Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1993. / "Doctoral dissertation." "February 1993." At head of title: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-214).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, School of Anthropology,Geography and Environmental Studies and the Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2006. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

<p>The electrification trend affecting off-road vehicles is paving the way toward dedicated electrified hydraulic actuation systems. Although traditional centralized fluid power architectures are still utilized in many applications for low cost, power density, and reliability, nowadays emission policy results in an increasing interest in developing electro-hydraulic actuator (EHA) solutions. EHAs enable non-throttling actuation and energy recuperation during overrunning loads, leading to higher transmission efficiency and lower fuel consumption. These features in energy efficiency make EHAs competitive in meeting emission regulations compared to conventional hydraulic solutions.</p> <p>The key challenge in developing the EHA solution comes from the high cost and space requirements, especially for the adoption of self-contained EHAs in mobile applications. In this study, two architectures for the EHA are proposed, a closed-circuit architecture and an open-circuit one, to determine the most practical and efficient configuration. The most effective open-circuit architecture with distributed concepts is further investigated for implementation, which requires less modification of the mechanical structures and performs more efficiently than the closed-circuit alternative. The proposed EHA is driven by an electro-hydraulic unit (EHU) consisting of a variable-speed electric motor and a fixed-displacement hydraulic pump, which is relatively cost-effective. A novel hydraulic configuration is proposed, which allows the EHA to cover full-speed operating ranges in four quadrants. </p> <p>To verify the EHA design, the behavior of the proposed system should be predicted prior to costly experiments and demonstrations. For this purpose, an integrated simulation model is developed based on the lumped parameter approach in the Amesim environment. The model includes the electric system, the hydraulic system, and the mechanism to be implemented, which are capable of flexible analysis of functionality, efficiency, and thermal performance.</p> <p>In this work, a dedicated test rig for EHA testing is developed. The test rig can help verify EHA performance, test the control algorithm, and diagnose errors before implementing the system on real applications. The experimental results from the test rig also validate the simulation model. An independent load drive of the test rig allows testing all possible  loading conditions of the proposed EHA, thus demonstrating the energy performance in four quadrants. Thermal behavior is investigated with long duty cycles to determine the need for additional cooling equipment. After the validation of the hydraulic configuration, a power electronics setup is added to the test rig, which allows to drive the EHA system with the novel designed EHUs. Validation on the test platform paves the way for implementation in a vehicle. </p> <p>As a final step, the proposed EHA system is implemented in a reference vehicle, a Case New Holland TV380 skid steer loader. A novel designed EHU is adopted to drive the system for technology demonstration. The energy savings capacity of the EHA is investigated in comparison to the baseline measurements of the traditional open-center hydraulic architecture. The impressive savings from the reduction of throttling losses and energy recovery guide the possible commercialization of such EHAs in mobile hydraulic applications. The controller design of the implemented EHA system is investigated with the aim of improving the dynamic performance, e.g., reducing damping oscillation. Basic power management strategies are also studied to integrate EHA with the power train of current hydraulic machines. Regarding future work, based on this research but not within the scope of this study, the proposed EHA system can be adopted with different types of prime movers, such as axial piston machines as the hydraulic part of an EHU. Furthermore, the design approach proposed in this study can help resize the EHA system for other applications with different loading conditions and power requirements, and the energy savings capability can be further investigated. With this, a comprehensive market analysis will be performed for the commercialization of EHA. </p>

<p>One of the most often utilized machinery in fluid power applications is the material-handling machines, which includes telehandlers, forklifts, cranes, and scissor lifts that are used from constructions to mining.<br> Counterbalance valves (CBVs), hydraulic components that protect the system from failures and manage the load under overrunning load conditions due to their distinctive design, are used in material-handling devices to ensure both the operators' and most off-road vehicles' safety. However, they present a significant shortcoming: the over-pressurization of the supply line, which leads to constringent energy consumption. The primary motivation for this work is this drawback. In this work, a CBV-based system with an adjustable pilot has been investigated using a truck-mounted hydraulic crane as a reference machine.</p> <p>By analyzing theoretically and experimentally the behavior of this novel hydraulic system, it is possible to achieve up to 90% of energy-saving than a baseline configuration of a load-holding machine by controlling the opening of the CBV by adjusting the pressure at the pilot stage. After exploring the capabilities of the studied system and the possible control strategies to control opening of the CBV, this work suggests two different solutions to control the system: “Smart CBV” and “Smart System” modes. By properly controlling the signal on the pilot stage of the CBV, "Smart CBV" enables energy savings of up to 80%. On the other hand, the "Smart System" mode can save up to 95% of energy by using the CBV as a meter-out element that successfully regulates the flow to the actuator and, consequently, its velocity. To attain these outstanding results, it is essential to maintain proper system control.</p> <p>Moreover, since safety is one of the priorities of this type of machine, a Condition Monitoring (CM) model is developed to ensure the actual functionalities of the novel proposed system. By identifying faulty conditions and preventing breakdowns before they occur, CM can be utilized to improve the safety of these type of machines. However, training a CM model using experimental data is time-consuming and expensive since it requires abundant data with different extent of machine failures from the field test. The solution suggested in this work is to generate faulty and healthy data for the reference machine using a high-fidelity simulation tool to train a CM model.</p> <p>Particular focus is given to the counterbalance valve (CBV), a crucial element for the hydraulic system of material handling machines, and the linear actuator (hydraulic cylinder). The different types of faults on two elements are modeled with an approach validated using experimental tests. Considering that the simulation model provides comparable outcomes to training on empirical data, the CM model is trained in a single fault condition and multi faults conditions using simulated data. Instead, the CM model is tested using the experimental tests in multiple faulty conditions on the chosen components.</p> <p>Moreover, finding the best CM model for this case study is another goal of this work. As a result, several CM models are investigated: Random Forest (RF), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), and Support Vector Machine (SVM). In terms of precision and recall, metrics frequently employed in the CM field to assess the performances of the designed CM model, the results generally indicate more than 90% accuracy.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Positive displacement machines are used in various industries spanning the power spectrum, from industrial robotics to heavy construction equipment to aviation. These machines should be highly efficient, compact, and reliable. It is very advantageous for designers to use virtual simulations to design and improve the performance of these units as they significantly reduce cost and downtime. The recent trends of electrification and the goal to increase power density force these units to work at higher pressures and higher rotational speeds while maintaining their efficiencies and reliability. This push means that the simulation models need to advance to account for various aspects during the operation of these machines. </p><p dir="ltr">These machines typically have several bodies in relative motion with each other. Quantifying these motions and solving for their effect on the fluid enclosed are vital as they influence the machine's performance. The push towards higher rotational speeds introduces unwanted cavitation and aeration in these units. To model these effects, keeping the design evaluation time low is key for a designer. The lumped parameter approach offers the benefit of computational speed, but a major drawback that comes along with it is that it typically assumes fluid inertia to be negligible. These effects cannot be ignored, as quantifying and making design considerations to negate these effects can be beneficial. Therefore, this thesis addresses these key challenges of cavitation dynamics, body dynamics, and accounting for fluid inertia effects using a lumped parameter formulation.</p><p dir="ltr">To account for dynamics features related to cavitation, this thesis proposes a novel approach combining the two types of cavitation, i.e., gaseous and vaporous, by considering that both vapor and undissolved gas co-occupy a spherical bubble. The size of the spherical bubble is solved using the Rayleigh-Plesset equation, and the transfer of gas through the bubble interface is solved using Henry's Law and diffusion of the dissolved gas in the liquid. These equations are coupled with a novel pressure derivative equation. To account for body dynamics, this thesis introduces a novel approach for solving the positions of the bodies of a hydraulic machine while introducing new methods to solve contact dynamics and the application of Elasto Hydrodynamic Lubrication (EHL) friction at those contact locations. This thesis also proposes strategies to account for fluid inertia effects in a lumped parameter-based approach, taking as a reference an External Gear Machine. This thesis proposes a method to study the effects of fluid inertia on the pressurization and depressurization of the tooth space volumes of these units. The approach is based on considering the fluid inertia in the pressurization grooves and inside the control volumes with a peculiar sub-division. Further, frequency-dependent friction is also modeled to provide realistic damping of the fluid inside these channels.</p><p dir="ltr">To show the validity of the proposed dynamic cavitation model, the instantaneous pressure of a closed fluid volume undergoing expansion/compression is compared with multiple experimental sources, showing an improvement in accuracy compared to existing models. This modeling is then further applied to a gerotor machine and validated with experiments. Integrating this modeling technique with current displacement chamber simulation can further improve the understanding of cavitation in hydraulic systems. Formulations for body dynamics are tested on a prototype Gerotor and Vane unit. For both gerotor and vane units, comparisons of simulation results to experimental results for various dynamic quantities, such as pressure ripple, volumetric, and hydromechanical efficiency for multiple operating conditions, have been done. Extensive validation is performed for the case of gerotors where shaft torque ripple and the motion of the outer gear is experimentally validated. The thesis also comments on the distribution of the different torque loss contributions. The model for fluid inertia effects has been validated by comparing the lumped parameter model with a full three-dimensional Navier Stokes solver. The quantities compared, such as tooth space volume pressures and outlet volumetric flow rate, show a good match between the two approaches for varying operating speeds. A comparison with the experiments supports the modeling approach as well. The thesis also discusses which operating conditions and geometries play a significant role that governs the necessity to model such fluid inertia effects in the first place.</p>