Views
6 years ago

MDA Technologies 5/2015

MDA Technologies 5/2015

MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL

MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL to the market. A typical system can have two to sixteen valves; reducing the leakage of these functions by up to 80 %, which translates to 0.3 kW of energy savings. Magnetic forces To accomplish this, HydraForce extensively used theoretical modeling, encompassing Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and magnetic modeling. CFD is an important tool that HydraForce has been utilizing over the past 5 years, that has proven to increase flow rates and decrease pressure drop, in various valve configurations. With these powerful tools, HydraForce was successfully able to optimize the magnetic efficiency of its G3 valves, focusing on actuator size and forces. “We also wanted to create a rigid assembly that would be robust for shipping, handling, and long-term durability,” stated Nick Stabile, Engineering Group Leader at HydraForce. “In the case of our solenoid valves, we were able to keep a similar coil size to that of our older generation valves, but generate two to three times the magnetic force with less current drawn. In the case of our proportional valves, the solenoid coil force is about the same as that of our drop-in products, but with a small coil that draws up to 30 % less current,” said Stabile. “As far as the actual mechanics of the valves are concerned, they’re designed in such a way so that the actuator uses a minimal amount of current.” he added. The new G3 lineup The initial models in the new G3 cartridge valve line includes 3-way and 4-way solenoid valves with flow ratings of 8 gpm (30 lpm) and a pressure rating of 652 psi (45 bar). The proportional pressure reduc- 02 CFD helped in significantly reducing the pressure drop and increasing the flow rates wherever required ing valves include a pilot valve with optional manual override, a high-flow, direct acting valve and a high-flow, pilot-operated valve. A choice of flow rates Flow rates, depending on configuration, are 1 gpm (4 lpm), 8 gpm (30 lpm) and 9.0 gpm (34 lpm) at operating pressures of up to 652 psi (45 bar). The flow ranges for these proportional valves were chosen to serve different segments of the powertrain market. For instance, the 1 gpm valves are used in piloting circuits, where as the 8 – 9 gpm valves can be used for direct acting circuits, to drive actuators efficiently without the use of any additional elements. On top of the market “All of the valves incorporate enhancements in the actuator mechanism and have the solenoid connector mounted on top of the valve rather than the side, making them more compact,” explains Price. The topmounted connector allows tighter spacing between valves and easier access from the top to attach the wiring harnesses. The idea for the top-mounted connectors came from a customer. “We saw the market trending this way, engine compartments are very tight these days. They don’t have a lot of space there so any millimeter you can save is a good thing,” he added. G3 Valves, driven by applications Another application-driven feature of the G3 valves is that they are rated to higher tank line pressures. “We wanted to overcome the limitation in tank line pressure ratings on our older products, this means the new G3 valves have greater flexibility for circuit design.” explains Stabile. “The flexibility of G3 valves is enhanced with a flange-style mounting plate that can interface with existing mounting holes to provide full backward compatibility. In addition, the round flange is designed to provide expanded options for coil orientation, as coil terminations can be oriented with respect to the mounting configuration. A second plate design, currently under development, will allow for banking two or three valves together for multiple control functionality,” Stabile said. The G3 valves are also engineered to offer low hysteresis and to be highly resistant to pressure ripples and shock loads. Hysteresis in hydraulic valves can be avoided by reducing friction between the moving elements inside the valve. This friction can come from many factors, including contact surface area, surface finishes, and part alignment etc. “The key to reducing hyster- 01 The compact and efficient G3 esis is to take all of these factors into account early in the design process and work with manufacturers to achieve optimized designs that meet our targets,” said Stabile. HydraForce is also able to provide additional value to transmission and pilot applications by fitting their electronic controls to manifold assemblies. “The newly released ETDR and EVDR valve drivers are the perfect solution for simplifying the control of a clutch or ancillary pilot control applications”, stated Chris Shader, Electronics Product Manager at HydraForce. “Our valve driver’s easy to use interface eliminates the need to program a complex control algorithm for clutch or pilot control applications.” Electronics introduces comfort and fuel efficiency thanks to closed loop control of clutch engagement. These valves and electronic controls support the trend of optimizing clutch and pilot control systems where fast response and electro-hydraulics are necessary to ensure efficiency and long service life. A difficult task The powertrain market, as mentioned earlier, is tough. But HydraForce’s engineers were determined to make the grade and did the additional testing and qualification needed to ensure that its next generation of drop-in valves would be tough enough. The initial offering of G3 valves has found applications at several major OEMs, and HydraForce is already looking toward expanding the line to additional models in the near future. Photographs: Hydraforce www.hydraforce.com THIS ARTICLE IS A CONTRIBUTION BY MDA Technologies 5/2015 37

COMMENT “Smart Fluid Power” – Experts meet in Dresden The 10 th International Fluid Power Conference (IFK) will be held from 8 th until 10 th March 2016 in Dresden, Germany. Refer to the following comment from Professor Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Weber. Fluid power technology has an undisputed share in the classical model of success of the German manufacturers of machines and plants. Besides its known distinguishing features, fluid power drives meet current challenges and lead into the future as they integrate into intelligent networks and system structures. The 10 th International Fluid Power Conference (IFK) in Dresden, Germany, offers a large platform under the motto: “Smart Fluid Power.” The conference that takes place alternately in Aachen and Dresden, wants to build on its success and bring together researchers, manufacturers, and users of fluid power systems. For the 10 th IFK, we want to celebrate the success of fluid power technology from the 8 th to the 10 th of March in Dresden and look to the future with national and international players in the industry. There will be a forum for presentations, posters, and discussions from the entire spectrum of hydraulic and pneumatic drive and control technology - for researchers as well as for users and manufacturers. The collaboration between university research centres and industry in Germany has made historic growth and is internationally well-known as a model of success. The direct dialogue between users, manufacturers, and scientists, promoted by our conference, stands in line with this tradition. In this way, the IFK creates the framework for the exchange of topics of fundamental research as well as of industrial trends and developments. I am convinced that this kind of knowledge exchange, the networking between research and industry in Europe and beyond, is fundamental for the industry. The participation of 31 companies at the trade exhibition and over 700 guests from 28 nations at the 8th IFK mirrors the worldwide interest in this event. The topics of the conference are driven by current challenges in hydraulics and pneumatics: In the field of drive technology, there is currently a trend toward decentralization of control architectures of machines. In this context, urgent questions arise for researchers and companies in our industry: How can we satisfy the demand for self-sufficient and highly efficient hydraulic and pneumatic actuators, and which benefits do users gain from that in the sense of Industry 4.0? In what way can the strengths of fluid power be used, for instance in order to integrate actuator technology, sensor technology, and additional functionalities, and to create real value for the users with smart system interfaces. Summed up under the motto “Smart Fluid Power,” the conference brings these potentials into focus. The 10 th IFK is held by the DVF e.V. (Association for the Promotion of Fluid Power Drives in Dresden), the Institute of Fluid Power (IFD) at the Dresden University of Technology, as well as the Fluid Power Association within VDMA. It offers a three-day schedule with 120 presentations on the latest developments in fluid power technology. The conference will begin on Tuesday, 8 th March with a symposium. In this research oriented framework, fundamental research topics will be presented and discussed. The two following conference days will offer an application and technology-oriented overview of the current state of fluid power technology. Besides specific expert contributions, interdisciplinary general lectures will also be offered. Here, topics will include the latest developments in mobile, industrial hydraulic, and pneumatic systems, as well as special applications or current research in the areas of fluid power components, actuator and sensor technology. Parallel to the scientific contributions, we will offer a trade exhibition, which has proven to be a prolific forum for discussion and networking. Here, manufacturers of fluid power components and systems can present their innovations to the expert community and establish contacts. In order to offer an attractive and convenient exchange forum, we offer a comprehensive cultural program alongside the conference: Get-Together Evening, Gala-Dinner and a laboratory party, as well as various excursions and cultural trips in the local surroundings – a small glimpse at what else the interesting city of Dresden has to offer. I am looking forward to an exciting conference on fluid power this upcoming March in Dresden! For further information please visit our conference homepage. www.ifk2016.com 38 MDA Technologies 5/2015

E-PAPER KIOSK: