difference satisfies a threshold condition; and The safety measures include: sounding audible and / or visual alarms or signals; Issue electronic notices; commanding the valve body actuator to adjust the position of the valve body to restrict or block the flow of the hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator; and / or A relief input valve controlling the flow of the hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator is closed.

13. A control method for a dynamic test system, the system comprising: A test station, the test station comprising: a hydraulic actuator configured to drive actuation of a test object using a flow of hydraulic fluid; and A control valve, the control valve comprising: case; a valve body contained within the housing, the valve body having a position for controlling the rate and direction of flow of the hydraulic fluid; a valve body driver configured to adjust a position of the valve body based on a reference signal; and a valve position sensor configured to output a position signal indicative of a position of the valve body; and at least one controller, The method is performed by the at least one controller and comprises: Using the position signal to obtain the current position of the valve body; Obtain diagnostic references; detecting a diagnostic condition based on a difference between the current position and the diagnostic reference; and A diagnostic signal is generated indicative of the detected diagnostic condition.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The hydraulic actuator comprises: cylinder; and an actuator rod including a piston contained within the cylinder; wherein movement of the piston and the actuator rod relative to the cylinder drives the actuation; The housing of the control valve comprises: an inlet port coupled to a supply of high pressure hydraulic fluid; an outlet port coupled to a low pressure reflux reservoir; a first port coupled to a first working volume formed by an inner cavity of the cylinder and the piston; and a second port coupled to a second working volume formed by an inner cavity of the cylinder and the piston; and a position of the valve body directs the hydraulic fluid flow received at the inlet port to one of the first port and the second port or not to any of the first port and the second port, and controls the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid flow.

15. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 14, wherein: The test station includes an actuation sensor configured to generate a feedback signal indicative of a parameter of the actuation; and The method comprises: generating a control reference signal corresponding to the desired actuation based on the test procedure; and generating an actuator command signal based on a difference between the control reference signal and the feedback signal, The actuator command signal is used to instruct the valve body driver to adjust the position of the valve body.

16. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 15, wherein: The diagnostic reference includes a maximum speed of the actuator rod.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 15, wherein: The diagnostic reference includes an actuation parameter related to the feedback signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein: The actuation sensor comprises a displacement sensor; The feedback signal indicates the direction or speed of movement of the actuator rod relative to the cylinder; and The actuation parameter is related to the direction or speed of movement indicated by the feedback signal.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein: The actuation sensor comprises a force sensor; The feedback signal is indicative of a force applied by the actuator; and The actuation parameter is related to a force indicated by the feedback signal.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein: The current position of the valve body is obtained by the at least one controller during execution of a test procedure at the test station; and The diagnostic reference includes an expected position of the valve body, the expected position being based on at least one previous execution of the test procedure.

21. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The method comprises: executing a safety measure when the difference satisfies a threshold condition; and The safety measures include: sounding audible and / or visual alarms or signals; Issue electronic notices; commanding the valve body actuator to adjust the position of the valve body to restrict or block the flow of the hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator; and / or A relief input valve controlling the flow of the hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator is closed.

22. A dynamic testing system, comprising: A test station, the test station comprising: a plurality of hydraulic actuators, each hydraulic actuator being configured to receive a flow of hydraulic fluid and to drive actuation of a test object using the flow of hydraulic fluid during testing; and A plurality of control valves, each control valve corresponding to one of the hydraulic actuators and comprising: case; a valve body contained within the housing, the valve body having a position to control the amount and direction of a corresponding hydraulic fluid flow; a valve body driver configured to adjust a position of the valve body based on a reference signal; and a valve position sensor configured to output a position signal indicative of a position of the valve body; and At least one controller, the at least one controller being configured to: obtaining a current position of a valve body of each control valve using a corresponding position signal at some time during execution of the test program; estimating a total flow rate of the hydraulic fluid flow at the time based on the obtained current position of the control valve; obtaining an expected total flow rate corresponding to the time based on at least one previous execution of the test procedure; detecting a diagnostic condition based on a difference between the estimated total flow and the expected total flow; and A diagnostic signal is generated indicative of the detected diagnostic condition.

23. The dynamic testing system according to claim 22, wherein: The system includes a map of total flow of the hydraulic fluid during at least one previous execution of the test procedure; and The expected total flow rate corresponds to the total flow rate indicated by the map at the time.

24. The dynamic testing system according to any one of claims 22 to 23, wherein: The at least one controller is configured to obtain the expected total flow corresponding to the time using a process comprising: for each control valve, obtaining an expected position of the valve body corresponding to the time based on at least one previous execution of the test procedure; and An expected total flow rate of the hydraulic fluid flow is calculated based on the sum of the expected positions.

25. A dynamic testing system according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein: Each hydraulic actuator includes: cylinder; and an actuator rod including a piston contained within the cylinder; wherein movement of the piston and the actuator rod relative to the cylinder drives the actuation; The housing of each control valve consists of: an inlet port coupled to a supply of high pressure hydraulic fluid; an outlet port coupled to a low pressure reflux reservoir; a first port coupled to a first working volume formed by an inner cavity of the cylinder and the piston; and a second port coupled to a second working volume formed by an inner cavity of the cylinder and the piston; and for each control valve, a position of the valve body directs the flow of hydraulic fluid received at the inlet port to one of the first port and the second port or not to any of the first port and the second port, and controls the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid.

26. The dynamic testing system of claim 25, wherein: Each hydraulic actuator includes a corresponding actuation sensor configured to generate a feedback signal indicative of a parameter of the corresponding actuation; The at least one controller is configured to: generating, by a corresponding controller, a control reference signal corresponding to a desired actuation for each control valve based on a test procedure; as well as for each control reference signal, generating an actuator command signal based on a difference between the control reference signal and a corresponding feedback signal; and Each actuator command signal instructs a corresponding valve body driver to adjust the position of the valve body.

27. A dynamic testing system according to any one of claims 22 to 26, wherein: The at least one controller is configured to execute a safety measure when the difference satisfies a threshold condition; and The safety measures include: sounding audible and / or visual alarms or signals; Issue electronic notices; commanding the valve body driver to adjust the position of the corresponding valve body to limit or block the flow of the hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator; and / or A relief input valve controlling the flow of the hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator is closed.

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