Modeling and Control Design for an Inlet Metering Valve-Controlled Pump Used to Control Actuator Velocity Via H-Infinity and Two-Degrees-of-Freedom Methods

Using a unique inlet metering pump with fixed displacement and speed, this work introduces a new way to control a linear hydraulic actuator velocity. The inlet metering system consists of an inlet metering valve that adjusts the hydraulic fluid flow that enters the pump and a fixed displacement pump. Fluid is supplied to the inlet metering valve at a fixed pressure. Energy losses associated with flow metering in the system are reduced because the pressure drop across the inlet metering valve can be small compared to a traditional valve-controlled system. A velocity control system is designed using the inlet metering pump to control the fluid flow into a hydraulic cylinder. First, the valve dynamic model is ignored, the open-loop response is studied, and closed-loop proportional and proportional derivative controllers are designed. Next, the valve dynamic model is included and closed-loop proportional integral derivative, H∞, and two-degrees-of-freedom controllers are designed. Designs with the goals of stability and performance of the system are considered so that a precise velocity control system for the hydraulic cylinder is achieved. In addition to the potentially high efficiency of this system, there is potential for low-cost, fast-response, and less complicated dynamics compared to other systems. The results show that the velocity control system can be designed so that the system is stable for all cases and with 0% overshoot and no oscillation depending on valve dynamics using the two-degrees-of-freedom controller for tracking the desired velocity.