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Modeling hydraulic dynamics of a telescopic cylinder

Technical Report · June 2012

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18559.51363

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 Modeling Hydraulic Dynamics
Rorsman Project
Pedro La Hera
June 13, 2012

1 Hydraulic actuator dynamics

The system considered is depicted in Fig. 1, which shows one of the vehicle’s
wheels, and the hydraulic actuator used for suspension and climbing control.
The actuator of this system is known as telescopic cylinder, and it is used
to provide the machine with the ability to achieve long stroke, while keeping
compact dimensions.

Figure 1: Diagram of one of the vehicle’s legs, showing the wheel and the
hydraulic telescopic cylinder.

A simplified schematic diagram for one stage of the hydraulic actuator is

shown in Fig. 2. In this schematics, x denotes the piston displacement, xmax

1
the maximum piston displacement, L the actuator total length, AA,B the areas
of chambers A and B correspondingly, and QA,B the flows to the corresponding
chambers.

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Figure 2: Schematics for the first part of the cylinder.

1.1 Pressure dynamics

The internal pressure dynamics for the cylinder shown in Fig. 2 can be derived
from the mass balance equation
β X 
ṗ = Q − V̇ , (1)
V
where β denotes the fluid Bulk modulus, V the chamber volume, and Q the
input and output flows. The volumes for the chambers A and B are defined as
VA = V0A + AA x, VB = V0B + AB (xmax − x), (2)
which give the corresponding change of volumes
V̇A = AA ẋ, V̇B = −AB ẋ. (3)
The combination of all previous equations yields the pressure dynamics in the
following form
β
ṖA = (QA − AA ẋ) , (4)
VA

2
 β
ṖB = (−QB + AB ẋ) . (5)
VB
(6)

1.1.1 Pressure dynamics for the telescopic cylinder

The cylinder used in the vehicle is in principle a serial interconnection of two
cylinders of the form shown in Fig. 2. This can be visualized in Fig. 2, where
both stages of the cylinder displacement is presented.

Figure 3: Schematics for the telescopic cylinder.

In principle, the pressure dynamics (6) can be extended for such a system.
Indeed, following the derivations above, dynamics for the telescopic cylinder can
be written in the form
β
ṖA1 = (QA1 − AA1 ẋ1 ) , (7)
V0A1 + AA1 x1
β
ṖB1 = (−QB1 + AB1 ẋ1 ) . (8)
V0B1 + AB1 (x1max − x1 )
(9)

for the first stage, and

β
ṖA2 = (QA2 − AA2 ẋ2 ) , (10)
V0A2 + AA2 x2

3
 β
ṖB2 = (−QB2 + AB2 ẋ2 ) . (11)
V0B2 + AB2 (x2max − x2 )
(12)

for the second stage.

1.2 Valve flow dynamics

The L90LS series directional control valve used in the vehicle is a sophisticated
piece of equipment that allows different simultaneous-operating modes according
to the expected working load. The objective of these diverse functionalities is to
ease the tasks of the machine operators, by letting the hydraulic system wonder
about the forces needed to carry the load, and the human about controlling
the movement. To this end, the valve employs load sensing and flow/pressure
compensation control, which is internally executed and is manually set by the
hydraulic engineers.
From the hydraulic schematics provided, it is recognized that the hydraulic
circuit has been set with the following valve configurations: where mode (D) is

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Figure 4: L90LS hydraulic valve modes of operation.

used for the first stage of the telescopic cylinder, and (CA) is used for the second
one. All of these variants are customized for different flows, load conditions, and
actuator area ratios.
Theoretically, one of the difficulties brought by this variety of configurations
is that the system does not allow defining a unique mathematical model for
approximating the overall hydraulic dynamics. Here, this different modes will
be considered separately.

1.3 4/3 valve configuration

We consider the following hydraulic circuit diagram provided by the company
Hydraulikhuset: This schematics depicts the valve in a 4/3 configuration, i.e.
4 ways with 3 stages. This configuration is used to control the movement of
the first stage in the telescopic cylinder. To describe the equations of flow, as
required in (9), we consider the flow through an orifice, as given by the general

4
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Figure 5: Valve in 4/3 configuration.

equation r
2
q = Cd A ∆p, (13)
ρ
where A denotes the orifice area, ∆p the pressure drop across the orifice, and ρ
the density of the fluid. The discharge coefficient of the restriction is denoted as
Cd , and it is usually constant. Since the inner area A is a function of the valve’s
spool, and that Cd , ρ can be approximated to constant values, the equation
above can be shortly denoted as
p
q = kq xv ∆p, (14)

in which xv is the spool displacement, and kq accounts for constant values.

Additionally, due to the fast solenoid dynamics used to move the spool, it can
be considered that xv = u, where u is the electrical current given to the valve,
as shown in Fig. 5. Without loss of generality, any non-unity gain between xv
and u is taken care by the constant kq , i.e.
p
q = kq u ∆p. (15)

5
Under this assumptions, the supply flow QA1 , and return flow QB1 can be
modeled as
p
QA1 = kqA1 u1 |∆pA1 |, (16)
p
QB1 = kqB1 u1 |∆pB1 |, (17)
where
∆pA1 = ps − pA 1 for u>0 (18)
∆pA1 = pA 1 − pt for u<0 (19)
and
∆pB1 = pB 1 − pt for u > 0 (20)
∆pB1 = ps − pB 1 for u < 0 (21)
In practice, it is usual that the constants kqA1 and kqB1 also vary according to
the direction of the motion, i.e. sign(u). The main reason is explained by the
working principle of the valve electronics. Briefly, the solenoids used to move
the internal spool are located at two different ends. When current is applied, it
is either the left or the right solenoid that is enabled. It is difficult to state that
the spool dynamics behaves the same in both directions, therefore the difference.

1.4 3/3 valve configuration

For this case, we consider the following hydraulic circuit diagram: This schemat-
ics depicts the valve in a 3/3 configuration, i.e. 3 ways with 3 stages. This con-
figuration is used to control the movement of the second stage in the telescopic
cylinder. This mode of operation employs the concept of dual pressure, which
is used to extend the cylinder with one pressure (normally higher) level, and
retract the cylinder using a second (normally lower) pressure. Here, the rod
side of the cylinder is usually not connected, and the valve is connected only to
chamber with bigger volume capacity.
To describe the equations of flow, as required in (12), we consider the flow
through an orifice given in (15), so that the supplied flow QA2 , and return flow
QB2 can be equated as
p
QA2 = kqA2 u2 |∆pA2 |, (22)
p
QB2 = kqB2 u2 |∆pB2 |, (23)
where
∆pA2 = ps − pA 2 for u > 0 (24)
∆pA2 = pA 2 − pt for u < 0 (25)
and
∆pB2 = pB 2 for u>0 (26)
∆pB2 = pB 2 for u<0 (27)

6
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Figure 6: Valve in 3/3 configuration.

As in the previous case, the constants kqA1 and kqB2 can also vary according
to the direction of the motion. As it is seen, the B-side of the cylinder is usually
not connected to supplied or tank lines.

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