Fluid Power Systems

• Characteristics of fluid power systems

• Basic FP modeling assumption
– power transmission by fluid
• Basic FP physical effects
– resistance, compliance, inertia
• Typical FP components
• Some FP system examples

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 1

 Characteristics of FP systems
Some characteristics of fluid power, relative
to mechanical and electrical power:
• high speed of response for large force
transmission
• controllable at high power levels
• good heat dissipation qualities
• safe to use, but leakage, bursts a problem
• moderately good for power transmission
over moderate distances
Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 2
 Fluid power transmission
• Power head in a flowing stream:
p + ρv2/2 + ρgz
• Fluid power assumption:
p >> ρv2/2
• Fluid assumed “incompressible”
• Two distinct areas
– Hydraulics (hydrostatics): high p, low vol flow
– Pneumatics (acoustics): low p, high vol flow
Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 3
 Fluid power transmission
• Fluid power bond:
Power = p*Q,
where p denotes pressure
and Q denotes volume flow.
p
Q

Units: p, N/m2 ; Q, m3/s. (Scale factors.)

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 4
 Some Basic Physical Effects

• Power losses (line friction, valving)

• Compliance (stiffness) effects
• Inertia effects
• Drivers and loading effects
• Transducer effects

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 5

 Some loss effects -
Porous plug: linear resistance
pa pb Q

Q
pa - pb
Laminar flow
(Hagen-Poiseuille law):
pa − pb = (128µL / πD ) * Q 4

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 6

 Some loss effects (cont.) -
Turbulent flow:
pa − pb = f *(L*µ 0.25
* ρ 0.75 4.75
/ D ) *Q 1.75

Orifice flow (turbulent):

Q
Q = Cd * Ad * [Pa − Pb ]
1/ 2

pa - pb

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 7

 Some compliance effects

• fluid compressibility
• compliance of hydraulic lines
• accumulators
• changes in elevation in gravity field
• entrainment of gas

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 8

 Gravity-induced compliance effects

p0 p

Q
p

p = (1/C)*V + p0 V
dV/dt = Q
p
C*dp/dt = Q C=?
Q
C
Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 9
 Fluid compressibility effects

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 10

 Line compliance effects

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 11

 Fluid inertia effects

a b

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 12

 Driver and loading effects
• atmospheric pressure
• valve: fully closed
• hydraulic (pneumatic) pumps
• hydraulic (pneumatic) motors

pressure source flow source

p
Se Sf
Q
Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 13
 Some typical fluid power components
• filters
• cylinders
• valves
– flow control, check, logic, pressure relief
cylinders
• pumps
• motors
• lines

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 14

Hydraulic cylinder, single-sided

v
p
F Q

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 15

Hydraulic cylinder: loss effects

Efficiency?
Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 16
Hydraulic cylinder: dynamic (and loss) effects

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 17

 Hydraulic Pump Modeling
High p

T
w

Shaft
input Low p

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 18

 Typical positive displacement (PD) pump

Examples: gear pump, vane pump, piston pump.

Basic operation of a PD pump:

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 19

 Loss effects in a PD pump:

Power efficiency?

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 20

Dynamic (and loss) effects in a PD pump:

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 21

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 22
 Multiport model.

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 23

 Fluid power system modeling.
• Label each distinct pressure point or region.
– Write a 0-junction for each point.
• Add components; identify their ports; assign
power directions.
• For each component, build a model.
– e.g., add compliance, resistance, and inertia
effects, using C’s, R’s, and I’s, respectively.
• Select reference pressure (gauge or atmospheric).
Eliminate the corresponding 0-junction(s).
• Simplify the model.
Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 24
Hydraulic line modeling
p1 p2

Q1 Q2
L

Properties (distributed over line length):

• losses, due to wall friction
• inertia
• compliance, due to fluid and line

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 25

 Hydraulic line: composite model 1

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 26

 Hydraulic line: composite model 2

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 27

 Hydraulic Line: model comparison

• Mode information
– number of eigenvalues
(what is their distribution?)
– number of eigenvectors
(what are the “mode shapes”?)
• Steady-state for constant inputs
– Let pa = Pac and Qb = Qbc
(what is the steady-state response?)

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 28

 Hydraulic line: improving model accuracy

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 29

 Matching boundary conditions

Se LINE Se

Inputs: Pa and Pb

Sf LINE Sf

Inputs: Qa and Qb

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 30

 Matching boundary conditions

Se LINE Sf

Inputs: Pa and Qb

Sf LINE Se

Inputs: Qa and Pb

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 31

 Matching boundary conditions: options

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 32

 Valves

• Pressure relief valves

• Spool valves for logic
• Check valves
• Servo valves

Mechatronic Systems Modeling - fluid power Slide 33