Harvester Head Hydraulic Actuator Flow Path for Cold Oil Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic actuators in harvester heads face difficulties in low temperature conditions due to viscous hydraulic oil, leading to unstable positioning and decreased control speed, as the hydraulic medium fails to reach a working temperature, causing inefficiencies in forestry and construction machines.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a check valve and additional hydraulic connections to ensure continuous flow of hydraulic medium through the actuator, allowing temperature increase and improved viscosity, with an orifice for controlled flow to maintain precise pressure and positioning, enabling the hydraulic medium to exchange heat even when the actuator is not in use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If hydraulic actuators are used in low temperature conditions, then the harvester head can operate in cold environments, but the hydraulic oil becomes viscous causing unstable positioning and decreased control speed
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is activated before the hydraulic actuator is operated to pre-heat the hydraulic oil and reduce its viscosity in advance, ensuring stable positioning from the start of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element operates continuously or periodically to maintain the hydraulic oil temperature within an optimal range, ensuring consistent viscosity and reliable positioning throughout operation in cold environments
2Adaptability or versatility
If hydraulic actuators are used in low temperature conditions, then the harvester head can operate in cold environments, but the control speed decreases due to viscous hydraulic oil
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is activated before hydraulic operations to pre-heat the oil and reduce viscosity in advance, enabling faster response when actuation is needed
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element operates periodically to maintain optimal oil temperature, ensuring that viscosity remains low enough to allow fast actuator response during operational cycles
3Ease of manufacture
If hydraulic oil volume in lines exceeds actuator working volume, then the system can be designed with standard hydraulic lines, but the excess oil remains static and cold affecting actuator performance
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element continuously or periodically heats the hydraulic oil in the lines, ensuring that even the excess static oil maintains reduced viscosity and does not degrade actuator performance
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element acts as an intermediary that transfers thermal energy to the hydraulic oil, modifying its physical properties (viscosity) to ensure reliable actuator operation despite the presence of large volumes of static oil in the hydraulic lines
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution ensures faster and more stable control of hydraulic actuators under low temperature conditions, maintaining precise pressure and positioning, and facilitating quicker temperature changes, thus enhancing the operational efficiency of harvester heads in forestry applications.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element is arranged inside the hydraulic actuator, arranged to heat the hydraulic medium in the hydraulic actuator
Implementation Method 2
a check valve is connected with the cavity, allowing hydraulic medium to flow in an opening direction of the check valve so that hydraulic medium cab flow through the cavity and the check valve
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention concerns an harvester head (11) having at least one hydraulic actuator (35) with a cylinder (41) and a piston (42), having at least a cylinder chamber (43) and a piston rod chamber (44), both chambers being connected to a hydraulic circuit, the piston (42) separating the cylinder chamber (43) and the piston rod chamber (44), a cavity (45) provided in the piston (42), hydraulically connecting the cylinder chamber (43) with the piston rod chamber (44) and a check valve (46) in connection with the cavity (45) that allows hydraulic medium flow in an opening direction of the check valve (46).