Electro-hydraulic actuator systems and methods of operating the same

Abstract

An electro-hydraulic actuator system includes a fixed-displacement hydraulic pump and a variable speed electric motor configured in combination to constitute an individual electro-hydraulic unit that is coupled to an actuator, and a bypass valve in parallel to the actuator. The system is configured to enable the actuator to be operated at actuation speeds that are higher than a maximum actuation capability of the pump at the maximum flow capability thereof, and at actuation speeds that are lower than a minimum actuation capability of the pump at the minimum flow capability thereof. The actuation velocity of the actuator may be controlled by controlling the speed of the electro-hydraulic unit and a size of an opening of the bypass valve.

1 . An electro-hydraulic actuator system comprising:
 an actuator having extension and retraction modes of operation;   a fixed-displacement hydraulic pump and a variable speed electric motor configured in combination to constitute an individual electro-hydraulic unit that is coupled to the actuator for actuation thereof between the extension and retraction modes, the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump having a maximum flow capability and a minimum flow capability; and   a bypass valve in parallel to the actuator;   wherein the system is operable to actuate the actuator at actuation speeds that are higher than a maximum actuation capability of the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump at the maximum flow capability thereof and at actuation speeds that are lower than a minimum actuation capability of the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump at the minimum flow capability thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The electro-hydraulic actuator system of  claim 1 , wherein the electro-hydraulic actuator system is capable of efficiencies equal to or greater than 80%. 
     
     
         3 . The electro-hydraulic actuator system of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a single-rod double-acting cylinder. 
     
     
         4 . The electro-hydraulic actuator system of  claim 1 , wherein the electro-hydraulic actuator system includes an open-circuit architecture. 
     
     
         5 . The electro-hydraulic actuator system of  claim 4 , further comprising a 4/3 directional on/off valve configured to enable four-quadrant functionality of the actuator. 
     
     
         6 . The electro-hydraulic actuator system of  claim 4 , further comprising a filter and a check valve between the actuator and the electro-hydraulic unit. 
     
     
         7 . The electro-hydraulic actuator system of  claim 4 , further comprising pressure relief valves on both sides of the actuator that are configured to avoid over-pressurizations in either extension or retraction of the actuator. 
     
     
         8 . The electro-hydraulic actuator system of  claim 4 , further comprising a check valve between the actuator and the electro-hydraulic unit. 
     
     
         9 . The electro-hydraulic actuator system of  claim 1 , wherein the electro-hydraulic actuator system includes a closed-circuit architecture. 
     
     
         10 . The electro-hydraulic actuator system of  claim 9 , further comprising a low-pressure accumulator configured to compensate for differential flow between a bore side area and a rod side area of the actuator. 
     
     
         11 . The electro-hydraulic actuator system of  claim 10 , further comprising two pilot check valves that, in combination with the low-pressure accumulator, are configured to control charging or discharging of the actuator. 
     
     
         12 . The electro-hydraulic actuator system of  claim 9 , further comprising two directional on/off valves configured to enable load holding at a rest condition. 
     
     
         13 . The electro-hydraulic actuator system of  claim 9 , further comprising pressure relief valves on both sides of the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump that are configured to avoid over-pressurizations in either extension or retraction of the actuator. 
     
     
         14 . The electro-hydraulic actuator system of  claim 9 , further comprising a filter and two check valves between the low-pressure accumulator and the electro-hydraulic drive unit. 
     
     
         15 . A method for configuring the electro-hydraulic actuator system of  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 determining a target maximum actuation velocity for the electro-hydraulic actuator system;   selecting the actuator based on the target maximum actuation velocity;   determining an operational pressure of the electro-hydraulic actuator system based on a load force requirement of the actuator;   selecting a fixed-displacement hydraulic pump based on the flow rate of the actuator and the operational pressure of the electro-hydraulic actuator system; and   selecting a variable speed electric motor based on power requirements of the electro-hydraulic actuator system.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 selecting an accumulator based on the actuator with pressure and power level limited by a drain pressure of the electro-hydraulic actuator system; and   selecting valves based on flow rate of the actuator and operational pressure of the electro-hydraulic actuator system.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein selecting the valves includes limiting the flow rate to a maximum flow rate of the electro-hydraulic actuator system. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 providing an electro-hydraulic actuator system having a fixed-displacement hydraulic pump and a variable speed electric motor configured in combination to constitute an individual electro-hydraulic unit that is coupled to an actuator for actuation thereof, and a bypass valve in parallel to the actuator; and   controlling the actuation velocity of the actuator by controlling the speed of the electro-hydraulic unit and a size of an opening of the bypass valve.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 inputting a speed command (I); and   converting the speed command (I) to a speed of the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump and a control current of the bypass valve.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 defining the speed command (I) as a normalized number with a range between −1 and 1;   determining a working mode of the electro-hydraulic actuator system based on the speed command (I) and a pressure difference at the actuator (dp), the working modes including:
 a resistive extension mode corresponding to extension of a piston of the actuator indicated by I greater than zero and a resistive phase indicated by dp greater than zero; 
 an assistive extension mode corresponding to extension of the piston of the actuator indicated by I greater than zero and an assistive phase indicated by dp less than zero; 
 a resistive retraction mode corresponding to extension of the piston of the actuator indicated by I less than zero and a resistive phase indicated by dp less than zero; 
 an assistive retraction mode corresponding to extension of the piston of the actuator indicated by I less than zero and an assistive phase indicated by dp greater than zero; 
   comparing the speed command (I) to a minimum operating speed (n min ) of the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump, a maximum operating speed (n max ) of the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump, and an area ratio (λ) of the actuator;   operating the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump and the bypass valve based on the working mode and the comparison of the speed command (i) to the minimum operating speed (n min ) of the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump, the maximum operating speed (n max ) of the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump, and the area ratio (λ) of the actuator, wherein:   if in the resistive extension mode and I is greater than n min /n max  but less than 1, then the bypass valve remains closed and the actuation velocity is controlled by the speed of the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump;
 if in the resistive extension mode and I is less than then the bypass valve is at least partially opened and the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump is operated at the minimum operating speed (n min ); 
 if in the assistive extension mode and I is greater than λ·n min /n max  but less than λ, then the bypass valve remains closed and the actuation velocity is controlled by the speed of the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump; 
 if in the assistive extension mode and I is less than λ·n min /n max , then the bypass valve is at least partially opened and the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump is stopped; 
 if in the resistive retraction mode and |I| is greater than n min /n max  but less than 1, then the bypass valve remains closed and the actuation velocity is controlled by the speed of the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump; 
 if in the resistive retraction mode and |I| is less than n min then the bypass valve is at least partially opened and the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump is operated at the minimum operating speed (n min ); 
   if in the assistive retraction mode and |I| is greater than n min /(λ·n max ) but less than 1/λ, then the bypass valve remains closed and the actuation velocity is controlled by the speed of the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump;   if in the assistive retraction mode and |I| is less than n min /(λ·n max ), then the bypass valve is at least partially opened and the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump is stopped; and   if in the assistive retraction mode and |I| is greater than 1/λ, then the bypass valve is at least partially opened and the fixed-displacement hydraulic pump is operated in reverse at the maximum operating speed (−n max ).