Measuring and controlling the flow rate is a widely concerned problem in engineering fields. The direct flow rate measurement employing conventional flow meters and the indirect flow rate measurement using speed/position transducers or other particular techniques would result in inevitable pressure drop in hydraulic circuits, more energy consumption for pumping fluid, and higher cost of hydraulic systems. This paper presents a novel flow rate inferential measurement method and its application in hydraulic elevators. Mathematical modeling of the proposed method is deduced. The key component of the hydraulic elevator circuit, a two-stage proportional flow rate valve, is verified by experiments as one of the contributions of this paper. Based on the mathematical modeling and the valve validation test, the feasibility and validity of the proposed method are verified by the experiments performed on a test rig which is designed to imitate work situations of a hydraulic elevator. Moreover, sensitivity analyses of the proposed flow rate inferential measurement method are carried out to find the ways how to improve the accuracy of the proposed method. It is believed that this method can be applied in various engineering devices.
WangTWangQ. Efficiency analysis and evaluation of energy-saving pressure-compensated circuit for hybrid hydraulic excavator. Autom Construct2014; 47: 62–68.
2.
YangHYYangJXuB. Computational simulation and experimental research on speed control of VVVF hydraulic elevator. Contr Eng Pract2004; 12: 563–568.
3.
NabulsiSSarriaJFMontesH. High-resolution indirect feet–ground interaction measurement for hydraulic-legged robots. IEEE Trans Instrum Meas2009; 58: 3396–3404.
4.
EdgeKA. The control of fluid power systems-responding to the challenges. Proc IMechE, Part I: J Systems and Control Engineering1997; 211: 91–110.
5.
FerreiraFJTEFongJACAlmeidaATD. Ecoanalysis of variable-speed drives for flow regulation in pumping systems. IEEE Trans Ind Electron2011; 58: 2117–2125.
6.
AhonenTTamminenJAholaJ. Frequency-converter-based hybrid estimation method for the centrifugal pump operational state. IEEE Trans Ind Electron2012; 59: 4803–4809.
7.
BeraSCMandalH. A flow measurement technique using a noncontact capacitance-type orifice transducer for a conducting liquid. IEEE Trans Instrum Meas2012; 61: 2553–2559.
8.
EarlTACochardSThomasL. Implementation of vibration correction schemes to the evaluation of a turbulent flow in an open channel by tomographic particle image velocimetry. Meas Sci Technol2015; 26: 1–19 (015303).
9.
BeraSCChakrabortyB. A novel technique of flow measurement for a conducting liquid. IEEE Trans Instrum Meas2009; 58: 2512–2517.
10.
Opdenbosch P, Sadegh N and Book WJ. Modeling and control of an electro-hydraulic poppet valve. In: ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Anaheim, CA, November 2004.
11.
Opdenbosch P and Sadegh N. Control of electro-hydraulic poppet valves via online learning and estimation. In: ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Orlando, FL, November 2005.
12.
RennJCTsaiC. Development of an unconventional electric-hydraulic proportional valve with fuzzy-logic controller for hydraulic presses. Int J Adv Manuf Technol2005; 26: 10–16.
13.
RuanJBurtonRUkrainetzP. An investigation into the characteristics of a two dimensional “2D” flow control valve. J Dyn Syst Meas Contr Trans2002; 124: 214–220.
14.
Muller MT and Fales RC. Design and analysis of a two-stage poppet valve for flow control. In: Proceeding of American control conference, Minneapolis, MN, June 2006.
15.
WuDBurtonRSchoenauG. Analysis of a pressure-compensated flow control valve. J Dyn Syst Meas Contr Trans2007; 129: 203–211.
16.
PinsoponUHwangTCetinkuntS. Hydraulic actuator control with open-centre electrohydraulic valve using a cerebellar model articulation controller neural network algorithm. Proc IMechE, Part I: J Systems and Control Engineering1999; 213: 33–48.
17.
VeletovacSHäusslerHMoserD. Method and device for controlling a hydraulic lift2000. Patent 6142259, USA, 7 November 2000.
18.
NishiumiTWattonJ. Model reference adaptive control of an electrohydraulic motor drive using an artificial neural network compensator. Proc IMechE, Part I: J Systems and Control Engineering1997; 211: 111–122.
19.
ToufighiMHSadatiSHNajafiF. Simulation and experimentation of a precise nonlinear tracking control algorithm for a rotary servo-hydraulic system with minimum sensors. J Dyn Syst Meas Contr Trans2013; 135: 1–14.
20.
AtmanandMAKonnurMS. A novel method of using a control valve for measurement and control of flow. IEEE Trans Instrum Meas1999; 48: 1224–1226.
21.
Leonow S and Mönnigmann M. Soft sensor based dynamic flow rate estimation in low speed radial pumps. In: European control conference, Zürich, Switzerland, July 2013.
22.
XuBMaJELinJJ. Computational flow rate feedback and control method in hydraulic elevators. Chin J Mech Eng2005; 18: 490–493.
23.
Kernan DJ, Sabini EP, Ganzon NW, et al. Method for determining pump flow without the use of traditional sensors. Patent 7945411B2, USA, 17 May 2011.
24.
DeBoer CC and Yao B. Velocity control of hydraulic cylinders with only pressure feedback. In: ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, New York, NY, November 2001.
SarkarBKMandalPSahaR. GA-optimized feedforward-PID tracking control for a rugged electrohydraulic system design. ISA Trans2013; 52: 853–861.
27.
MohantyAGayakaSYaoB. An adaptive robust observer for velocity estimation in an electro-hydraulic system. Int J Adapt Contr Signal Process2012; 26: 1076–1089.
28.
ShaDHBajicVBYangHY. New model and sliding mode control of hydraulic elevator velocity tracking system. Simulat Pract Theor2002; 9: 365–385.
29.
ManringND. Efficiency mapping for a linear hydraulic-actuator. J Dyn Syst Meas Contr Trans2013; 135: 1–4 (064505).
30.
ChanHLRadAB. Real-time flow control using neural networks. ISA Trans2000; 39: 93–101.
31.
DoHTAhnKK. Velocity control of a secondary controlled closed-loop hydrostatic transmission system using an adaptive fuzzy sliding mode controller. J Mech Sci Technol2013; 27: 875–884.
32.
FanSJ. A new extracting formula and a new distinguishing means on the one variable cubic equation (in Chinese). Nat Sci J Hainan Teach Coll1989; 2: 91–98.
33.
VergaraCPonziniRVenezianiA. Womersley number-based estimation of flow rate with Doppler ultrasound: sensitivity analysis and first clinical application. Comput Meth Programs Biomed2010; 98: 151–160.
