Advanced

Hydraulic Motion Control

Design Practices

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High-performance hydraulic motion

Good Design Affect of system

Practices components on
control
Overview
Compensating
for design
deficiencies

Know where design can be

modified to meet design
requirements

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 Good Valve Hard Piping

Accumulato
r

Feedbac
k
Cylinder
Pump

Controller
Reservoi
r
3
 Good Design is Simple!

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Good Design Provides…
• Excellent Control!
– Accuracy < 0.001 inch, even while
moving
• Higher Initial Cost
(not always)
• May not be possible

– Complex motion profiles

– Synchronization (no flow dividers)

• Smooth startup
• Less maintenance
• Less tech support

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 Real-life design pressures
• Cost
– Valve: good valves are much more expensive
– Feedback: high resolution is more expensive
– Larger cylinder  larger valve  larger pump

• Availability
– Linear valves may have longer lead times (Rexroth)

• Special requirements
– Space constraints: valve location
– Environment: valve location

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 Real-life design pressures

Understanding Meet Design

control features Requirement
s

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 Closed-Loop Control Review

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Control Review

Target Position

Control Signal
(V)

Actual Position

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Control Review

Each PID gain contributes to the control output

signal
• Proportional Gain
• Integral Gain
• Differential Gain
• Velocity Feed
Forward
• Acceleration Feed
Forward

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Control Review

Proportional Gain – position error

Target
Position

Actual
Position

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Control Review

Integral Gain – sum of position error

Target
Position


Actual
Position

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Control Review

Integral Gain can cause overshoot

If it winds up, it must wind down! Unwinding causes
overshoot

Winds up during
error

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Control Review

Differential Gain – velocity error

Target
Velocity

Actual
Velocity

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Control Review

Quantization Noise Affects D Gain

Because velocity is calculated from position, not measured directly

Actual Velocity is
“noisy”
This results in a “noisy”
Control Output

TODO Output Filter

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Control Review

Velocity Feed Forward – prior knowledge of

velocity
Target
Velocity

Because the actual velocity is

proportional to the voltage to the valve
Example:
1 V ≈ 3 in./sec
2 V ≈ 6 in./sec
3 V ≈ 9 in./sec
Etc.
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Control Review

Acceleration Feed Forward – prior knowledge of

acceleration

Target
Acceleration

Because F = m∙A
The extra “boost” needed is
proportional to the Target Acceleration

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Control Review

Feed Forwards – eliminating error

P, I and D Gains operate
only if an error exists

PID-only will not

follow target exactly

Feed Forwards eliminate error

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Control Review

Important!

Gains and feed forwards are linear equations!

Therefore,
The hydraulic system should
be as linear as possible!

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How Components Affect Control

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 Critical
Accumulator
Components • Size

Valve
• Type
• Size
• Close to cylinder

Feedback
• High resolution

Cylinder
• Size

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 Accumulator

Provides constant Helps provide

supply pressure to valve linear
system!

Locate close to valve.

Sizing is easy.
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Accumulator

Undersized Control Output increases

accumulator during constant velocity.

Not linear!

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 Valve

Best Practice:
• Linear
• Zero-lapped
• High response
• Locate on cylinder
with hard pipe to rod
end

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Valve

Counterbalance
Valves

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Valve Linear vs. Non-linear
Spool

Linear Single knee Curvilinear

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Valve Linear Spool

Provides
linear system

Velocity Feed
Forward functions
properly
Precise
Control!
Auto-tuning works well

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Valve
Single-Knee Spool

Valve- Appears
linear to PID Good
linearization
and feed Control
algorithm
forwards

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Valve
Single-Knee Spool


Historically, lower gain section used for
low flow, higher gain used for high flow.

Modern high resolution of motion
controllers and valves make this
reason nearly obsolete.

Auto-tuning non-linear valves is difficult

because system exhibits two different gains.

Unfortunately , single-knee spools may

be more available than linear spools.

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Valve
Curvilinear Spool
Typically used in less expensive valves

Valve Linearization is possible, but difficult.

Auto-tuning is difficult because system

exhibits multiple gains.

Less expensive.

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Valve Effects of Non-linear
Spool
(especially curvilinear)

Imperfect Valve Poor tracking Integrator

Overshoot
Linearization during move Windup

One Solution:
Turn of integrator during move. Won’t track
well, but will not overshoot and will hold final
position.
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Valve Overlapped
Spools Doesn’t accurately
reach position
(deadband)

No motion until Control Output reaches deadband value.

Spool travel delay causes more problems.

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Valve Deadband Compensation
Always add positive or negative
Deadband value to Control Output

Deadband value

“Hunts” when holding position

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Valve Ratioing Deadband
to Reduce Hunting

Much less hunting

Ratio deadband when Deadband Tolerance value

close to setpoint does decrease position
accuracy
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Valve Overlapped Spools
Not for rapid direction changes

Not for rapid deceleration

Tuning is difficult

Auto-tuning is nearly impossible

Typically less expensive

Nearly leak-free at 0 volts

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Valve Valve Response
3 dB point

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Valve Valve Response

Must be significantly greater than

actuator response

Pay attention to ±5% and ±90%

specs

High response gives ability to

overcome other deficiencies

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 Position Sensors

Magnetostrictive rules!
• Rugged
• Non-contact
• Mounts in cylinder

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Sensors Use High Resolution
and fast response
Magnetostrictive State of the Art:
1µm (0.00004 in.)
• Balluff and MTS
• SSI output
High resolution provides accuracy
AND
controllability for difficult systems

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Sensors Magnetostrictive Outputs

SSI – digital, noise immune, accurate

Start/Stop or PWM – timing dependent,

Resolutions to 0.0005, better with recircs
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Sensors Magnetostrictive Outputs

Analog is noisy!
Beware “infinite” resolution
Is acceptable for short travel.
Filtering is possible, but introduces
phase delay.

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Sensors Other position sensor options

Externally mounted magnetostrictive

String Potentiometer
• String can oscillate
• Filtering is difficult because oscillation is
similar to motion frequency.
• Use only if absolutely necessary

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 Cylinders

F=m∙A Size Bore Diameter to…

• Provide Force
• Provide Stiffness

Flow makes it
go

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Cylinders Cylinder Stiffness

Sloppy control
Narrow bore: Mass

Tight control

Wide bore: Mass

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Cylinders Remote Valve is similar to
Narrow Cylinder

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Cylinders Sizing is Difficult

Large Bore Small Bore

Cylinder size affects:
Energy
• System Response Stiffness
Savings
• Valve size Cost
Force
Savings
• HPU size

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Cylinders Sizing Calculation Methods

VCCM • Good for calculating steady

state speed.
Equation
Enhanced • Enhanced for motion dynamics.
VCCM • Produces acceleration times.

c12 4*c0*c2*t
c0 * ( c12  4 * c0 * c2  c1) * (e 1)
v(t) 
c12 4*c0*c2*t
c1* c12  4 * c0 * c2  2 * c0 * c2 * (e 1)  c12

47 Thanks to George Keller, Jack Johnson, Peter Nachtwey

 Controlling Sloppy Systems
Low Natural Frequency

Forc Mass

e
Spring
energy
absorbs

during acceleration,
then releases it

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Low Natural
Frequency Jerk Feed Forward
Provides extra boost during beginning of
Mass
acceleration, pulls back during end of deceleration.

Velocity Feed Forward Target Accel

Acceleration Feed
Forward

Jerk Feed Forward Jerk Feed Forward

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Low Natural
Frequency Double Differential Gain
Low Natural Frequencies require extra control f the
Mass acceleration. Double Differential Gain.

Target
Accel

Actual
Accel

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Low Natural
Frequency Double Differential Gain
Mass
Quantization Noise

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Low Natural Observer
Frequency Calculates actual acceleration based on the
mathematical system model.
Mass
This Actual Acceleration is very clean, allowing the
double differential gain to be used.

Output Filter is also

possible.
It filters the result of the
Double Differential
Gain, does not filter
actual acceelration.

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Low Natural
Frequency Prerequisites to using
Mass
Double-Differential Gain

• High resolution feedback

• High response, linear valve

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Cylinders Real-Life Cylinder Example
Sawmill

• A number of years ago, sawmill OEM needed

assistance tuning during new sawmill startup
• Delta suggested increasing cylinder bore to
achieve proper stiffness
• OEM replaced cylinders
Cost: Several $100,000
• Now, with advanced tuning, it is possible to
control smaller cylinders.
• Higher-order tuning is complex, so should be
approached with caution.

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Cylinders Real-Life Cylinder Example
Sheet metal brake

• Customer designed brake with one cylinder on

either end, one valve in middle. Approx. 6 ft hose
to each.
• Customer requested assistance tuning
• After 6 hours of tuning, met specs. This required
Double-differential gain.
• Pros: customer achieved competitive machine
price
• Cons: Difficult tuning, maintenance tuning
requires great expertise.

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Cylinders Real-Life Cylinder Example
Radioactive cell

• Hydraulic cylinder in a radioactive cell

• Due to radiation, valve needed to be outside of
cell, resulting in long length of hose.
• Higher-order tuning was successful.

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Cylinders Real-Life Cylinder Example
Large Pool

• In House of Dancing Waters in Macau, hydraulic

cylinders were in large pool.
• Valves needed to be outside of pool, resulting in
long length of hose.
• Higher-order tuning was successful.

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 Summary

Modern motion
Proper hydraulic Real-life demands
controller features
design saves time may require
compensate for
and money compromise
design deficiencies

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 Summary
1
• Undersized Cylinder
or remote valve Problem
• Poor Valve
Many
• Noisy Feedback Problems

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