Parallel Hydraulic Steering Circuit for Fail-Safe Manual Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic systems face challenges in efficiently managing fluid flow and pressure control, particularly in scenarios where failures in closed-center circuits or modulating valves can hinder manual steering operations, leading to hydraulic interference and potential system failures.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic parallel work system incorporating a fixed displacement pump, closed-center circuit, and open-center hand metering unit (HMU) with enable valves and modulating valves, allowing for parallel operation and fail-safe fluid communication to ensure uninterrupted manual steering, even in the event of circuit failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a closed-center circuit is used for automated steering, then automation and precise control are improved, but system reliability deteriorates because failures in the closed-center circuit or modulating valve can hinder manual steering operations
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic system is divided into two independent parallel circuits: a closed-center circuit for automated steering and an open-center hand metering unit circuit for manual steering. This segmentation ensures that a failure in one circuit cannot affect the other, thereby maintaining manual steering reliability while enabling automated steering functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
A four-way valve is introduced as an intermediary component that directs hydraulic fluid flow between the closed-center circuit and the open-center hand metering unit circuit. This intermediary mechanism allows the system to switch between automated and manual steering modes while preventing harmful hydraulic interference between the two circuits.
2Reliability
If parallel hydraulic circuits are implemented, then system reliability is improved through redundancy, but device complexity increases due to additional valves and fluid communication paths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the automated steering circuit and manual steering circuit into a single integrated hydraulic system with shared components such as the fixed displacement pump and common hydraulic fluid reservoir. This merging approach provides redundant fluid paths for improved reliability while minimizing the increase in overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for hydraulic parallel work systems is provided. The system includes a fixed displacement pump (110), a closed-center circuit (300), an open-center hand metering unit (HMU) (200), and a tank (120). The closed-center circuit is in fluid communication with the fixed displacement pump. The open-center HMU is in fluid communication with the fixed displacement pump at an inlet port (204) of the HMU. The tank is fluidly connected to the inlet port of the HMU when the HMU is inactive.