ACTUATOR DISPLACEMENT MEASUREMENT SYSTEM IN ELECTRONIC HYDRAULIC SYSTEM OF CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

• US 20140230643A1
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Kim, Ji-Yun
• Granted Patent: US 9,506,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 91/1
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2095 Control of electric, electro-mechanical or mechanical equipment not otherwise provided for, e.g. ventilators, electro-driven fans control of hydraulic driven equipment E02F9/22
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2271 Actuators and supports therefor and protection therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/265 with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool)
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/2807 Position switches, i.e. means for sensing of discrete positions only, e.g. limit switches
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/2838 with out using position sensors, e.g. by volume flow measurement or pump speed
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 21/08 Servomotor systems incorporating electrically operated control means F15B21/02, F15B21/065 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/20515 Electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/20561 reversible
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/27 Directional control by means of the pressure source
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/30515 Load holding valves
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/50518 using pressure relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/6309 the pressure being a pressure source supply pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/633 representing a state of the prime mover, e.g. torque or rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/6336 representing a state of the output member, e.g. position, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/6651 Control of the prime mover, e.g. control of the output torque or rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/7656 with continuous position control

Abstract

An actuator displacement measuring system in an electro-hydraulic system for a construction machine is disclosed, which can detect an actuator displacement using the characteristics of an electro-hydraulic system. The actuator displacement measuring system includes controlling driving of an electric motor, determining whether the electric motor is driven, determining whether a set pressure value of a relief valve is larger than or equal to a measured pressure value of the hydraulic system if a displacement value of an actuator that is always detected deviates from a zero value of a reference position, setting the actuator displacement value to a previous value if a pressure value of the hydraulic system is larger than or equal to a pressure value of a relief valve and calculating the actuator displacement value using a rotating speed of the electric motor.

Claims

1. An actuator displacement measuring system in an electro-hydraulic system for a construction machine, including an electric motor, a hydraulic pump driven by the electric motor, a hydraulic actuator connected to the hydraulic pump, a load holding valve installed in a flow path between the hydraulic pump and the actuator, a relief valve installed in a branch flow path connected in parallel to the flow path, and a controller controlling driving of the electric motor, the actuator displacement measuring system comprising:

controlling the driving of the electric motor according to a control signal from the controller;

determining whether the electric motor is driven, and if the electric motor is driven, calculating a flow rate of the hydraulic pump;

determining whether a displacement value of the actuator that is always detected by a detection signal input from a position detection sensor to the controller deviates from a zero value that is set as a reference position;

determining whether a set pressure value of the relief valve is larger than or equal to a measured pressure value of the hydraulic system if the actuator displacement value deviates from the set zero value;

setting the actuator displacement value to a previous value if the pressure value of the hydraulic system is larger than or equal to the pressure value of the relief valve, and calculating the actuator displacement value using a rotating speed of the electric motor, a sectional area of the actuator, and a supply flow rate of the hydraulic pump if the pressure value of the hydraulic system is smaller than the pressure value of the relief valve; and

finishing the calculation after storing the actuator displacement value calculated up to now in the controller if a power-off request of the hydraulic system is input, and moving to an initial stage if the power-off request of the hydraulic system is not input.

2. The actuator displacement measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic actuator is a hydraulic cylinder.

3. The actuator displacement measuring system according to claim 2, further comprising a first sensor for sensing positions that is mounted on a piston of the hydraulic cylinder, and second and third sensors for sensing positions that are mounted on a tube of the hydraulic cylinder during a stroke end of the hydraulic cylinder, wherein an accumulated error of displacement values of the hydraulic cylinder that are calculated by detection signals input from the second and third sensors to the controller is removed, and the displacement value of the hydraulic cylinder is reset to a zero value when the first sensor coincides with any one of the second and third sensors.

4. The actuator displacement measuring system according to claim 3, wherein the displacement value D of the hydraulic cylinder is calculated by D=∫

Vdt=∫

(Q/A)dt (where, V is a driving speed of the hydraulic cylinder, Q is a flow rate of the hydraulic pump, and A is a sectional area of the hydraulic cylinder).

5. The actuator displacement measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic pump is composed of a fixed displacement hydraulic pump.