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13 pages, 3848 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification Algorithm and Improvement of Modal Damping Ratios for Armature Assembly in a Hydraulic Servo-Valve with Magnetic Fluid

by Jinghui Peng, Yayun Zhang, Songjing Li, Wen Bao and Yutaka Tanaka

Energies 2023, 16(8), 3419; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16083419 - 13 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1448

Abstract

The high-frequency vibration and resonance of armature assembly in the hydraulic servo valve are the main reasons for instability and failure. Magnetic fluid (MF) operating in the squeeze mode can be taken as an effective damper for resonance suppression in the servo valve. [...] Read more.

The high-frequency vibration and resonance of armature assembly in the hydraulic servo valve are the main reasons for instability and failure. Magnetic fluid (MF) operating in the squeeze mode can be taken as an effective damper for resonance suppression in the servo valve. Due to excitation difficulty and the low signal-to-noise ratio of high-frequency vibration signals, the capability of MF to modify multiple-order modal damping ratios in a multi-degree-of-freedom system is still unclear. To reveal the mechanism of magnetic fluid for improving modal damping ratios, an algorithm for modal damping ratio identification is proposed. The modal damping ratios of the armature assembly with and without magnetic fluid are identified based on the tested resonance free decay responses. Four resonance frequencies of armature assembly are observed, and the corresponding damping ratios are identified. The equivalent modal damping ratios due to squeeze flow of MF are obtained. The results show that the proposed algorithm can identify damping ratios with an accuracy of up to 98.79%. The damping ratios are improved by double or more due to the magnetic fluid, and the maximum resonance amplitudes are significantly reduced by 65.2% (from 916.5 μm to 318.6 μm). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights of Intelligent and Integrated Fluid Power Systems)

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19 pages, 2738 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Theoretical and Experimental Studies of a PDMS Pneumatic Microactuator for Microfluidic Systems

by Xuling Liu, Huafeng Song, Wensi Zuo, Guoyong Ye, Shaobo Jin, Liangwen Wang and Songjing Li

Energies 2022, 15(22), 8731; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15228731 - 20 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1595

Abstract

The compact, simple, and fast-reaction pneumatic microactuator is significant for the integration and high efficiency of pneumatic systems. In this work, the structure, working principle, and multiphysical model of an on-chip pneumatic microactuator are presented. The on-chip pneumatic microactuator is mainly composed of [...] Read more.

The compact, simple, and fast-reaction pneumatic microactuator is significant for the integration and high efficiency of pneumatic systems. In this work, the structure, working principle, and multiphysical model of an on-chip pneumatic microactuator are presented. The on-chip pneumatic microactuator is mainly composed of two parts: a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) thin membrane and an actuated chamber. The air pressure in the actuated chamber drives the thin elastic membrane to deformation. Dynamic response mathematical models of the actuated chamber for charging and exhaust with variable volume are established, and the deformation characteristics of the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) actuated membrane, the capacity of the actuated chamber, and the valve opening of the on-off membrane microvalve are simulated and analyzed to explore the response characteristics of the proposed pneumatic microactuator. Samples valving analysis of the on-chip membrane microvalve and mixing performance of the micromixer integrated with the pneumatic microactuator are tested to evaluate the driving capability of the pneumatic microactuator, and the results show that the response performance of the actuated time fully satisfies the needs of a pneumatic microfluidic chip for most applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights of Intelligent and Integrated Fluid Power Systems)

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18 pages, 1962 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on an Off-Chip Microvalve for Pneumatic Control in Microfluidic Chips

by Xuling Liu, Wensi Zuo, Huafeng Song, Tingdong Shang, Haiwei Dong, Liangwen Wang, Jinggan Shao and Songjing Li

Energies 2022, 15(21), 8094; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15218094 - 31 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2391

Abstract

A compact, rapid, and portable off-chip pneumatic control valve is significant for the miniaturization and integration of external pneumatic systems for microfluidic chips. In this work, an off-chip microvalve with a high-speed electromagnetic switch actuator and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) material valve body has [...] Read more.

A compact, rapid, and portable off-chip pneumatic control valve is significant for the miniaturization and integration of external pneumatic systems for microfluidic chips. In this work, an off-chip microvalve with a high-speed electromagnetic switch actuator and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) material valve body has been designed to be easily encapsulated, simulated using MATLAB/Simulink software, and tested in a micromixer. Multi-physical coupling mathematical models are developed based on the elastic deformation force of the valve membrane, the driving force of the valve core, and the fluid force in the microchannel. Two single microvalves are used to form a three-way microvalve, which can control the air pressure in a pneumatic microchannel on the microfluidic chip. The relationship between the flow–duty cycle, the flow–pressure difference of the single electromagnetic microvalve, and the load pressure of the three-way microvalve is simulated and analyzed. Sample mixing performance controlled by the proposed off-chip three-way microvalve was tested to evaluate the pneumatic control capability, and the results show that the undertaking can fully satisfy the needs of a pneumatic microfluidic chip for most applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights of Intelligent and Integrated Fluid Power Systems)

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18 pages, 6313 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characteristics of Cavitation Flow for a Regulating Valve Based on Entropy Production Theory

by Jie He, Qihang Liu, Zheng Long, Yujia Zhang, Xiumei Liu, Shaobing Xiang, Beibei Li and Shuyun Qiao

Energies 2022, 15(17), 6480; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15176480 - 5 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1631

Abstract

A regulating valve is a key control element in the coal liquefaction industry, whose flow field distribution is related to the entropy production. In order to make a quantitative evaluation of the energy loss in the cavitation flow and calculate the magnitude and [...] Read more.

A regulating valve is a key control element in the coal liquefaction industry, whose flow field distribution is related to the entropy production. In order to make a quantitative evaluation of the energy loss in the cavitation flow and calculate the magnitude and location of the hydraulic loss in the flow field more accurately, entropy production theory is employed to analyze the flow field in the regulating valve numerically. The entropy production under cavitation condition and its influence on steady-state flow force are also discussed. When the opening of the valve increases, the entropy production and energy loss change dramatically. The entropy production rate (EPR) is mainly distributed at the orifice and downstream of the regulating valve, the entropy production rate (EPR) reaches the maximum value at the orifice, and turbulent pulsation entropy production (TPEP) is the main part of the total entropy production for flow. When the valve’s opening increases from 40% to 70%, the total entropy production (TEP) increases from 467.14 W/K to 630.04 W/K. The entropy production by cavitation (EPC) increases firstly and then decreases. The smallest value of EPC is 0.103 W/K at the 40% opening, while the maximum value is 0.119 W/K at 60% opening. Furthermore, the relationship between total entropy production (TEP) and steady-state flow force can be approximated by an exponential distribution. When the steady-state flow force increases, the total entropy production for flow also increases. Cavitation effect on the steady-state flow force is strengthened firstly and then weakened with increasing the valve’s opening. Finally, a discriminant method based on the change of the steady-state flow force is proposed to detect whether cavitation occurs in the valve or not. The results in this paper could provided a directional and quantitative evaluation of energy loss in the regulating valve, which is help for the structural shape optimization and service life extension combining with external characteristics of the valve and internal flow field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights of Intelligent and Integrated Fluid Power Systems)

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9 pages, 3996 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Silicone-Based Membranes as Potential Materials for Dielectric Electroactive Polymer Actuators

by Jakub Bernat, Piotr Gajewski, Jakub Kołota and Agnieszka Marcinkowska

Energies 2022, 15(17), 6324; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15176324 - 30 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1363

Abstract

This article includes an overview of the materials and a thorough analysis of the methods that are used to produce dielectric electroactive actuator membranes. The paper also presents extensive results from our experimental studies on two types of addition silicone (Silicone Mold Start [...] Read more.

This article includes an overview of the materials and a thorough analysis of the methods that are used to produce dielectric electroactive actuator membranes. The paper also presents extensive results from our experimental studies on two types of addition silicone (Silicone Mold Start 15 and Dragon Skin 10M) that are used to manufacture actuators with different active membranes of thicknesses (165 μm and 300 μm, respectively). This study explored in depth the hardware architectures and methodologies for manufacturing the selected actuators. The displacements of the actuators were compared to their responses to two types of voltage excitation: a step response and a sinusoidal signal with an increasing frequency over time. This paper graphically presents the results that we obtained for all devices, with a particular emphasis on the resonance frequencies. When comparing membranes that had the same thickness (165 μm), it was found that the mean amplitude was higher for silicone membranes with lower values for the Young’s modulus (DS = 0.57

m m

and MS = 0.73

m m

). All experiments were repeated for two series of measurements and the results that were obtained in this study demonstrated the successful implementation of the actuator concepts that were made from the new types of silicone, which have not yet been used for production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights of Intelligent and Integrated Fluid Power Systems)

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13 pages, 3064 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Flow-Bounded Velocity Controller for Hydraulic Bulldozers

by Teemu Mononen and Jouni Mattila

Energies 2022, 15(11), 4027; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15114027 - 30 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1820

Abstract

The bulldozer is a mobile earthmoving machine with a differentially steered mobile base and an onboard manipulator used for soil cutting and transportation. Grading the ground to match a desired contour is an end-effector path-following task, with required joint rates dependent on mobile [...] Read more.

The bulldozer is a mobile earthmoving machine with a differentially steered mobile base and an onboard manipulator used for soil cutting and transportation. Grading the ground to match a desired contour is an end-effector path-following task, with required joint rates dependent on mobile base motion. The offline planning of travel velocity profiles that respect the available hydraulic flowrate limits is difficult due to uncertainties in the machine–soil interactions. Hence, we propose a flow-bounded velocity controller enabling accurate automatic grading with online velocity scaling. The capacity of hydrostatic transmission and manipulator actuators, as well as the desired velocity, are considered when deciding the commanded velocity reference for the mobile base. Our dynamic simulation results show that, with the proposed controller, a desired ground profile is cut accurately when the machine operates at its performance limits. Comparison to constant velocity driving shows that errors in blade positioning are reduced dramatically. Constant velocity selected to keep the flow within limits results in longer completion times compared to our solution, making it more time optimal. Furthermore, the rpm of the diesel engine can be reduced to save fuel without compromising control performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights of Intelligent and Integrated Fluid Power Systems)

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14 pages, 1975 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Position-Based Impedance Control Design for a Hydraulically Actuated Series Elastic Actuator

by Pauli Mustalahti and Jouni Mattila

Energies 2022, 15(7), 2503; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15072503 - 29 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2131

Abstract

Series elastic actuators (SEAs) have become a common actuation method in torque-controlled electric lightweight arm applications that physically interact with the environment in assembly tasks. Compared to traditional actuators, SEAs can provide high force fidelity, shock tolerance, and force sensing for interaction control. [...] Read more.

Series elastic actuators (SEAs) have become a common actuation method in torque-controlled electric lightweight arm applications that physically interact with the environment in assembly tasks. Compared to traditional actuators, SEAs can provide high force fidelity, shock tolerance, and force sensing for interaction control. Considering inherent system dynamics and the variable stiffness of the fluid, the control design for hydraulic SEAs (HSEAs) that lead into fifth-order system is a challenging task. As a novelty, a full state feedback controller design for the developed fifth-order HSEA system is presented to serve as an inner-loop controller to handle highly nonlinear dynamics behavior. In addition, as an outer-loop impedance controller for HSEAs in heavy-duty applications, the position-based impedance controller is designed to handle control of the HSEA system during the contact motion. Experimental results with a one-degree-of-freedom real-size experimental setup with a payload of 200 kilos demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed HSEA control methods both in the free-space motion and in a contact impedance motion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights of Intelligent and Integrated Fluid Power Systems)

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Review

Jump to: Research

34 pages, 13028 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review and Case Analysis on Biaxial Synchronous Loading Technology and Fast Moment-Matching Methods for Fatigue Tests of Wind Turbine Blades

by Liang Lu, Minyan Zhu, Haijun Wu and Jianzhong Wu

Energies 2022, 15(13), 4881; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15134881 - 2 Jul 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2142

Abstract

Wind power utilization is attracting worldwide attention in the renewable energy field, and as wind power develops from land to sea, the size of the blades is becoming incredibly larger. The fatigue test, especially the biaxial synchronous fatigue test for the blades, is [...] Read more.

Wind power utilization is attracting worldwide attention in the renewable energy field, and as wind power develops from land to sea, the size of the blades is becoming incredibly larger. The fatigue test, especially the biaxial synchronous fatigue test for the blades, is becoming an indispensable step to ensure the blade’s quality before mass production, which means the biaxial independent test presently used may have difficulty reproducing the real damage for large-sized blades that oscillate simultaneously in flap-wise and edgewise directions in service conditions. The main point of the fatigue test is to carry out accelerated and reinforced oscillations on blades in the experimental plan. The target moments of critical blade sections are reached or not during the test are treated as one significant evaluation criterion. For independent tests, it is not hard to realize moment matching using additional masses fixed on certain critical blade sections, which may be not easy to put into effect for biaxial synchronous tests, since the mechanical properties and target moments in the flap-wise and edgewise directions are widely varied. To realize the mechanical decoupling for loading force or additional mass inertia force in two directions is becoming one of the key issues for blade biaxial synchronous fatigue testing. For this problem, the present paper proposed one mechanical decoupling design concept after a related literature review. After that, the blade moment design and target matching approach are also proposed, using the Transfer Matrix Method (TMM) for moment quick calculation and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) for case optimization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights of Intelligent and Integrated Fluid Power Systems)

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