Smart Hydraulic Actuator Energy Recapture via Electro-Hydraulic Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic systems are inefficient, costly, and noisy due to energy wastage through throttling, and existing active compliance control systems require additional energy to reduce operational stiffness, which is undesirable in most applications.
Innovation Solution
The development of smart hydraulic actuators (SHAs) that utilize novel integrated valves, pressure sensors, accumulators, computer-controlled pumps, and advanced control algorithms to achieve shock absorption and energy efficiency, allowing for superior controllability and energy recapture, thereby improving power density and reducing energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If hydraulic systems use throttling to control fluid flow, then control precision is improved, but energy efficiency deteriorates due to energy wastage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical throttling valves with an electro-hydraulic actuator system that uses electronic control and feedback mechanisms to regulate fluid flow. This substitution eliminates the energy-wasting throttling process while maintaining precise control through electronic regulation and active compliance control algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements active compliance control using feedback from position sensors and force sensors to dynamically adjust actuator behavior. This feedback mechanism enables precise control without continuous throttling, allowing the system to recover and reuse energy that would otherwise be wasted, thereby improving energy efficiency while maintaining control precision.
2Ease of operation
If active compliance control systems reduce operational stiffness, then ease of operation is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator system performs compliance control functions autonomously using feedback from sensors and embedded control algorithms. The system self-regulates its stiffness characteristics based on operational conditions without requiring external energy input specifically for compliance control, thereby maintaining ease of operation while avoiding additional energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes operational parameters such as stiffness and damping characteristics based on real-time feedback from position and force sensors. By adjusting these parameters actively rather than maintaining fixed compliance, the system achieves ease of operation only when needed while minimizing energy consumption during normal operation.
3Productivity
If hydraulic systems operate at high power levels, then productivity is improved, but energy wastage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electro-hydraulic actuator system dynamically adjusts power output based on real-time operational demands using feedback control. Rather than operating continuously at high power levels, the system modulates power delivery to match actual productivity requirements, thereby maintaining high productivity when needed while minimizing energy wastage during lower-demand operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic control cycles where the controller continuously monitors operational parameters and adjusts actuator power levels in discrete control intervals. This periodic action allows the system to deliver high power when productivity is critical while reducing power consumption during transitional or lower-demand phases, optimizing the balance between productivity and energy efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system and apparatus including a mechanism capable of performing a variety of operations, each operation having a respective power requirement and a power source capable of providing power to the mechanism at a variety of different levels corresponding to the operations being undertaken by the mechanism where the power source is regulated to at least provide a first lower power level sufficient for one or more operations requiring a lower power level and is increased to provide a higher power level as needed for one or more alternative operations requiring a higher power level.