Signal-Mimicking Device for Fluid System Load Sense Prioritization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Fluid systems, such as steering systems, face inefficiencies due to the lack of responsiveness in static load sense signals, which are not configured for fluid flow, limiting their ability to prioritize fluid supply effectively between dynamic and static load sense functions.
Innovation Solution
A fluid system incorporating a static LS valve, a dynamic LS valve, and a priority valve biased to supply pressurized fluid to both, along with a signal-mimicking device that mimics a static LS signal to produce a combined LS signal for enhanced responsiveness, allowing a single priority valve to manage both dynamic and static LS signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a static LS valve is used, then the system can maintain stable pressure control, but the responsiveness to dynamic load changes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
A signal-mimicking device is introduced as an intermediary component that receives the static LS signal and converts it into a dynamic LS signal format. This mediator bridges the gap between the stable but slow static LS valve and the responsive dynamic LS valve, allowing the static valve's stable pressure control to be communicated in a format that the dynamic valve can respond to quickly.
Solution Approach 2:
The signal-mimicking device changes the parameters of the LS signal by converting a static pressure signal into a dynamic flow-capable signal. This parameter transformation enables the signal to be processed by the dynamic LS valve while maintaining the original control intent from the static LS valve.
2Reliability
If separate priority valves are used for dynamic and static LS signals, then each signal type can be optimized independently, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The signal-mimicking device enables a single priority valve to perform multiple functions by making it compatible with both static and dynamic LS signals. Instead of requiring separate priority valves for each signal type, the signal conversion allows one valve to handle both signal formats, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining optimized control for each signal type.
3Speed
If a dynamic LS circuit is used, then the responsiveness to load changes is improved, but the system requires fluid flow configuration that may not suit all applications
Solution Approach 1:
The signal-mimicking device acts as a versatile intermediary that can adapt the static LS signal to work with dynamic LS circuits. This allows systems that originally used static LS valves (for applications where flow configuration was not suitable) to now benefit from dynamic responsiveness without requiring a complete system redesign or flow configuration change.
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid system comprises a static LS valve, a dynamic LS valve, a priority valve biased to preferentially supply pressurized fluid to both the static LS valve and the dynamic LS valve, and a signal-mimicking device fluidly coupled to a static LS port of the static LS valve, a dynamic LS port of the dynamic LS valve, and a dynamic LS pilot port of the priority valve for mimicking a static LS signal from the static LS port of the static LS valve into a dynamic LS signal from the dynamic LS port of the dynamic LS valve to produce a combined LS signal communicated to the dynamic LS pilot port of the priority valve. Such a fluid system may be applied to a steering system. An associated method is disclosed.