Integrated Ride Control Valve for Hydraulic Oscillation Suppression
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ride control systems for hydraulic machines require external piping connections and multiple command signals, leading to reduced operational power and inefficient oscillation suppression, especially when handling heavy loads on booms or lift arms over uneven terrain.
Innovation Solution
A ride control system integrated within a main control valve, utilizing a single spool to control accumulator charging and pressure balancing, allowing for internal connections and variable flow rates without external conduits, which includes a ride control valve with a spool that moves between positions to couple the accumulator, pump, tank, and actuator, and a pressure balancing spool to balance accumulator and actuator pressures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external piping connections and multiple command signals are used in conventional ride control systems, then the system can suppress oscillations, but the operational power is reduced and the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the ride control valve and directional control valve into a single integrated control valve assembly. The ride control spool and directional control spool are positioned within the same valve body, sharing common ports and hydraulic passages. This integration eliminates the need for external piping connections between separate ride control and directional control valves, reducing system complexity while maintaining oscillation suppression functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated control valve serves multiple functions: it provides both directional control for the hydraulic actuator and ride control for oscillation suppression. The valve body incorporates both the directional control spool for movement control and the ride control spool for vibration damping, allowing a single component to perform what previously required multiple separate components and external connections.
2Reliability
If external piping connections are used in conventional ride control systems, then the system can function, but power loss increases and leakage rates increase
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the ride control valve within the main control valve body, the patent eliminates external piping connections. The ride control spool directly accesses hydraulic passages within the valve body, removing intermediate connections that would cause power loss and leakage. This internal integration ensures that hydraulic fluid flows directly between components without passing through external conduits.
3Reliability
If multiple command signals are used in conventional ride control systems, then the system can control accumulator charging and discharge, but the operational power is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated control valve uses a single unified control system that manages both directional control and ride control functions. The ride control spool and directional control spool operate within the same valve body, sharing common hydraulic passages and control mechanisms. This consolidation reduces the number of separate command signals required, thereby reducing the computational and operational power needed to control the system.
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 provides efficient suppression of hydraulic machine oscillations with minimal impact on boom performance, allowing for smoother operation and reduced power consumption by integrating ride control functionality within the main control valve, eliminating the need for external piping and reducing leakage rates.
Implementation Method 1
an accumulator and a control valve having a work port configured to couple to the actuator, a pump port configured to couple to the pump, and a tank port configured to couple the tank, and an accumulator port configured to couple to the accumulator
Implementation Method 2
The ride control valve can include a valve body. A ride control spool can be movably disposed within the valve body and configured to selectively couple the work port, the tank port, the pump port, and the accumulator
Implementation Method 3
A pressure balancing spool can be movably disposed within the valve body and configured to selectively couple the accumulator with the pump port and the tank port
Data Source
AI summary
A ride control valve includes a valve body defining a work passage, a pump passage, a tank passage, and an accumulator passage configure to couple to an accumulator. A ride control spool is movably disposed within the valve body and configured to move between a a first ride control position to discharge the accumulator, a second ride control position configured to charge the accumulator at a variable charge rate, a third ride control configured to balance the accumulator pressure with the work passage pressure, and a fourth ride control position configured to couple the accumulator to the work passage. A pressure balancing spool is movably disposed within the ride control spool to selectively couple the accumulator passage with each of the pump passage and the tank passage to balance the accumulator pressure. The ride control valve is configured couple to a directional control valve without external conduit.