IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v15y2022i17p6173-d897448.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Variable Pressure Multi-Pressure Rail System Design for Agricultural Applications

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaofan Guo

    (Maha Fluid Power Research Center, Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA)

  • Jacob Lengacher

    (Maha Fluid Power Research Center, Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA)

  • Andrea Vacca

    (Maha Fluid Power Research Center, Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA)

Abstract

This paper presents a solution for reducing energy loss in the hydraulic control system of agricultural tractors and their implements. The solution is referred to as a multi-pressure rail (MPR) and provides power to the hydraulic functions following a pressure control logic, as opposed to the traditional flow control logic typical of hydraulic systems used in off-road vehicles. The proposed hydraulic control system allows for elimination of redundant flow control valves in the state-of-the-art system, which cause excessive throttling losses leading to poor overall energy efficiency. Related work on MPR technology targets construction vehicles, where the MPR solution can allow energy recovery during overrunning loads and better engine management. This paper alternatively addresses the case of agricultural applications where functions mostly operate under resistive load conditions with slow dynamics, which offers an opportunity to target throttle losses. For this purpose, the paper introduces a variable pressure control strategy to handle the instantaneous pressure at each rail. To develop both the controller and the hydraulic system architecture, a stationary test rig is conceived and used to validate a numerical simulation model of the MPR system and its control strategy. Particular focus is given to the dynamic behavior of the system during the switches of a function between different pressure rails, which needs to ensure reduced oscillations of the flow provided to each hydraulic function. Once validated, the simulation model is used to predict the energy savings of the MPR solution in an actual application: a 435 hp hydraulic tractor powering a 16-row planter, for which operating features during typical drive cycles were available to the authors. The results show up to 59% total power reduction at the pump shaft, corresponding to 89.8% system efficiency gain.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaofan Guo & Jacob Lengacher & Andrea Vacca, 2022. "A Variable Pressure Multi-Pressure Rail System Design for Agricultural Applications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-25, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:17:p:6173-:d:897448
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/17/6173/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/17/6173/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jan Siebert & Marco Wydra & Marcus Geimer, 2017. "Efficiency Improved Load Sensing System—Reduction of System Inherent Pressure Losses," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-22, July.
    2. Milos Vukovic & Roland Leifeld & Hubertus Murrenhoff, 2017. "Reducing Fuel Consumption in Hydraulic Excavators—A Comprehensive Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-25, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Andrea Vacca, 2018. "Energy Efficiency and Controllability of Fluid Power Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-6, May.
    2. Ryo Arai & Satoru Sakai & Akihiro Tatsuoka & Qin Zhang, 2021. "Analytical, Experimental, and Numerical Investigation of Energy in Hydraulic Cylinder Dynamics of Agriculture Scale Excavators," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-20, September.
    3. Henrique Raduenz & Liselott Ericson & Victor J. De Negri & Petter Krus, 2022. "Multi-Chamber Actuator Mode Selection through Reinforcement Learning–Simulations and Experiments," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-16, July.
    4. Chongbo Jing & Junjie Zhou & Shihua Yuan & Siyuan Zhao, 2018. "Research on the Pressure Ratio Characteristics of a Swash Plate-Rotating Hydraulic Transformer," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-11, June.
    5. Paolo Casoli & Fabio Scolari & Carlo Maria Vescovini & Massimo Rundo, 2022. "Energy Comparison between a Load Sensing System and Electro-Hydraulic Solutions Applied to a 9-Ton Excavator," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-15, April.
    6. Luis Javier Berne & Gustavo Raush & Pedro Javier Gamez-Montero & Pedro Roquet & Esteban Codina, 2021. "Multi-Point-of-View Energy Loss Analysis in a Refuse Truck Hydraulic System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-24, May.
    7. Roy, Adrien & McCabe, Brenda Y. & Saxe, Shoshanna & Posen, I. Daniel, 2024. "Review of factors affecting earthworks greenhouse gas emissions and fuel use," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    8. Adam Wróblewski & Pavlo Krot & Radosław Zimroz & Timo Mayer & Jyri Peltola, 2023. "Review of Linear Electric Motor Hammers—An Energy-Saving and Eco-Friendly Solution in Industry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-28, January.
    9. Edward Lisowski & Grzegorz Filo & Janusz Rajda, 2021. "Analysis of the Energy Efficiency Improvement in a Load-Sensing Hydraulic System Built on the ISO Plate," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-14, October.
    10. Luis Javier Berne & Gustavo Raush & Pedro Roquet & Pedro-Javier Gamez-Montero & Esteban Codina, 2022. "Graphic Method to Evaluate Power Requirements of a Hydraulic System Using Load-Holding Valves," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-23, June.
    11. Mirosław Przybysz & Marian Janusz Łopatka & Arkadiusz Rubiec & Piotr Krogul & Karol Cieślik & Marcin Małek, 2022. "Influence of Hydraulic Drivetrain Configuration on Kinematic Discrepancy and Energy Consumption during Obstacle Overcoming in a 6 × 6 All-Wheel Hydraulic Drive Vehicle," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-21, September.
    12. Daniele Beltrami & Paolo Iora & Laura Tribioli & Stefano Uberti, 2021. "Electrification of Compact Off-Highway Vehicles—Overview of the Current State of the Art and Trends," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-30, September.
    13. Václav Mergl & Zdravko Pandur & Jan Klepárník & Hrvoje Kopseak & Marin Bačić & Marijan Šušnjar, 2021. "Technical Solutions of Forest Machine Hybridization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-14, May.
    14. Lin, Zichang & Lin, Zhenchuan & Wang, Feng & Xu, Bing, 2024. "A series electric hybrid wheel loader powertrain with independent electric load-sensing system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 286(C).
    15. Kwangman An & Hyehyun Kang & Youngkuk An & Jinil Park & Jonghwa Lee, 2020. "Methodology of Excavator System Energy Flow-Down," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-19, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:17:p:6173-:d:897448. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.