Hydraulic Control Valve Feedback for Pump Flow Misadjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Hydraulic power losses occur due to incorrect settings of control valves in agricultural systems, leading to excessive delivery volume flow and unnecessary system pressure, particularly in hydraulic rotary drives and linear actuators, resulting in inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

A method that monitors system pressure and swivel angle, adjusts valve positions, and reduces pressure threshold values based on sensor data and consumer types to prevent misadjustments, using a control unit to detect and correct settings, providing operator feedback and automated or manual adjustment options.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the control valve is set to a fully open valve position, then the delivery volume flow supplied by the axial piston pump is increased, but the delivery volume flow becomes too high and requires subsequent throttling, leading to hydraulic power losses

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedelivery volume flowVSAvoidhydraulic power losses
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit receives feedback signals from sensors monitoring system pressure and swivel angle, and automatically adjusts the control valve position to match the actual hydraulic consumer demand, preventing both over-supply and throttling losses

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The control valve position is pre-adjusted based on expected consumer requirements before hydraulic fluid is supplied, ensuring the delivery volume flow matches actual demand from the start and avoiding subsequent throttling

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stress or pressure

If the axial piston pump builds up maximum system pressure, then the system pressure is sufficient for hydraulic consumers, but no significant flow rate flows and maximum system pressure is built up unnecessarily, causing hydraulic power losses

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem pressureVSAvoidhydraulic power losses
Core Design Contradiction:
Stress or pressureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit continuously monitors system pressure via sensors and receives feedback on actual consumer demand, automatically adjusting the axial piston pump swivel angle to maintain only the necessary system pressure level rather than building maximum pressure unnecessarily

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The swivel angle of the axial piston pump is made dynamically adjustable based on real-time consumer demand signals, allowing the system pressure to be optimized continuously rather than maintained at a fixed maximum level

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If the control valve position is set to fully open, then the valve position is simple to operate, but the delivery volume flow does not match the hydraulic consumer requirements, leading to throttling or excessive pressure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevalve position settingVSAvoidvalve position accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The control system automatically determines and adjusts the optimal control valve position based on hydraulic consumer requirements, eliminating the need for manual precision adjustment by the operator while maintaining accurate flow matching

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual mechanical adjustment of the control valve by the operator is replaced with an automated electronic control system that uses sensors and control algorithms to precisely position the valve according to actual consumer demand

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP3597941B1Method for operating a hydraulic consumer by an electrically actuated control valve
Publication Date: 2021.12.01 DEERE & CO
  • EP3597941B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3597941B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Method for operating a hydraulic consumer (26a, 26b) on an electrically actuated control valve (18a, 18b) which, in an open valve position (58a, 60a, 58b, 60b), establishes a connection between a valve inlet (42a, 42b) and a pilot line (50) connected to a control port (48a, 48b) for influencing a swivel angle (α) adjustable on an axial piston pump (40), which provides a system pressure (psys) applied to the valve inlet (42a, 42b) that depends on the swivel angle (α), wherein sensor-acquired information regarding the current system pressure (psys) and the current swivel angle (α) of the axial piston pump (40) is supplied to a control unit (16) in order to detect a misadjustment of either the control valve (18a) when the hydraulic consumer (26a, 26b) is connected. to close when detected by the control unit (16),that the delivery volume flow rate of the axial piston pump (40) resulting from the current swivel angle (α) is smaller than a value expected based on the valve position of the control valve (18a), or the system pressure (psys) when the control unit (16) detects that the system pressure (psys) applied to the valve inlet (42a, 42b) is at its maximum without a delivery volume flow in the direction of the hydraulic consumer (26b).