<p>Hydraulic systems have many applications in the construction, transportation, and manufacturing sectors. Recent design trends involve systems with higher working pressures and more compact systems, which are advantageous because of power density increase. However, these trends imply higher forces and larger vibration amplitudes while having lesser mass and damping, leading to higher noise levels. Meanwhile, hydraulic machinery started prospecting new applications with tighter noise regulations, a trend which was also pushed by the electrification tendency in several fields of transportation and agriculture. One method to attain noise mitigation is passive-noise canceling techniques have the advantage of not introducing energy to the system. This approach arranges pressure ripple waves in a destructive pattern by projecting a hydraulic circuit's geometry, configuration, and features.</p> <p> </p> <p>This dissertation aims to predict fluid-borne noise sources and investigate passive noise-canceling solutions for multiple operations conditions targeting to impact many hydraulic systems and a broad range of operating conditions. Primarily a coupled system model strategy that includes a one-dimensional line finite element model is developed. The line model predicts pressure wave generation and propagation. The model features versatility since parameters like line diameter and material can be discretized node by node. Simulations are compared to measured data in a realistic novel hydraulic hybrid transmission for validation. </p> <p> </p> <p>Subsequently, an extensive numerical investigation is performed by setting fixed parameters along the hydraulic lines' length and comparing several isolated geometric properties in simulation. The developed line model is also used to study the influence of line features such as diameter and extent of the conduit. Cost-effective and simple passive solution solutions such as Quincke tubes (parallel lines), expansion chambers, and closed branches are selected and investigated on simulation. Four target pressure ripples are chosen as indicators for summarizing passive line elements behavior. The frequency-domain behavior of the pressure ripple peaks regarding the line's length is identified and isolated in simulation at the 50-5000Hz frequency spectrum. An experiment test rig is designed to implement these solutions and the experiments show three developed passive elements as practical and effective solutions for reducing fluid borne noise sources. The selected designs yielded noise source attenuation over most of the frequency spectrum measured with piezoelectric pressure variation sensors and accelerometers in different positions in the hydraulic circuit. Sound pressure measurements detected reductions over 3dB in the best cases. </p> <p> </p> <p>Also, a passive interference approach based on the principle of secondary source flow ripple cancellation was conceptualized, modeled, and implemented in a tandem axial-piston unit. The strategy consists of setting the phase between the two synchronous units to accomplish destructive interference in targeted unit harmonics. Two indexing strategies are investigated first analytically and then on simulation. One of the indexing strategies was implemented in a pre-existent commercial axial-piston tandem unit. Experiment results confirmed effectiveness for the first and third unit’s harmonics, where reductions over 15dB on pressure ripple were measured.</p> <p> </p> <p>Finally, a fluid-structure interaction based on the poison coupling principle is developed using the method of characteristics. Transfer functions of the pipeline accelerations versus the pressure ripples on lines calculated on simulation and later obtained experimentally to highlight ta critical vibration band from 2000Hz to 3000Hz with high acceleration response.</p> <p> </p><br>

Increased demands on fuel-efficient propulsion motivate the use of complex hybrid hydromechanical transmissions in heavy construction machines. These transmissions offer attractive fuel savings but come with an increased level of complexity and dependency on computer-based control. This trend has increased the use of computer-based simulations as a cost-effective alternative to hardware prototyping when developing and testing control strategies. Hardware-In-the-Loop (HWIL) simulations that combine physical and virtual model representations of a system may be considered an attractive compromise that combine the benefits of these two concepts. This paper explores how HWIL simulations may be used to evaluate powertrain control strategies for hybrid hydromechanical transmissions. Factors such as hardware/software partitioning and causality are discussed and applied to a test rig used for HWIL simulations of an example transmission. The results show the benefit of using HWIL simulations in favour of pure offline simulations and prototyping and stress the importance of accurate control with high bandwidth in the HWIL interface.

Due to the robustness and flexibility of hydraulic components, hydraulic control systems are used in a wide range of applications under various environmental conditions. However, the coverage of this broad field of applications often comes with a loss of performance. Especially when conditions and working points change often, hydraulic control systems cannot work at their optimum. Flexible electronic controllers in combination with techniques from the field of machine learning have the potential to overcome these issues. By applying a reinforcement learning algorithm, this paper examines whether learned controllers can compete with an expert-tuned solution. Thereby, the method is thoroughly validated by using simulations and experiments as well.

Climate change and economic opportunities motivate investigating electric distributed power for working hydraulics in non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) instead of conventional hydraulics. This recent method allows significant energy savings in hydraulic systems, which was demonstrated previously by many independent studies. In this study, zonal hydraulics (as electrically distributed) are realized with direct driven hydraulics drive (DDH) units. Unlike conventional hydraulic drives the DDH units are disconnected from the engine (main prime mover) and distributed throughout the system. In a DDH unit, a single fixed displacement pump/motor with a speed-controlled electric servomotor directly controls the flow. The aim of this paper is to determine functionality of this new two-cylinder DDH-system in a lifting work cycle (or a swerve motion of the work machine). For this purpose, a model was created to investigate performance of the new test rig Dolores. The results of the simulation model will be utilized in future research to discover and compare other alternatives for working hydraulics architectures.

Selective laser melting (SLM), is a type of additive manufacturing, which selectively melts a pre-spread layer of metal powders and produce a part by a layer-on-layer manner. SLM has demonstrated a great potential to reduce size and weight in hydraulic manifolds. However, a theoretical base is lacking since friction loss is unclear in a SLMed fluid passage. In this study, various fluid passages without supports, from diameters from 4 mm to 16 mm, were produced horizontally using SLM. The profile was measured using a 3D scanner and surface roughness was measured using a confocal laser scanning microscope. Friction factor was studied using simulation, experiments, and classical theory. The hydraulic diameter of the SLMed passages is smaller than the design diameter. Surface roughness is extremely high on the top part of the inner wall while the rest part is around 10 μm. Such trends are irrelevant of passage diameters. Friction factors in SLMed passage is much larger than those predicted using Moody theory, particularly in laminar flow. The transition from laminar flow to turbulent flow appears at a smaller Reynolds number with increased passage diameter. The influence of the profile overweighs that of the surface roughness on friction factor.

Manifolds usually consist of metallic, rectangular base bodies into which lines are inserted by means of drilling, thus logically linking the built-on or built-in valves according to the hydraulic circuit diagram. Using additive manufacturing methods, additional degrees of freedom can be used in the design of manifolds, resulting in further benefit in hydraulic drives and their controls. The challenge is not only to understand and apply additive manufacturing technology, but also to align the entire value chain with it.

Selective laser melting (SLM), one type of metal additive manufacturing (AM) technology, uses a highintensity laser to selectively melt pre-spread metal powders by a layer-on-layer manner. The technology does not only provide a new way of manufacturing but also innovates product design methodology. In this study, a hydraulic block manifold is designed and manufactured using SLM. In this paper, we present an AM-driven design approach of hydraulic manifolds based on a case study. The target is not only to reduce weight but also to enhance fluid flow by optimizing fluid path to reduce pressure drop. The novelty of the research includes developing a design approach of hydraulic manifolds using SLM with a particular focus on fluid flow. Compared to the traditional hydraulic manifold, the weight of the new SLMed hydraulic manifold was reduced by more than 80%, size by half. Pressure loss of the main functional oil circuit was reduced by 31%, illustrating that the new hydraulic manifold design simultaneously achieves lightweight and high performance. This study contributes to providing theoretical guidance to the design of additively manufactured hydraulic components with high performance.

In industrial practice greases are mainly used as lubricants in hydrodynamic plain bearings and roller bearings. The use in hydrostatic bearings is avoided due to the difficult controllability. One reason is the complex non-Newtonian flow behavior of greases. The motivation for this paper is the use of greases to increase the efficiency of hydrostatic bearings. The assumption is that the so-called yield stress of consistent greases can lead to self-sealing behavior in the bearing under stationary operation conditions. Assuming a volume-flow-free operation of the bearing, a concept for the active control of the sealing gap height and thus the bearing stiffness was developed. The concept idea is the use of a second medium with Newtonian characteristic for pressure transfer. The grease and the pressure control fluid are structurally separated. The grease is induced in the shortest possible way into the bearing pocket to keep the pressure losses as low as possible. The results of test bench investigations indicate the feasibility of a gap height control with very high bearing stiffness under use of highly consistent greases and initiate further investigation on non-stationary operation.

Standardized parts like hydraulic accumulators are used in nearly every hydraulic system, in many cases even several. Therefore, even small changes in size and weight of accumulators can save considerable material costs. In mobile applications, hydraulic accumulators are used among others in hydro-pneumatic suspension systems. There is a strong focus on miniaturization and weight reduction, as the components always have to be transported with the vehicle. Energy density and energy content of conventional hydraulic accumulators cannot be maximized at the same time. This limitation can be overcome by adding a heat capacity with large surface into the gas volume of the accumulator. The heat capacity enlarges the isothermal frequency range and therefore enlarges the energy density of the accumulator at the given frequency and the given size. In this paper an experimental comparison of conventional hydraulic accumulators and accumulators with foam inserts shows, that at a specific frequency band, the stiffness of foam filled accumulators is significantly lower than of conventional accumulators. The energy density is about 11 % higher than in conventional accumulators. Consequently, a space reduction of about 18 % is possible.

The article presents the results of experimental tests of the liquid exchange level in a new design of a hydraulic cylinder in comparison with the classic one. Comparative results are presented, as well as the influence of the stroke range on the degree of liquid exchange. The results allow the empirical determination of the degree of real improvement of the process of liquid exchange in the cylinder during operation, and thus allow the initial determination of the reliability level increase in hydraulic cylinders. It should be emphasized that the presented results are a part of a research and implementation project carried out in cooperation between a university and an industrial partner. In addition, the presented test method of hydraulic cylinders is, in the opinion of the authors, an interesting proposition, which can be used by manufacturers of this type of components in the world.