Valve Sizing and Performance Estimation

Ashchurch, Tewkesbury, Glos. GL20 8NA Tel: (01684) 296600 Fax: (01684) 296760 Moog Controls Limited

ELECTROHYDRAULIC SERVO CONTROL

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION NOTE

VALVE SIZING AND PERFORMANCE ESTIMATION

FOUR PORT LINEAR POSITION CONTROL

Moog Controls Limited, Ashchurch, Tewkesbury, Glos. GL20 8NA

Tel: (01684) 296600; Fax: (01684) 296760
Industrial Engineering Department

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CONTENTS

1.0 OVERVIEW 3
1.1 Valve Sizing and Performance issues 3
1.2 Spreadsheet Applicability 4
1.3 Conventions 4
1.4 The Spreadsheet

2.0 USING THE SPREADSHEET 5

2.1 Data Entry 5
2.2 Spreadsheet Section 1 – ‘Cylinder and Pressure Supply Details’ 5
2.3 Spreadsheet Section2 – ‘Valve Details’ 6
2.4 Spreadsheet Section 4 – ‘Cylinder Drive Sizing Results’ 7
2.5 Spreadsheet Section 3 – ‘Load and Pipe Details’ 8
2.6 Spreadsheet Section 5 – ‘ Cylinder Drive Position Control Results’ 8

3.0 SUMMARY OF SERVO DESIGN GOOD PRACTICE 10

4.0 SPREADSHEET APPLICATION EXAMPLE 11

4.1 Application (Spreadsheet Default) Details 11
4.2 Selecting Supply Pressure and Actuator Size 11
4.3 Valve Sizing 11
4.4 Mass and Pipeline Considerations 12
4.5 Closed Loop Position Performance 12

5.0 SIZING AND PERFORMANCE ESTIMATION BY MANUAL CALCUALTION 15

5.1 Component Sizing 15
5.2 Rules of Thumb for Position Control Performance 16

6.0 OTHER OPERATING CONFIGURATIONS 18

6.1 Cylinder Effective Mass Calculations 18
6.2 Three Port Operation 18
6.3 Pressure Control Applications 18
6.4 Digital Controller Calculations 21

VERSION REV COMMENTS DATE NAME

1.0 NC SDP1242 v 1 (CSE 1105) 23rd Jun 99 IMW

Moog Controls Limited, Ashchurch, Tewkesbury, Glos. GL20 8NA

Industrial Engineering Department, Tel: (01684) 296600; Fax: (01684) 296760,

Copyright 1999 Moog Controls Limited

All rights reserved. Unauthorised copying hiring, lending or sale of any part of this package
or documentation is prohibited.
The information in this document has been carefully reviewed and is believed to be accurate
and reliable. However, Moog assumes no liability for inaccuracies in this document.
Moog reserves the right to change specifications embodied in this document without prior
notice.

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1.0 OVERVIEW

1.1 Valve Sizing and Performance Issues

Valve sizing and performance estimation for electrohydraulic servo systems is a necessary
step if the required performance is to be assured. On some occasions the valve itself
provides a natural limit to performance, either in terms of maximum flow rates and therefore
actuator velocities, or else in terms of the dynamic performance (as described by the valve
frequency response). In the later case the valve performance limits the control gain and so
also the closed loop dynamic behaviour and static accuracy.

In other situations the characteristics of Force

the actuator and load being driven Actuator +ve F -ve
provide a limit to the closed loop
performance which will not be improved M
even with the fastest, highest flowing or
most accurate of servo valves. Pa Pb Mass

Separating these things out and

Retract Extend
optimising performance but without over
specifying the valve is not always Valve Ps
obvious, and generally requires a number
of calculations to be undertaken. In this
I X Sensor
Application Note a spreadsheet is used +- P V V
for this purpose. A minimal amount of
data entry is required from which the
maximum drive capabilities and closed Controller
loop static and dynamic performance is
estimated.

Figure 1.1 – Linear Actuator 4 Port

1.2 Spreadsheet Applicability Position Control

It should be noted that the spreadsheet is ideally suited only to situations as shown in Figure
1.1 where the following is true:

1. An effective fixed and rigid mass (M) is driven by a linear servo actuator
Sometimes it is not obvious what the ‘effective mass’ should be especially in
situations where the linear motion is being translated to rotary motion. See
Section 6.1 for more details.

2. The valve A and B (service) ports are connected (e.g. 4 port mode)
In some situations only the valve A or B ports are connected, the other side of the
cylinder being vented to tank or connected to an external pressure source. The
spreadsheet may be used with caution as outlined in Section 6.2.

3. The drive is in position control mode (Proportional gain)

The estimates of accuracy and closed loop response are assuming a simple P
gain controller. The use of integral action may give better results at the expense
of dynamic performance.

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4. The change of load force (F) with displacement is not excessive

This rules out the use of the spreadsheet where the actuator is to compress a
load stiffness. However some estimates can be made as outlined in Section 6.3.

Note: Provided conditions 1, 2 and 4 above are met the spreadsheet may also be used for
pressure control sizing. Pressure control performance is beyond the scope of this
spreadsheet. In fact since pressure control quite often involves high load stiffness, point 4 is
often not the case in practice (See Section 6.3).

1.3 Conventions

When using the spreadsheet, attention should be given to the conventions used. These are
as follows (see also Figure 1.1):

• Flow into chamber A causes the cylinder to extend

• Chamber A is the bore side of the cylinder in single ended designs
• Pressure (Pa) and (Pb) are for the A and B chambers respectively
• The force (F) in Figure 1.1 is +ve when opposing cylinder extension
• The mass (M) is required for the purposes of calculating mass/spring frequency
effects and is the effective value seen at the cylinder rod
• Mass should not be confused with the force (F). The latter is a measure of the
(static weight) forces being carried at the actuator even before motion begins
• If the cylinder is arranged with the rod extending vertically upwards then the
gravity load (weight) of the mass (M) will contribute to the dead-weight (divide
mass in kg by 100 to get the force in kN)

1.4 The Spreadsheet

This document contains an example of the spreadsheet in Section 4.0, which may be viewed
for familiarisation. A working copy of the spreadsheet (sizexls.xls) is provided for data entry
in your application. The front page (not shown) is presented in the form of a fax sheet.

The 5 sections are coloured green with bold italic where data entry needs to be made and
coloured pink where output results are being produced.

Sizing Input Requirements, Sections 1 and 2 – ‘Cylinder and Pressure Supply Details’ and
‘Valve Details’ are the minimum input requirements from which the cylinder areas and the
cylinder maximum drive conditions are calculated.

Performance Input Requirements, Section 3 – ‘Load and Pipe Details’ need only be
entered if the closed loop position response and static accuracy are required. These and
other performance related parameters are output in the Section 5.0.

Cylinder Drive Sizing Results, Section 4 – The output in this section requires input details
from Sections 1 and 2 only.

Cylinder Drive Position Control Results, Section 5 – Outputs the performance of the
servo drive in closed loop position control given the additional input from Section 4.

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2.0 USING THE SPREADSHEET

2.1 Data Entry

Aiming the mouse pointer anywhere within the sheet and double clicking the left-hand button
may access the Excel spreadsheet (see size.xls and Section 4.0). Note that access is limited
to all cells that are coloured green. The pink cells provide the calculated data and all other
cells are write protected. Click on the Fax header cells in page 1 to enter the relevant job
information. Entering information causes overwriting of any existing data.

Next move to the data input cells, using the direction keys or mouse, and input the relevant
information in each cell. Pressing the return key or directional arrow validates the cell data
after entry. The spreadsheet will update all cells each time that data is input so you must put
all data in before taking note of the results. Also note the value of the units that are to be
input.

2.2 Spreadsheet Section 1 - ‘Cylinder and Pressure Supply Details’

This section requires input of the actuator dimensions and system supply pressure from
which the flow area’s, stall loads and cylinder area ratio is calculated. The A and B ports of
the cylinder are designated as Bore (A) and Rod (B) (assuming a single ended design). In a
double ended cylinder the A and B ports should be chosen such that flow into the A port
extends the cylinder towards the load (see Figure 1.1).

Bore Side (A) Dia: (mm) - is the bore diameter of the cylinder, which may be either single or
double ended.

Side (B) Rod Dia: (mm) - is the cylinder B port rod diameter.

Cylinder Stroke: (mm) – is measure from stop to stop.

Side (A) Rod Dia: (mm) - is by default 0 and should only be entered if a double acting
cylinder is specified. In this case Rod Side (A) Dia. is the rod diameter on the A side of the
cylinder which may be different from that on the B side.

Supply Pressure: (bar) – should be stated with respect to the return pressure. E.g. if the
supply pressure is 210bar and the return 20bar then enter the supply pressure as 190bar. In
fact all spreadsheet pressure values (input or output) are stated with respect to the return
line pressure.

Resisting Force: (kN) - acting on the actuator must be input as a negative quantity if the
force is assisting the actuator extension and positive if resisting the actuator extension.
Follow the sign convention in Figure 1.1.

Note:
(1) In large mass situations, the orientation of the actuator should be considered so that the
force of gravity acting on the mass can be taken into account.
(2) The resisting force is assumed relatively constant. (See Section 6.2 if this is not the
case).

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The output of Section 1 of the spreadsheet gives the following information:

Bore/Rod Side (A,B) Area: (mm^2) – The cylinder A side and B side flow areas.
Extend/Retract Stall Load: (kN) – is the actuator maximum force output condition in the
extend and retract stroke, given the cylinder dimensions and the supply pressure. Ideally the
stall load should be more than 50% higher than the maximum Resisting Force

Area Ratio (B/A): (:1) – is the area of the B side of the cylinder compared to (divided by) the
area of the A side of the cylinder.

2.3 Spreadsheet Section 2 - ‘Valve Details’

The valve data entered into the spreadsheet should ideally be based on Moog standard
catalogue valve data:

Rated Flow at 70bar: (litres/min) - Is stated in many Moog valve catalogues (See Section
4.3 for a definition). If flow is stated at other pressures (e.g. 10bar) then look for the Flow v
Pressure graph to obtain the 70bar flow condition. See Section 4.3 for more details.

Frequency @ 90 Deg: (Hz) – May be obtained from the valve catalogue frequency plot. Use
the small signal plot (usually 10,25 or 40% amplitude). See Figure 2.1.

AMP RATIO Small Signal

(dB)
POSITION Ramp Rate
(mm)
Large Signal
100%
PHASE LAG
(Deg)
90 Deg
-90 Frequency Step Time

FREQUENCY (Hz) TIME (Sec)

Figure 2.1 – Valve Frequency and Step Response

Step Time 0-100%: (mS) – This data is given in most valve catalogues either numerically or
graphically. The spreadsheet uses this information to calculate the system acceleration limit
caused by the finite valve opening time. The time is obtained by projecting the ramp rate line
across the 100% opening line and measuring the time at this point. See Figure 2.1.

Valve type E, P or M: -Enter E, P or M to indicate the type of valve used, Electrical feedback
(E), Mechanical feedback (M) or Proportional (P). The spreadsheet assigns total valve spool
position errors (for the purposes of accuracy estimation) as follows:

EFB (E) – 2% Error

Proportional (P) – 3% Error
MFB (M) – 5% Error

Note: The above valve errors are worst case. A factor of 2 better than this is not unusual.

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2.4 Spreadsheet Section 4 - ‘Cylinder Drive Sizing Results’

This part of the spreadsheet is dedicated to producing sizing results based on information
entered in Sections 1 and 2. The inputs of Section 3 are not required. Section 4 information
(outlined below) is provided under cylinder extend and cylinder retract conditions:

Max. Extend/Retract Velocity: (m/S) – is the actuator velocity when the valve is in the
100% open condition. The differences between extend and retract velocities are a function of
the cylinder bore and rod diameters and the load force (F).

Bore/Rod (A/B) Pressure: (bar) – are the cylinder pressures in the A and B ports during the
extend and retract motions. These are of particular interest in extreme conditions when
excessively high or low pressures (or even cavitation) may be observed.

Supply Flow Rate: (litres/min) - indicates the maximum supply line flow required to move
the cylinder at the required system parameters.

Initial Acceleration: (m/S^2) – The maximum acceleration may be limited either by the
hydraulic driving forces acting on the driven mass or else (more usually) limited by the valve
spool speed. The spreadsheet produces the lower of these 2 as output. Check if the valve is
the limiting factor by changing the valve 100% step time parameter in Section 2. Acceleration
information is sometimes helpful when assessing drive suitability for producing cyclic (e.g.
sinusoidal motions).

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2.5 Spreadsheet Section 3 - ‘Load and Pipe Details’

This part of the spreadsheet is used only for performance estimation and need not be
completed if performance is not an issue. The information of Section 3 is used to establish if
the closed loop behaviour is going to be limited by the valve or by the cylinder drive/load
combination.

The volume of compliant oil trapped in the

cylinder behaves as a liquid spring stiffness Actuator 'Spring'
(K), and in combination with the mass (M) K
produces a natural frequency (load
resonance) which may be ‘excited’ if the M
controller gain is set too high. (See Section
5.0 and Figure 2.2). Pa Pb Mass

Mass of Load: (Kg) – If there is no

Natural Frequency (Hz)
appreciable attached mass then use some
arbitrary low value or estimate the mass of Pos.n
the cylinder moving parts. Retract Extend

Cylinder Pipe Dia./Length: (mm) – The

pipe diameter and length may be significant time
compared to the cylinder oil volumes. If so
these should be entered otherwise the Figure 2.2 – System Natural Frequency
default (zero pipe volume) conditions will be
set.

Demand Step Size: (mm) – The time taken to drive the system as fast as possible in a
controlled manner over a given distance, depends not only on the maximum speed of the
drive but also on the acceleration times and on the closed loop controller behaviour. Over
short distances it might be that the full speed of the drive is actually never achieved. This
spreadsheet input allows a move distance to be specified. The results are given in Section 5
where the maximum extend and retract move times are given.

2.6 Spreadsheet Section 5 - ‘Cylinder Drive Position Control Results

This part of the spreadsheet calculates the static and dynamic performance of the entire
closed loop positioning system. A simple P gain controller is used. The errors calculated are
those arising from the valve alone. Other errors in the system; e.g. backlash, measurement
error etc are not included.

Frequency Response Limit: - This output is either ‘Load’ or ‘Valve’ indicating which of
these is the limiting factor in terms of performance. It will be noticed that for high mass
systems (i.e. low natural frequency) the load is the limiting factor. In low mass systems the
valve is the limiting factor.

Load Resonant Frequency: (Hz) – is the frequency at which the servo drive is inclined to
oscillate. The higher the frequency the less likely this is to occur. See Figure 2.2.

Controller Gain: (V/V) – Sometimes it is useful to know ahead of time what the controller
gain is likely to be. This actual value is calculated to meet certain stability criteria (see
Section 5.0 for details). If the cylinder measurement system is designed to be +/-10V over

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 Valve Sizing and Performance Estimation
the actuator stroke, then Controller Gain gives the amount of valve driver input volts
produced per volt of position error (this is assuming the valve driver is +/-10V for +/-100%
valve opening). See Section 5.0 for more details.

Dynamic Response: (Hz) – is an estimate of the (-3dB) frequency at which the closed loop
system can be driven before significant reductions in positioning performance occur.

Valve Induced (Static) Error: (mm) - is the closed loop positioning error as a result of the
worst case valve error (indicated in Section 2.3). Notice the improvement gained using EFB
rather than MFB technology. See Figure 2.3.

Velocity Error (100%): (mm) – Sometimes the POSITION

drive may be used to follow a ramped (mm) Ramped Command
command signal, for example as shown in
Figure 2.3. If the ramp is at the maximum 75%
speed then the output ‘Velocity Error’ is the
50%
worst case when the valve is fully open. At
Static Error
lower speeds of operation the tracking error is 25%
reduced proportionately; e.g at ½ speed the
tracking error is reduced by factor 2.
TIME (Sec)
Note: This is assuming the system is at all
times being driven within the velocity and Tracking (Velocity) Error
acceleration capabilities. See the results in the
Cylinder Drive Sizing Results part of the Figure 2.3 – Tracking and Static Errors
spreadsheet, Section 4.

Extend/Retract Step Time: (mS) – These outputs give the overall time taken to accelerate,
move at full speed and then decelerate to rest for the given step change requested in
spreadsheet Section 3. Different results occur in the extend and retract strokes due to
differences in cylinder area ratio and load conditions etc.

Note: If invalid inputs have been entered or the servo drive parameters are considered
unfavourable then the spreadsheet will flag up error messages (see the front page of
spreadsheet). This is only a passive feature, which does not effect the spreadsheet operation
in any way.

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3.0 SUMMARY OF SERVO DESIGN GOOD PRACTICE

Cylinder Selection and Drive Load Design: - Cylinders are normally supplied in standard
bore sizes. Check with the chosen cylinder manufacturer for details. Apart from this
consideration must be given to:

• Resisting load requirements versus the stall load; either increase the cylinder area or
the supply pressure so that the stall load is 1.5 times the required drive load.

• System natural frequency; increases in proportion to the cylinder diameter. If the

cylinder resisting forces are very low, the cylinder sizing may well be based on
achieving a suitably high frequency.

• Cylinder and Valve Mounting; Structural flexibility can play a significant part in
determining the overall stiffness. For example if the cylinder mounting structure is
equal to the cylinder stiffness the natural frequency will be reduced by 30%. A similar
reduction will occur if the pipe-work connecting the valve and cylinder contains an oil
volume similar in size to the cylinder volume. (Experiment with the spreadsheet).

• Friction and Backlash; These are the enemies of any servo system. Ideally a servo
quality cylinder should be used and all moving parts restrained by low friction guide-
ways. Backlash should be consistent with the required positioning accuracy.

Valve Flow Rate and Performance Selection: - Servo valves also come in standard sizes
and performance ratings. The following points should be taken into account:

• Valve Flow Requirement; Always’ choose the minimum valve flow rating sufficient to
achieve the required cylinder velocity or step response time. However remember that
the flow rating may be as much as 10% lower than the nominal rating.

• Valve Under-Performance; Assuming the valve flow rate is adequate then the closed
loop dynamic performance may be limited either because the 90 deg point is too low
or because the valve opening time (0 to 100%) is too long. Use the spreadsheet to
check these points. If the static accuracy is not sufficient then try using an EFB servo
valve and/or consider using a controller with integral action.

• Valve Over-Performance; If the spreadsheet is indicating that the Load is determining

the frequency response limit then probably the valve is over-specified for the job and
may be downgraded if appropriate.

Sensors and Controllers; - These elements of the servo system may also be a limiting
factor and should be checked as follows:

• Sensors; Have dynamic limitations of their own. Check with the sensor supplier that
the sensor frequency response is 5 or 10 times higher than the required closed loop
dynamic response.

• Controller; If a digital controller is being used then the sample frequency should be at
least 10 times more than the required dynamic response. One bit of error should
result in no greater than 0.5% change at the valve output. See Section 6.4.

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4.0 SPREADSHEET APPLICATION EXAMPLE

4.1 Application (Default) Details

A single ended actuator of stroke 600mm is required to Fe

drive a 300 Kg load against a force of 20kN (2 Tonnes).
The maximum required speed is 500mm/S and the valve
is to be remote mounted using hard pipe. The actuator is M
Ab
located to extend vertically upwards lifting the mass (a
further 3kN) against gravity with a positioning accuracy of
better than 1mm. The pipes are approximately 20mm
diameter by 600mm length. The system supply pressure is
to be < 210 bar.

The spreadsheet is to be used to help in choosing an Aa P

appropriate valve and cylinder drive dimensions. The
internal working of the spreadsheet in terms of the
equations used and assumptions made are outlined in Figure 4.1 - Example
Section 5.0 where the same application is undertaken
using hand calculations.

4.2 Selecting Supply Pressure and Actuator Size

This is always a trade off between supply pressure, actuator size, flow rate and overall
performance requirements. Playing with the spreadsheet gives a number of possibilities, for
example:

1. Cylinder diameters 40 x 25 mm @ 210bar gives only 26kN of extend force to react

against 23kN of retracting force, this gives very low extend speeds and large retract
speeds.

2. Cylinder diameters 63 x 40 mm @140bar (as used in the default spreadsheet) gives

44kN of extend force, which is more than adequate.

Sometimes an even bigger cylinder (e.g. 80 x 55) might be used to attain a higher load
resonant frequency, more equal matching of the extend and retract speeds and therefore
more controller gain.

Note: A 3kN increase is made to the resisting force to account for the mass dead weight.

4.3 Valve Sizing

The Rated flow (80 litre/min @ 70bar) is the nearest standard size to achieve the 500mm/S
speed (0.5343m/S in the spreadsheet). Most valves have a +/-10% flow tolerance, which
would cause the maximum speed to fall below the requirement. In this application a
100litre/min valve could be used but with a resulting loss of accuracy which is already close
to the target.

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The spreadsheet asks for the valve flow at 70
bar. In some catalogues the rated flow at other
pressures (e.g. 10bar) is stated.
The valve pressure drop at 70bar pressure drop
may be calculated by using the square root
function for sharp edged orifices as shown
opposite. E.g. a valve producing 16l/min at
10bar will produce around 42l/min at 70bar; this
value should be entered into the spreadsheet.
Spool - Sharp edged orifices
Q = Qn ΔP / ΔPn
Where:
Q (l/min) = Calculated flow
Qn (l/min) = Rated flow
ΔP(bar) = Actual valve pressure drop
ΔPn (bar) = Rated valve pressure drop

In this example, the chosen valve has a 90deg frequency at around 70Hz. The spreadsheet
tells us (in Section 5) that the load mass is the dynamic limitation. This means we need not
search for an even faster valve. In fact the spreadsheet shows that a low speed valve, (i.e.
with a frequency response as low as 40Hz would be more than sufficient). The reason for
using an Electrical Feedback (E) valve in this application is primarily to help meet the
accuracy target. The 25mS valve step response results in a limited acceleration (see
spreadsheet Section 4) but which is adequate for this application.

4.4 Mass and Pipeline Considerations

In this example, the 300 kg mass and 0.6 x 20 pipe lines yield a load natural frequency of
around 28Hz. Notice in Table 4.1 the measures needed to increase the frequency and
therefore the system performance:

Case Type of Change Amount of Change Improvement

Hz
1 Reduce Stroke 600 to 500 mm 28 to 30.1
2 Eliminate Pipes 0.6 m to 0m 28 to 30.7
3 Reduce Mass 300 to 240 kg 28 to 31.3
4 1,2 and 3 above See above 28 to 38.4
5 4 and bigger cylinder 63 to 80 mm dia 38.4 to 49

Table 4.1 – Effect of Hydromechanical Design on Performance

4.5 Closed Loop Position Performance

Normally the closed loop static performance is measure in terms of position accuracy and
the dynamic performance in terms of the closed loop step or frequency response. All of
these are given in Section 5 of the spreadsheet:

Dynamic Response 2.3Hz – means that at this point the system will be following a sinusoidal
demand input but reaching only 70% of the required output. In this case the 2.3 Hz comes
th
from the 1/10 rule applied to the 28Hz load frequency.

Static Response 0.936mm – is just inside the required accuracy of the drive. Integral action
in the controller might be advisable in this case.

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Extend/Retract Times: These are made up of the summation
of 3 motions as shown in Figure 4.2: POSITION
Transient
(mm)
S
T1 - The initial acceleration of the system, limited by the S3
T3
supply pressure or more usually the valve opening time.
S2
T3 - The settling time is dependant on the controller gain T2
S1
which in turn is set to provide a smooth settling transient, free
either from the load oscillation or valve response overshoot.
T1 TIME (Sec)
T2 - This is the intervening period of time in which the cylinder
Figure 4.2 – Step Times
moves at constant velocity with the valve fully open.

In our example the details for a number of step changes are given in Table 4.2:

Case Extend Step Size Position (mm) Time (mS)

(mm) S1, S2, S3 T1, T2, T3 (Total)
1 200 7, 146, 47 25, 275, 350 (650)
2 54 7, 0, 47 25, 1, 350 (376)
3 20 7, 0, 13 25, 0, 350 (375)

Table 4.2 – Step Response Comparison

Notice that for smaller steps (i.e. 54mm and under) the settling time T3 determined by the
controller gain becomes the limiting factor. Below this the valve is unable to achieve its full
opening in order to achieve the move.

Moves greater than 54mm result in part of the motion being executed at the full valve
opening condition. Larger steps, i.e. greater than 200m start to be dominated by the valve
flow rate (time T2).

Note: For very small moves the step response will be effected by null characteristics, offset
errors etc and may never actually reach the demand position. However the position accuracy
(within 1mm in this case) may be achieved in a shorter time period than those listed.

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SUBJECT : Valve Sizing and Performance Estimation

PROJECT : Default Values
<< Section 1 - Cylinder and Pressure Supply Details >>

Bore (A) Side Dia. : 63 mm Side (B) Rod Dia. : 40 mm

Side (A) Rod Dia. : 0 mm Cylinder Stroke : 600 mm

Supply Pressure : 140 bar Resisting Force (F) : 23 kN

3-Port Config. (Y/N) : N Area Ratio (B/A) : 0.597 :1

Bore Side (A) Area : 3,117.2 mm^2 Rod Side (B) Area : 1,860.6 mm^2

Extend Stall Load : 43.64 kN Retract Stall Load : 26.05 kN

<< Section 2 - Valve Details >> << Section 3 - Load and Pipe Details >>

Rated Flow at 70 bar : 80 lpm Mass of Load : 300 kg

Freq. @ 90 deg. : 40 Hz Cylinder Pipe Dia. : 20 mm

Step Time 0-100% : 25 mS Cyl. Pipe Length : 0.6 m

Valve Type E, P or M : E Demand Step Size : 200 mm

<< Section 4 - Cylinder Drive Sizing Results >>

Cylinder Extending Cylinder Retracting

Max. Extend Velocity : 0.5343 m/S Max. Retract Velocity : 0.8236 m/S

Bore (A) Pressure : 85 bar Bore (A) Pressure : 130 bar

Rod (B) Pressure : 19 bar Rod (B) Pressure : 94 bar

Supply Flow Rate : 99.9 lpm Supply Flow Rate : 91.9 lpm

Initial Acceleration : 21.4 m/S^2 Initial Acceleration : 32.9 m/S^2

<< Section 5 - Cylinder Drive Position Control Results >>

Freq. Response Limit : Load Valve Induced Error : 0.936 mm

Load Resonant Freq. : 28.0 Hz Velocity Error (100%) : 46.78 mm

Controller Gain : 6.41 V/V Extend Step Time : 0.650 Sec

Dynamic Response : 2.3 Hz Retract Step Time : 0.426 Sec

Figure 4.3 – Spreadsheet Example

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5.0 SIZING AND PERFORMANCE ESTIMATION BY MANUAL CALCULATION

Manual calculations are included so that greater understanding of the spreadsheet function
can be obtained and in the absence of a computer the same results may be obtained by
hand using a pocket calculator.

5.1 Component Sizing

Component sizing (i.e. to achieve a required maximum speed and load) is a task, which too
often is carried out without consideration of the associated control performance issues:

Example (As Section 4.0):

Actuator Dia 63x40mm x600mm stroke Basic Equations (SI):
Pressure:
Max. Speed - ≥ 0.6m/s; Moving Mass - 300kg
Dynamic Load - 20kN; Pipes - dia 20mm x 0.6m long ⎛ F⎞
.⎜ ⎟
P ≥ 15
⎝ A⎠
or Area:
Static Actuator Sizing - Make sure that required actuator
⎛ F⎞
load is <= 2/3 of the available load; i.e. choose supply A ≥ 15
.⎜ ⎟
pressure and actuator area accordingly: ⎝ P⎠
Where Bore Area:

( )
2
Example - Continued (Units; kN, mm , bar, l/min, mm/s): π 2
A= D − d2
4
F = 20 + 300x9.81/{1000} = 23 kN
2 2 and TOTAL force:
Aa = (3.142/4) x 63 = 3117 mm
2 2 2 F = Fe + M . g
Ab = (3.142/4) x (63 - 40 ) = 1861 mm

P ≥ 1.5 x (23/3117) x {10 000} = 111 bar

Use P = 140 bar (2000 psi) as the system supply pressure.

Valve Sizing - Use a standard valve where possible:

Example - Continued: Basic Equations (SI):

Extend Velocity:
Choose a valve with rated flow Qr = 80 l/min @ 70 Qr P − F Aa
Ve =
( )
bar drop; i.e. rated pressure drop per land Pr = 35
bar. Aa Pr 1 + R 3
2 2 2
R = (63 - 40 )/ 63 = 0.6 Retract Velocity:
3 3
sqrt[Pr(1+R )] = sqrt[35(1 + 0.6 )] = 6.524 Qr P. R + F Aa
Vr =
Extend Velocity: Ve = (80/3117){100000/6} x
Aa
(
Pr 1 + R 3 )
sqrt {140 - (23/3117) x {10000}]/6.524 = 534 mm/s Where Area Ratio:
D2 − d 2
Similarly Retract velocity Vr = 824 mm/s R=
D2

SIZE-15
Electrohydraulic Servo Control
Industrial Application Note
 Valve Sizing and Performance Estimation
5.2 Rules of Thumb for Position Control Performance

Actuator and Valve Dynamic Sizing - As was seen earlier; having a fast acting, high flow
valve does not necessarily indicate great performance; neither does having a large actuator
driving force mean fast accelerations and decelerations:
2
Example - Continued (Units; litres, mm, mm , rad/s, Hz):

Calculate the Natural Frequency - of the cylinder.

9 2 Basic Equations (SI):
Oil bulk modulus is 0.7 x 10 N/m .
System Natural Frequency:
β ⎛ Aa 2 Ab 2 ⎞
2
Vp = (3.142/4) x 20 x 0.6 / {1000} = 0.189 litres
ωn = .⎜ + ⎟
Va = 0.189 + 3117 x 600 / {2000 000}
M ⎜⎝ Va Vb ⎟⎠
= 1.12 litres Where Bore Side Volume:
Similarly Vb = 0.74 litres Va = Vp + Aa . L 2
Rod Side Volume:
Natural Frequency Wn (rad/s) =
2 2 Vb = V p + Ab . L 2
sqrt[(0.7/300) x (3117 /1.12 + 1861 /0.74)] =
176 rad/s and Pipe Volume:
Wn(Hz) = 176 / (2 x 3.142) = 28.0 Hz π
Vp = .d p2 . L p
4
Choose the Valve Dynamics - In this case the low Loop Gain Rules of Thumb:
natural frequency of the drive determines the gain in Choose Ko to be the lowest of
the controller. Nothing special is required for the either:
valve dynamics: 1/3 of Valve 90
O

O frequency
Choose a valve with 90 at 40 Hz OR
Valve limit - 1/3 x 40 = 13.3 Hz 1/10 of Cylinder
Natural Frequency limit - 1/10 x 28 = 2.8 Hz; so loop Natural Frequency
gain (Retract Dynamic Response) Ko:
Ko = 2.8 x {2 x 3142} = 17.6 rad/s (

Note: Ko is worked out with respect to the retract stroke since (in the loaded state) this gives
the highest gain. Ko in the extend direction extend = 2.8 Hz x (534/824) = 1.8Hz (Ko=11.3
rad/s). This gives the average Dynamic Response = 2.3Hz used in the spreadsheet (see
Section 4.0).

Example - Continued:
(mA) (Q)
Controller Gain Estimation - The Cmd (V)
closed loop controller does not care
+- K1 K2 K3
dynamically whether the gain is in s (mm)
the hydraulic part or the electronic Err (V)
part as long as the Loop Gain stays
the same. K4

In order to get the controller gain;

the hydraulic gain and sensor gain
must first be determined: Figure 5.1 – Control Block Diagram

SIZE-16
Electrohydraulic Servo Control
Industrial Application Note
 Valve Sizing and Performance Estimation
The hydraulic gain is a combination of valve flow Basic P Gain Equations:
gain K2, cylinder gain K3 and sensor gain K4. Cylinder Gain:
( mm / s)
Use the worst case speed (this is Vr) and at the Kc = K2 . K 3 =
100% valve opening (i.e. Imax = 10mA): ( mA )
Kc = 824/10 = 82.4 mm/s/mA Sensor Gain:
( Volts)
K4 =
The sensor reads +/-10V over 600mm ( mm)
K4 = 20 / 600 = 0.033 V/mm Hydraulic Gain:
Kh = 82.4 x 0.033 = 2.75 V/s/mA
(Volts / s)
Kh = Kc . K 4 =
Controller Gain K1: (mA)
K1 = 17.6 / 2.75 = 6.4 mA/V For a given loop gain Ko; the
i.e. for 1V of error (25mm) the valve opens 6.4 mA controller gain is:
(64%). Ko (mA)
K1 = =
Kh (Volt)
Note: In this example the current driver is 10mA for
10V input so the internal controller gain is 6.4V/V. For 1% valve error the static
position error is:
Static Performance - The static accuracy follows ⎛ 1 ⎞ I max
E1% = ⎜ ⎟
directly from the above: ⎝ 100 ⎠ K1 . K4
E1% = 10/(100 x 6.4 x 0.033) = 0.47 mm.
POSITION
(mm) Ramp Rate
Note: This is for 1% valve error. In the case of 2% error
S
(assumed by the spreadsheet for EFB valves) the static S3
T3
error is 0.94 mm.
S2
Example - Continued (Units; mS, mm, mA): T2
S1

Dynamic Performance - How long does it take to

T1 TIME (Sec)
achieve an extend step of S = 200mm?
Figure 5.2 – Step Times
If the supply pressure limits the acceleration then:
T1= {10} 300x534/(140x3117) = 3.7mS Basic Equations (SI):
This is very fast compared to (e.g) 25mS valve Acceleration; Supply limited:
opening time so: M .Ve
T1 =
T1 = 25mS (from catalog). P. Aa
S1 = 534 x 25/{2000} = 6.7 mm OR valve slew limited:
T3 = {4000}/11.3 = 354 mS T1 = 100%ResponseTime
S3 = 10/(6.4 x 0.033) = 47.3 mm Acceleration Displacement:
S2 = 200 - 6.7 – 47.3 = 146 mm S1 = Ve . T1 2
T2 = {1000}146/534 = 273 mS Settling Time and Displacement:
T3 = 4 K0
Total time to move is:
T= T1 + T2 + T3 = 25 + 273 + 354 I
S 3 = max
T = 652 mS K1 . K4
Constant Speed Displacement and
Note: In this case the controller dynamics are most Time: S 2 = S − S1 − S 3
significant (i.e. time T3).
T2 = S2 Ve

SIZE-17
Electrohydraulic Servo Control
Industrial Application Note
 Valve Sizing and Performance Estimation
6.0 OTHER OPERATING CONFIGURATIONS

6.1 Cylinder Effective Mass Calculation

R
Sometimes the bulk of the mass being moved is
not mounted directly at the actuator. In these Ro
cases an effective value must be calculated by r
referring the motion back to the actuator. An Effective Mass Me
example is given in Figure 6.1 opposite. M
Fe Actual Mass
The Effective Mass seen at the actuator caused Ab
by a mass M is Pivot
2
⎛R⎞
Me = M⎜ ⎟
⎝r ⎠ Aa P
If the mass M is distributed then instead of R,
use the radius of gyration about the pivot point.
As an example assume 100kg is at radius
R=700mm with the actuator at r=100mm. The Figure 6.1 – Rotary Loads
effective mass seen at the actuator is Me=4900kg (i.e. nearly 5 tonnes). In general rotary
loads (though small in physical mass) may cause severe reduction in natural frequency and
servo performance.

Note: The force due to the weight of the mass M (assumed under the influence of gravity) is
Fe=M.g.(Ro/r) and should be added to the resisting force entered at the spreadsheet.

6.2 Three Port Operation

Although not designed for 3 port operation, the spreadsheet may be used in a limited way by
setting the spreadsheet 3-Port Config. (Y/N): entry to “Y”. Section 5 of the spreadsheet will
be made invalid and much of the cylinder retract sizing information will be set to zero.
However the extend and retract speeds and bore side cylinder pressures will be
representative. For example if “N” is selected in the default spreadsheet, the 23kN resisting
force requires a pressure of 74bar on the bore side to sustain it. The extend and retract
speeds are 0.588 and 0.621 m/S respectively.

Note: If the valve is being used in 2x2 mode (i.e. where the 2 ports are connected in parallel)
then the Rated Flow of the valve should be doubled.
Note: If the rod side is connected to a pressure source rather than to tank (i.e. as in re-gen
mode), the contribution of this pressure must be added to the calculated resisting force. The
force in kN is P(bar) x Ab(mm^2)/10000.

6.3 Pressure Control Applications

There are 2 difficulties using the spreadsheet for pressure control applications:

• Section 5 is completely irrelevant, being designed only for position control

• The resisting force varies greatly with changing position and so makes a proper
estimation of velocity more complicated.

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Electrohydraulic Servo Control
Industrial Application Note
 Valve Sizing and Performance Estimation
Pressure Control (Stiff Load) Valve Sizing (Frequency Driven Systems):

This is often a requirement for material and structural test. The approximate flow
requirements of the system for sinusoidal operation are found as follows:

If the pipe work volume is small, the cylinder

operating stroke and bulk modulus determines the Load K
flow volume required to raise pressure in the cylinder.
The effective stroke Xe needed to raise a pressure of
amplitude Pa is:
⎛ A L⎞
X e = Pa ⎜ + ⎟
⎝ K β⎠ L
If Pa is to be cycled at a sinusoidal frequency w, then
A P
the effective required velocity Ve of the cylinder is:
Ve = X e . ω
Figure 6.1 – Load Stiffness
The spool ramp rate may also be a factor in achieving
the acceleration requirement of the sinusoidal waveform. If the chosen valve produces a
maximum velocity of Vmax then the 100% spool ramp time will need to be:
V
T100% ≤ max
Ve . ω
2
Example - to develop +/-50 bar at 10 Hz in a dia 150mm cylinder (17672 mm ) by 200mm
stroke and where the load stiffness is 160kN/mm:
2 2
Effective sinusoidal position amplitude (Units; bar, mm , kN/mm, mm, GN/m ):
Xe = 50.(17672/160+200/0.7)/{10 000} = 2.0 mm

Effective sinusoidal velocity amplitude (Units; mm, rad/s):

w = 10.{2x3.142} = 63 rad/s
Ve = 63 x 2.0 = 126 mm/s

Required valve response time assuming valve max flow rate is 200 mm/s (Units; mm/s,
rad/s):
T100% = 200/ (126 x 63) {1000} = 25 mS

Sensors - The choice of pressure sensor is occasionally an issue. Always check that there is
no built in snubbing action as often used in process industry devices. These transducers
invariably have low frequency responses (e.g. <5Hz) which will seriously compromise the
control loop stability margins.

• Pressure Control in Pipe Lines - predicting performance is even more difficult. Some
basic rules apply:

• Keep pipe lines as stiff as possible, minimising trapped volumes.

• Measure pressure at or close to the valve rather than at the end of a pipe line.
• Avoid any constrictions between pipe line and volume being pressurised.
• Use leakage flow to add damping and take the valve away from any null overlap region
which may be present.

SIZE-19
Electrohydraulic Servo Control
Industrial Application Note
 Valve Sizing and Performance Estimation
Pressure Closed Loop Control, Rules of Thumb:

Pressure controls are more difficult to deal with for the following reasons:

• Sensitivity to load stiffness as well as

actuator stiffness.
• Sensitivity to pipe line dynamics and Drive
flow constrictions. Cylinder
• Nonlinearities due to flow gain
changes with pressure
• ‘Spurious’ effects due to valve null
characteristics. CONTROL

Pb LOAD
The best solution to understanding these V
Pa
V
problems is not to depend too much on
rules of thumb but to undertake proper
Pb
nonlinear simulation wherever possible.
Servo
P Pa Cylinder
Example - Hydraulic Press: -

Even though there is one mass, two

frequencies have to be considered in the Figure 6.3 – Pressure Control System
pressure loop along with valve dynamics:

Drive only (load) mass/stiffness - in this case giving an anti-resonance at 20Hz; i.e. it is very
difficult to get any kind of pressure control at this point.

Drive and servo system mass/stiffness -

Drive Anti- Drive and Cushion
giving a resonance at 30Hz where Resonance
Resonance
dramatic pressure recovery occurs. 30 Hz
dB 20Hz
Valve frequency close to the resonance - 0
e.g. (30Hz) then the high frequency
response continues to climb resulting in -10
1 10 100
the high frequency instability so often seen 70 Hz
in pressure loops (i.e. as Figure 6.4). Frequency Hz Valve 90 Deg
Deg
Frequency
0
General Rules of Thumb for System
Response: - -200
Bar
• If the valve is directly mounted and
there are no lower frequencies the
closed loop system response can be Step Response
say ≤ 0.4 valve 90 deg response.

If there is a load natural frequency then Time

the closed loop system response can be
say ≤ 0.5 of the load natural frequency. Figure 6.4 – Typical Frequency Response

SIZE-20
Electrohydraulic Servo Control
Industrial Application Note
 Valve Sizing and Performance Estimation
6.4 Digital Controller Calculations

Faster processors and the wider use of 16 bit Analog to Digital (A/D) conversion means that
sampling and quantisation are not so much an issue today as in the past. However it is
important to state where the boundaries lie if digitisation is not to be a limiting factor in the
control loop:

Sampling Rules of Thumb:

Sampling -
Minimum Sampling Frequency - The 10 to 1 rule
is always a good starting point but there are always
proviso’s depending on noise levels, external
disturbances etc:
Sampling and Noise - is an issue if A/D conver-
sion is being used. Unfiltered systems can produce
DC offset and low frequency aliasing of the noise.
Fast Valve, Slow System - The previous point is
especially relevant if the valve is fast enough to
react within each sample; e.g. a 5mS sample
period and a valve with 5 or 10mS step time.
Fast Valve, Fast System - In the fastest servo
systems the chosen valve should be the limiting
factor not the system sample frequency.
Sample Frequency Ws:
≥10 times required closed loop
system frequency.
IF there is a dominant undamped
resonant frequency either set Ws:
≥4 times the resonant frequency.
OR
Use analog noise filters to reject the
resonant frequency.
IF a fast valve is being used in a
slow system use analog filters to
limit the valve reaction to noise.
OR
For sample period insensitive
operation set Ws:
O
≥10 times the valve 90 frequency.

When D terms are in use - either use the D frequency limit term OR assume 10 x valve
requirements.
Quantisation Rules of Thumb -
(Ref. Section 5.2):
Quantisation -
For a given loop gain Ko; the
Analog Sensors - Often provide a limitation when controller gain is:
12 bit A/D (i.e. 4096 increments) is used. e.g. 1000 Ko
mm = 0.25 mm resolution. Improvements can be K1 =
made by using 16 bit resolution i.e. 0.016 mm in the Kh
above example or by using an incremental For 1% valve error and sensor gain
(encoder) device. K4, the resolution should be:
⎛ 1 ⎞ I max
Re-assessing The Loop Gain - A 1 bit change E res ≤ ⎜ ⎟
⎝ 100 ⎠ 10. K1 . K4
may be OK at the sensor but what does it do to the
valve? In poor resolution or high gain systems the OR, for a given resolution reduce
valve may open by say 1%, enough to introduces a the controller gain if necessary such
bit jitter problem into the system. that:
⎛ 1 ⎞ I max
K1 ≤ ⎜ ⎟
⎝ 100 ⎠ 10. E res . K4
END

SIZE-21
Electrohydraulic Servo Control
Industrial Application Note