Hydraulic Air Bleeding Valve Control for Online Servo Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic servo control systems face challenges in maintaining system uptime and reliability due to the lack of effective redundancy and online serviceability, leading to potential operational downtime and contamination buildup.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a redundant hydraulic servo control system with primary and backup servo valves and controllers, along with automatic failover processes and online serviceability features, allows for continuous operation and air bleeding without interrupting active control, and reduces contaminant buildup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydraulic actuators use traditional valve assemblies without online serviceability, then system simplicity is maintained, but system downtime increases during maintenance and air bleeding operations
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is segmented into modular components including a first valve assembly for draining fluid and a second valve assembly for flushing air residuals. This segmentation allows independent maintenance and operation of each valve unit, enabling online serviceability without shutting down the entire hydraulic system.
Solution Approach 2:
A controller acts as an intermediary that automatically sequences the operation of multiple valve assemblies. The controller coordinates the draining and flushing operations, managing the complexity of having multiple valves while providing simple automated control to the operator.
2Loss of time
If air bleeding is performed using traditional manual methods, then system complexity is minimized, but operational downtime increases and contamination risk rises
Solution Approach 1:
The air bleeding process uses periodic cyclic operation where the valve assembly alternates between draining configuration and flushing configuration. This periodic action automatically flushes air residuals from the system over multiple cycles, eliminating the need for continuous manual intervention and reducing overall air bleeding time.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve assembly performs self-service air bleeding through automated cyclic operation. The system automatically sequences the draining and flushing operations without requiring continuous operator attention, reducing both downtime and the complexity of manual air bleeding procedures.
3Reliability
If single valve assemblies are used for fluid control, then device simplicity is maintained, but contaminant buildup increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple valve assemblies (draining valve and flushing valve) are merged into a coordinated system controlled by a single controller. This combination provides enhanced reliability through redundant functions while maintaining simplified operation through centralized control logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The system periodically discards accumulated air residuals through the flushing operation and recovers system performance by restoring proper fluid flow. This cyclic discarding and recovering process prevents contaminant buildup and maintains reliability without requiring complete system shutdowns.
Data Source
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Figure 3A
AI summary
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes actuating a closure member at a predetermined first velocity a predetermined first number of cycles between a first configuration and a second configuration, actuating the closure member at a predetermined second velocity a predetermined second number of cycles between the first and the second configuration, actuating the closure member at a predetermined third velocity a predetermined third number of cycles and the second configuration, actuating the closure member at a predetermined fourth velocity a predetermined fourth number of cycles and the second configuration, and actuating the closure member to the second configuration at a predetermined fifth velocity for a predetermined flushing period.