Parallel Hydraulic Receiver Control With Selective Flow Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic installations with multiple receivers operating in parallel face challenges in efficient flow rate distribution, leading to loss of control over operating speed due to insufficient flow rate, and require complex hydro-mechanical compensators to balance sharing, making the control system complex and unreliable.
Innovation Solution
A control system that includes an operating mode switch for each receiver to enable or disable flow rate sharing, a flow rate value counter to determine the operating mode, and a processing module to generate control signals based on the cumulative flow rates and maximal pressure, ensuring all branches are integrated and operated smoothly, even if some are not activated.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydro-mechanical compensators are used to balance flow rate sharing, then the operating speed control is maintained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces hydro-mechanical compensators with an electronic control system that uses pressure sensors, electronic controllers, and solenoid valves to regulate flow distribution. This substitution eliminates complex mechanical feedback mechanisms while achieving the same flow balancing function through electronic sensing and actuation, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces electronic controllers as intermediary devices between the pressure sensors and the solenoid valves. These controllers process sensor signals and generate appropriate control commands, serving as a mediator that simplifies the overall control architecture compared to direct hydro-mechanical coupling, while maintaining precise flow rate sharing control.
2Device complexity
If flow rate is distributed without sharing, then the control system is simpler, but the operating speed control is lost when flow rate is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by using pressure sensors to continuously monitor the actual pressure at each actuator and comparing it with the desired pressure. The electronic controllers receive this feedback information and adjust the solenoid valve openings accordingly to maintain the desired flow rate distribution, ensuring reliable speed control even when total flow rate is limited.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic flow rate sharing where the distribution of flow among parallel actuators is continuously adjusted based on real-time pressure conditions. The electronic controllers dynamically modify the opening positions of solenoid valves to balance flow distribution, allowing the system to adapt to changing load conditions and maintain reliable speed control throughout operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for controlling a hydraulic installation with a plurality of receivers operating in parallel includes control units which regulate control positions of each of the receivers supplied by a pump, the pressure and flow rate of which are regulated by a regulator with or without flow rate sharing. The distributor associated with each receiver is switched between modes by a switch associated with each receiver. A counter supplies a control signal to the switches in order to switch them to flow rate sharing mode, if at least two receivers must be activated. Each control unit generates a pressure value and a flow rate value in order, in flow rate sharing mode, to generate a flow rate regulation signal corresponding to the sum of all the flow rates, and a pressure signal corresponding to the highest pressure out of all the pressures.