THE 8th LATIN-AMERICAN CONGRESS ON ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION - CLAGTEE 2009
Performance of Distributing Valves in
Hydroelectric Speed Governors: Analysis of the
Influence of the Internal Geometry
L. Retzlaff, UFSC/EMC/LASHIP, H. C. Belan, IFSC, M. I. Pacheco, UFSC/EMC/LASHIP,
D. Ferronatto, UFSC/EMC/LASHIP, V. J. De Negri, UFSC/EMC/LASHIP, J. M. C. Soares, REIVAX
Abstract-- This paper discusses an analysis of the influence of
internal geometric parameters on the performance of
distributing valves including the theoretical and experimental
analysis of a 3000 Lpm valve which is used in the speed control of
a 350 MVA turbine. Using a model that represents the fluid flow
through the valve, it is possible to study the influence of the
internal geometry, such the orifice area, radial clearances and
internal channels, on the behavior of flow rate and pressure.
With the validated model, different valve configurations can be
evaluated either in the design phase or during the operation and
qualification tests. These results could aid both professionals
involved in the operation and maintenance of hydroelectric
power plants in identifying and tracking any changes in the
valves performance and design engineers in the definition of the
geometric and dimensional tolerances.
Index Terms-- Geometry, Hydraulic systems, Hydroelectric
power generation, Valves, Velocity control.
I. NOMENCLATURE
∆𝑝 - pressure drop [Pa]
𝑅 - equivalent resistance [Pa.s2/m6]
𝑞𝑉 - flow rate [m3/s]
𝑐𝑑 - discharge coefficient [adm]
𝐴𝑜 - orifice area [m2]
𝑑𝑖𝑐 - sleeve internal diameter [m]
𝑑𝑟 - spool land diameter [m]
𝑐𝑟𝑒 - initial sleeve groove length [m]
𝑐𝑎𝑑 - additional sleeve groove length [m]
𝑑𝑚 - average diameter between 𝑑𝑖𝑐 and 𝑑𝑟 [m]
𝑆𝑣 - overlap [m]
𝑙𝑖 - additional port length [m]
𝑙𝑠𝑜𝑏 - overlap length [m]
𝐷ℎ - hydraulic diameter [m]
𝑅𝑒 - Reynolds number [adm]
𝑅𝑒𝑡 - transition Reynolds number [adm]
𝛿 - laminar flow coefficient [adm]
𝑥𝑠 - spool displacement [m]
𝑥𝑟𝑒 - displacement in the initial groove [m]
𝑥𝑎𝑑 – displacement in the additional groove [m]
Subscripts
OR - overlapped region
UR - underlapped region
𝑠𝑣 - area where overlapped region is constant
𝑟𝑒 - initial groove region
𝑎𝑑 - additional groove region
1
II. INTRODUCTION
YDROELECTRIC power plants are large and have
H unique characteristics. Each one has differential design
parameters that may require specific components and
systems. Within the scope of power generation, the turbine is a
key element, and its rotational speed must be controlled to
guarantee the frequency of the electric power generated, which
is a main factor in power generation quality. The governing
system, responsible for its control, detects the speed and/or the
power deviation and converts it into a change in the
servomotor position. It includes the speed sensing elements,
the governor control actuator, the hydraulic pressure supply
system, the turbine control servomotor and wicket gates. The
governor control actuator is a combination of devices and
mechanisms that detects a speed error and develops a
corresponding hydraulic control output to the turbine control
servomotors [1]. One part of this system is the distributing
valve, which is the main hydraulic component of this study. It
is known that effects on the turbine governing system, such as
a pump intermittency decrease or response time reduction of
the servomotors, can be correlated with changes in the internal
geometry of the distributing valve often caused by mechanical
damage inherent to its use. Currently, there are a large number
of distributing valves which have been in operation for
decades and, when necessary, spare parts cannot always be
obtained from the original manufacturer. Moreover, the
industrial components available in the market do not
adequately meet the flow rate and hydraulic fluid
characteristics. Therefore, efforts are being made to either
design new valves or repair used valves at satisfactory cost. In
this context, this paper addresses this problem, through a
theoretical and experimental study of a directional continuous
control valve of 3000 Lpm used as a distributing valve in the
speed control system of a 350 MVA Francis turbine. Using a
model that represents the fluid flow through the valve, the
influence of internal geometry and dimensional tolerances on
the component performance is studied. A valve was
redesigned at the Laboratory of Hydraulic and Pneumatic
Systems (LASHIP) of the Federal University of Santa
Catarina (UFSC). After the mechanical design, mechanical
manufacturing and dimensional measurements were
completed, tests were carried out to verify the hydraulic
behavior of the component according to IEC 60308 [2] and
THE 8th LATIN-AMERICAN CONGRESS ON ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION - CLAGTEE 2009 2

ISO 10770-1 [3] standards.

In this paper, the geometrical characteristics of this B port cre
distributing valve are discussed in Section II. In Section III the 4 ports

mathematical model is presented and in Section IV theoretical A port cad

4 ports c ad
and experimental results are compared allowing validation of dic
the model and conclusions regarding the influence of the main
geometric parameters to be drawn. In Section V the final
conclusions are presented.

III. GEOMETRIC MODEL

The geometric model helps in determining the appropriate b)
mathematical model and its parameters which allow the
A port B port
simulation of the steady-state flow through the distributing R4 R3 R5 R6
valve. xs
xs
A
The distributing valve is a four-way directional continuous
control valve, hydraulically piloted. According to the J4 J4
mechanical design the studied valve is symmetrical, which
means it has symmetrical and matched orifices [4]. In a Spool land length Spool land length
symmetrical valve, the flow rates to and from the cylinder
(servomotor) must be equal, as well as the pressure change J3 J3
and the internal leakage.
sv region sv region
The main parts of the valve are shown in Fig. 1. The spool re region
(Fig. 1a) slides axially inside the sleeve (Fig. 1b) which has ad region ad region
re region
J2 J2
lands that can partially or completely obstruct the sleeve ports
which adjust the flow through the orifices.
The control edges are the most important part of the spool
which, together with the corresponding control edges on the J1 J1
sleeve, form the geometry of the orifices. Fig. 1c details the
groove on the sleeve that allows control of the flow rate in the A
initial displacement. Underlapped Region Overlapped Region

c)

Ao re_OR
Aoad_OR

a) b) c)
Aosv_OR
Fig. 1. Details of distributing valve: a) spool; b) sleeve and c) sleeve groove.

Fig. 2a shows a longitudinal cut of the spool-sleeve set and

Fig. 2b shows a transversal cut of the sleeve. Fig. 2c shows a dic/2
dr/2
plan view of the spool-sleeve set where one can see the three
main orifice areas included in the mathematical model. Fig. 2d Cross section A:A
shows the radial clearance between the spool and the sleeve,
where overlapped areas are identified. d)
Fig. 2 shows the main variables and parameters used in the
Fig. 2. Internal geometry identification: a) longitudinal cut of the spool-sleeve
mathematical model, and intends to clarify how the set; b) sleeve transversal cut; c) plan view of spool-sleeve set; and d)
mathematical model is structured. Thus, it includes a sum of transversal cut on the overlapped region.
four sv areas, four re areas and eight ad areas for each orifice.
IV. MATHEMATICAL MODEL
A S B Sleeve
R R Aiming to support the analysis and the design of
li li directional continuous control valves, the model which
Sv Sv
4 3 5 6
describes the physical phenomena inside the valve is based on
dr dic the flow through the orifices, enabling the study of the flow
behavior through the valve. Thus, internal geometries like the
xs
Spool
a)
THE 8th LATIN-AMERICAN CONGRESS ON ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION - CLAGTEE 2009 3

orifice area, radial clearances and the internal channel length pA pB

are modeled.
As a preliminary theoretical model, simplifications were
required to synthesize the model. Therefore, the entry length R4 R3 R5 R6
in short tubes, distributed pressure drop along internal
channels and valve access pipes are disregarded.
pt pt
A. Flow in the orifices ps
a)
The hydraulic behavior is very closely related to the
relative position between each spool land and sleeve port. In
the overlapped region, the orifice area is the annular area pA pB
formed between the spool land and the sleeve internal R4 R3 R5 R6
diameter featuring a short tube orifice. In turn, in the
J1 J1 J1 J1
underlapped region the orifice area is bounded by the edges of
the sleeve port and the spool land featuring a sharp-edge J2 J2 J2 J2
orifice.
J3 J3 J3 J3
The calculation of steady-state flow in this study is based
on the principle of hydraulic resistance. The pressure drop pt J4 J4 J4 J4
pt
over a flow path with “n” flow restrictions is proportional to
the square of the flow rate [5]. Considering flow restrictions in
series, as shown in Fig. 3, the total pressure drop is the sum of
ps
each pressure drop over the pipe. Each element that generates b)
a pressure drop is modeled through its resistance, as in (1).
Ji
𝑅𝑖 . 𝑞𝑉2
i=1:4
∆𝑝𝑖 = (1) Rsv

Rad
R1 R2 R3 R4
Rre
p1 qV p2
Rad
Δp
c)
Fig. 3. Example of a flow path with four flow restrictions.
Fig. 4. Hydraulic resistances scheme: a) one resistance for each orifice; b)
four parallel resistances for each orifice that represents the ports; and c) four
It is observed that the hydraulic resistances can be treated parallel resistances for each port that represents the three flow regions.
in the same way as the electrical resistances (series and / or
parallel) aiming to calculate an equivalent resistance. Equation The resistance is evaluated using the classical equation for
(2) shows the total pressure drop for series resistances and (3) flow through a hydraulic orifice [5]. Comparison with (1)
for parallel resistances. yields:
𝑛 𝜌
∆𝑝𝑡 = 𝑅𝑖 . 𝑞𝑉2 (2) 𝑅𝑖 = (4)
𝑖 2. 𝑐𝑑2 . 𝐴2𝑜𝑖

1 Therefore, one is able to calculate the flow rate or the

∆𝑝𝑡 = . 𝑞𝑉2 (3)
𝑛 1 pressure drop in each set of resistances and through its
𝑖 𝑅𝑖 appropriated sum leads to both the internal leakage and the
pressure behavior.
Therefore, based on Fig. 2a and Fig. 2c, the equivalent
electric circuit diagram shown in Fig. 4 can be obtained. For B. Determination of the orifice area
each orifice resistance (R4, R3, R5, R6) there are four
resistances in parallel (J1, J2, J3, J4) where each one Considering the valve geometry, the orifice area in the
represents each port for the same orifice. Furthermore, for overlapped region for each port can be expressed by (5), (6)
each port there are four more resistances in parallel where and (7).
each one represents the constant overlap region (𝐴𝑜 𝑠𝑣_𝑂𝑅 ), the 𝑐𝑟𝑒
2 2
𝜋 𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑐
initial groove (𝐴𝑜 𝑟𝑒 _𝑂𝑅 𝑜𝑟 𝐴𝑜 𝑟𝑒 _𝑈𝑅 ) and the two additional 𝐴𝑜 𝑠𝑣_𝑂𝑅 = 𝑑𝑖𝑐 − 𝑑𝑟 . −
16 4
groove (𝐴𝑜 𝑎𝑑 _𝑂𝑅 𝑜𝑟 𝐴𝑜 𝑎𝑑 _𝑈𝑅 ), as shown Fig. 2c.
𝑐𝑎𝑑
Consequently, the hydraulic resistance scheme is obtained 𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑠𝑖𝑛
𝑑𝑖𝑐
through a combination of both series and parallel resistances. − (5)
4
THE 8th LATIN-AMERICAN CONGRESS ON ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION - CLAGTEE 2009 4

V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

2 𝑐
𝑑𝑖𝑐 − 𝑑𝑟2 . 𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑟𝑒 The behavioral pattern of this kind of valve is described by
𝑑𝑖𝑐
𝐴𝑜 𝑟𝑒 _𝑂𝑅 = (6) standards such as the IEC 60308 [2] and ISO 10770 series [3].
4
These standards establish the tests and resulting curves as well
2 𝑐𝑎𝑑 as the parameters that characterize the behavior of the
2 . 𝑑𝑖𝑐 − 𝑑𝑟2 . 𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑠𝑖𝑛
𝑑𝑖𝑐 hydraulic component. In this paper the tests for the blocked
𝐴𝑜 𝑎𝑑 _𝑂𝑅 = (7) port load pressure and internal leakage are discussed.
4
The tests were performed under the following operating
In the underlapped region the orifice area for each port is conditions:
expressed by (8) and (9). • Oil type: ISO VG 32 (Mobil DTE 24)
• Oil temperature: 42 ± 2°C
𝐴𝑜 𝑟𝑒 _𝑈𝑅 = 𝑑𝑚 . 𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑠𝑖𝑛
𝑐𝑟𝑒 2 + 𝑓2
. 𝑥𝑟𝑒 (8) • Viscosity: 28 cSt (40°C)
𝑑 𝑖𝑐 𝑟
• Supply pressure: 57 ± 2 bar
As the geometric parameters are based on real
𝑐𝑎𝑑 2 measurements [7] the intrinsic uncertainty of measurement
𝐴𝑜 𝑎𝑑 _𝑈𝑅 = 𝑑𝑚 . 𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑠𝑖𝑛 . 𝑥𝑎𝑑 + 𝑓𝑟2 (9)
𝑑𝑖𝑐 needs to be considered when using the values of these
parameters.
Therefore, there is a set of active areas for each range of The diameters of the sleeve and the spool lands have a
spool displacement as shown in Table I. great influence on the valve performance. Therefore, the
maximum and minimum values that were found to give the
TABLE I theoretical results were considered. The uncertainties of
ACTIVE AREAS FOR EACH SPOOL DISPLACEMENT RANGE
measurement related for these diameters are shown in Table
III.
3 and 6 orifice (𝑥𝑠 > 0) 4 and 5 orifice (𝑥𝑠 > 0)
Range of spool TABLE III
and and
displacement UNCERTAINTY OF MEASUREMENT OF SPOOL LAND DIAMETER
4 e 5 orifice (𝑥𝑠 < 0) 3 and 6 orifice (𝑥𝑠 < 0)
AND SLEEVE INTERNAL DIAMETER
𝐴𝑜 = 𝐴𝑜_𝑂𝑅 = Orifice Measurement [mm]
Uncertainty of
𝑥𝑠 < 𝑆𝑣 𝐴𝑜 𝑠𝑣_𝑂𝑅 + 𝐴𝑜 𝑟𝑒 _𝑂𝑅 + 𝐴𝑜 𝑎𝑑 _𝑂𝑅 measurement [mm]
4 99.976 0.003
𝐴𝑜 = 𝐴𝑜_𝑂𝑅 + 𝐴𝑜_𝑈𝑅 𝐴𝑜 = 𝐴𝑜_𝑂𝑅 = Spool land 3 99.976 0.003
𝑥𝑠 ≤ 𝑆𝑣 + 𝑙𝑖 𝐴𝑜_𝑈𝑅 = 𝐴𝑜 𝑟𝑒 _𝑈𝑅 𝐴𝑜 𝑠𝑣_𝑂𝑅 + 𝐴𝑜 𝑟𝑒 _𝑂𝑅 diameter 5 99.985 0.003
𝐴𝑜_𝑂𝑅 = 𝐴𝑜 𝑠𝑣_𝑂𝑅 + 𝐴𝑜 𝑎𝑑 _𝑂𝑅 + 𝐴𝑜 𝑎𝑑 _𝑂𝑅 6 99.981 0.003
4 100.006 0.004
Sleeve
𝐴𝑜 = 𝐴0_𝑈𝑅 + 𝐴𝑜_𝑂𝑅 internal
3 100.004 0.004
𝑥𝑠 > 𝑆𝑣 + 𝑙𝑖 𝐴𝑜_𝑈𝑅 = 𝐴𝑜 𝑟𝑒 _𝑈𝑅 + 𝐴𝑜 𝑎𝑑 _𝑈𝑅 diameter
5 100.008 0.004
𝐴𝑜_𝑂𝑅 = 𝐴𝑜 𝑠𝑣_𝑂𝑅 6 100.010 0.004

The dimensional measurements were taken at the CERTI

C. Determination of the discharge coefficient Foundation (Reference Center in Innovative Technologies)
located at Federal University of Santa Catarina Campus,
The calculation of the discharge coefficient varies with the Brazil.
type of orifice. The discharge coefficient is calculated for a
short tube in the overlapped regions and for a sharp-edge in A. Blocked port load pressure
the underlapped regions [6]. The valid expressions are shown
in Table II. The pressure variation test is performed blocking ports A
and B of the distributing valve. The behavior of the pressure in
TABLE II the ports is obtained according to the displacement of the
DISCHARGE COEFFICIENT EXPRESSIONS
spool. With this behavior one can infer both the geometrical
Equation
characteristics and dynamic behavior.
1/2 −1/2
These curves should be similar to those presented in the
𝑙𝑠𝑜𝑏 𝐷ℎ. 𝑅𝑒 IEC 60308 standard [2] (Fig. 5) where the zero shown on the
𝑐𝑑 = 1.5 + 13.74 > 50
Overlapped 𝐷ℎ. 𝑅𝑒 𝑙𝑠𝑜𝑏 abscissa axis is both the geometric and the hydraulic center of
region
(short tube) −1/2 the valve.
𝑙𝑠𝑜𝑏 𝐷ℎ. 𝑅𝑒
𝑐𝑑 = 2.28 + 64. < 50 The same operational conditions were simulated to
𝐷ℎ. 𝑅𝑒 𝑙𝑠𝑜𝑏
reproduce the pressure curves obtained in the experiments
carried out at LASHIP/UFSC.
𝑐𝑑 = 𝛿. 𝑅𝑒 𝑅𝑒 < 𝑅𝑒𝑡
Underlapped
region 𝑐𝑑 = 0.611 𝑅𝑒 > 𝑅𝑒𝑡
(sharp-edge)
0.611 2
where 𝑅𝑒𝑡 = ; 𝛿 = 0.157
𝛿
THE 8th LATIN-AMERICAN CONGRESS ON ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION - CLAGTEE 2009 5

Unlike the typical performance presented in [2] and [3],

the experimental and theoretical curves shown in Fig. 6 show
that the hydraulic center does not match with the geometric
center. Aiming to understand this behavior, Fig. 7 shows the
simulation results when an average radial clearance of 0.015
mm is considered over the spool-sleeve length. As one can
observe, in this case the hydraulic center matches with the
geometrical center.
Comparing Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 one can conclude that the
valve performance is very sensitive to the radial clearance
variation. Therefore, it can be observed that differences of
thousands of a millimeter can affect the component symmetry.
Fig. 5. Pressure curves in closed pipes versus displacement (Δs) of the valve
spool (typical) [2].

Fig. 6a shows the theoretical and experimental results

obtained with the maximum radial clearance (see Table III)
and Fig 6b with the minimum radial clearance, where it is
observed that the hydraulic center (theoretical pA and pB cross
point) does not coincide with the geometric center (spool
displacement equals zero).

Fig. 7. Pressure behavior with uniform average length of radial clearance.

B. Internal leakage

This test aims to determine the behavior of the internal

leakage of the distributing valve over the spool displacement.
As in the test described above, the A and B ports are blocked.
As a reference, Fig. 8 represents the typical behavior of the
internal leakage as a function of an input signal as described in
[3].

a)

Fig. 8. Internal leakage versus input signal [3].

Comparing experimental and theoretical results, Fig. 9

b)
shows a similarity between their behaviors regarding the
Fig. 6. Theoretical and experimental results for blocked port load pressure displacement of the spool. The validity of the model is proved
versus spool displacement: a) maximum radial clearance; and b) minimum
radial clearance.
THE 8th LATIN-AMERICAN CONGRESS ON ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION - CLAGTEE 2009
since the experimental data curve is between the maximum
and minimum radial clearance curves, according to Table III.
Fig. 9. Internal leakage versus spool displacement for maximum and
minimum radial clearance and experimental data.
Unlike the typical performance presented in Fig. 8, the
experimental results show that the internal leakage is not
symmetrical around the geometric center of the valve because
the two radial clearances are not symmetrical, providing more
leakage for the port on one side. Another aspect to be
observed is the two, rather than one, leakage peacks. This is
caused by the valve overlap as confirmed through comparison
with Fig. 10. In this figure, the simulated valve has a critical
center but the asymmetric radial clearance is still present. For
the valve studied (Fig.9) the overlap is 0.2 mm.
Fig. 10. Internal leakage versus spool displacement for minimun radial
clearance and critical center.
VI. CONCLUSIONS
According to the results presented in this paper it one can
be concluded that the mathematical model based on fluid
mechanics principles describes the real behavior very well.
Through the model it was possible to identify the influence
of geometric parameters on the distributing valve
performance. The variation of the clearance over the spool-
sleeve length, even under typical design specifications, causes
a shifting of the hydraulic center of the valve. Moreover, the
leakage is strongly influenced by both the radial clearance and
6
the underlap. The results show that variations of micrometers
can result in the valve not fulfilling the requirements of its
design. As this type of valve is almost a single copy, high
manufacturing costs are involved, so errors in the design and
manufacture are not acceptable.
Therefore, it is extremely important to pay careful to
dimensional tolerances both in the design phase and the
manufacturing process of a distributing valve. Moreover,
special consideration must be given to the mechanical damage
inherent to the valve use, since this can change significantly
the performance of the valve. It should be noted that a
performance decrease causes an unnecessary increase in the
control process, and a reduction in the life of other
components of the hydraulic system governor, such as pumps,
filters and servomotors.
The wide research project of which this paper forms part
aims to determine the maximum tolerances to be employed in
the manufacture of components to ensure that they meet the
requirements of speed governor system design.
VII. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The results presented in this paper are related to the
Finep/CT-ENERG project sponsored by Eletrobrás
(Eletronorte), Medal – Metalúrgica Dalla Lana, Hydrus
Tecnologia Hidráulica, and Reivax SA Automação e Controle.
VIII. REFERENCES
[1] IEEE Recommended Practice for Preparation of Equipment Specifica-
tions for Speed-Governing of Hydraulic Turbines Intended to Drive Elec-
tric Generators. ANSI/IEEE 125 Std 125-1988 (Revision of ANSI/IEEE
Std 125-1977).
[2] IEC 60308. Hydraulic Turbines – Testing of Control Systems. IEC Stan-
dard 2005.
[3] ISO/CD 5598 – Fluid Power systems and components – Vocabulary. ISO
Standard (ISO 5598:2008 revision).
[4] V. J. DE NEGRI, J. R. B. R. FILHO, A. D. C. SOUZA. A Design Method
for Hydraulic Positioning Systems. 51th National Conference on Fluid
Power (NCFP), in conjunction with IFPE 2008. The International Exposi-
tion for Power Transmission, pp669-679. March 12-14, 2008, Las Vegas,
USA.
[5] I. V. Linsingen. Fundamentos de Sistemas Hidráulicos. 3. ed. rev. – Flo-
rianópolis: Ed. da UFSC, 2008. 399p.
[6] H. E. Merritt. Hydraulic Control Systems. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New
York, 1967.
[7] V. J. De Negri, L. Retzlaff, H. C. Belan, T. H. Martins, L. A. H. Rodri-
gues, M. I. Pacheco. Relatório Final: Meta 2 - Desenvolvimento de válvu-
la distribuidora (VD) para regulador de velocidade. UFSC. Technical
Report 520041/2006-2, 2008.
IX. BIOGRAPHIES
Luciano Retzlaff was born in Santa Maria, Brazil,
on March 15, 1975. He received his mechanics
technicisn diploma in 1993, from the Industrial
Technical School of Santa Maria, mechanical
engineering degree in 2001, from the State
University of Santa Maria (UFSM) and M. Eng.
degree in 2007 from the Federal University of
Santa Catarina (UFSC). He has worked for two
years on the design of hydraulic components. His
interest areas include hydraulic components and
mobile hydraulics.
THE 8th LATIN-AMERICAN CONGRESS ON ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION - CLAGTEE 2009 7

Henri Carlo Belan is a Professor of Mechanical

Engineering and Coordinator of the Mechanical
Area at the Federal Institute of Santa Catarina, Cha-
pecó, BR. He received his degree in control and
automation engineering in 2005 and M. Eng. degree
in mechanical engineering in 2007, both from the
Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis,
BR. His research interests are in control and auto-
mation systems, with emphasis on the design of
pneumatic and hydraulic systems.

Matheus Ibagy Pacheco was born in Chapecó, Bra-

zil, on October 16, 1984. He graduated in mechani-
cal engineering in 2008 at the Federal University of
Santa Catarina. Since 2006 he has worked on the
development and testing in hydraulic components at
the Laboratory of Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems.

Desyel Ferronatto was born in Chapecó, Brazil, on

July 31, 1984. He received his mechanical engineer-
ing degree in 2007, from the State University of San-
ta Catarina (UDESC). He is a master`s student at the
Laboratory of Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems of
Federal University of Santa Catarina and his re-
search interests area is hydraulic systems. Since
2008 he has studied the influence of the internal
geometry of directional proportional valves.

Victor Juliano De Negri was born in São Leo-

poldo, Brazil, on September 15, 1960. He received
his mechanical engineering degree in 1983, from
UNISINOS, M. Eng. degree in 1987 and D. Eng.
degree in 1996, both from Federal University of
Santa Catarina (UFSC). Since 1995, he has been a
Professor at the Mechanical Engineering Depart-
ment at UFSC. He is currently the head of the Labo-
ratory of Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems
(LASHIP). His interest areas include hydraulic
components, power generating plants, mobile hydraulics, pneumatic systems,
and positioning systems. He has supervised more than 30 master’s and doctor-
ate theses and final term projects. He has 2 patents and over than 70 scientific
and technical publications.

João Marcos Soares (M' 1998) was born in Rosário

do Sul, Brazil, on July 8, 1954. He graduated in
electrical engineering in 1976 from the Federal Uni-
versity of Santa Maria and obtained a M.Sc. in 1982
in control of electrical systems. He has worked as a
professor (1977) and engineer in power generation at
the company ELETROSUL (1978-1987). He created
the company REIVAX in 1987 in Florianópolis,
Brazil, which specializes in the control and automa-
tion of the power generation. He has many technical
papers published in journals and congresses.

Contact address:

Federal University of Santa Catarina - Mechanical Engineering Department

LASHIP - Laboratory of Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems
Campus Universitário - Po.Box. 476 - Zip Code 88040-900 - Florianópolis -
SC - Brazil

e-mail: victor@emc.ufsc.br