Vickers, Inc.

The Bendix Corporation

Other

Oklahoma State University

Rajamouli Gunda

Melvin A Rode

Richard Scott Leemhuis

Michael R McCarty

Yehia M El-Ibiary

James A Kessler

Robert C Hodges

Roy T Burgess

Fred H Phillips

Thomas L Edwards

Robert W Stephens

Frank Herta

Robert L Woods

Paul M Smith

John A Miller

Karl N Reid, Jr

Mohamed E Dahroug

Randall G Silverthorn

In a die casting machine that includes a shot cylinder having a ram for injecting metal into a die cavity, an electrohydraulic system for controlling operation of the shot cylinder includes an actuator coupled to the shot cylinder ram. A valve supplies hydraulic fluid to the actuator cylinder as a function of valve control signals. Microprocessor-based digital control electronics includes memory for storing a desired ram velocity profile as an incremental function of ram position. The control circuitry is responsive to signals from a sensor coupled to the actuator, indicative of position at the ram, for retrieving corresponding velocity signals from memory and supplying control signals to the valve as a function of such profile velocity signals. The control circuitry further includes facility for adjusting impact of the shot cylinder ram at the end of a cavity-filling stroke as a function of ram and actuator position and/or pressure, independently of the velocity/position profile, to reduce separation and flashing at the die cavity, and to reduce impact wear and fatigue on the overall die casting machine. A keyboard and associated operator display provide operator programmability and selection from a plurality of velocity/position profiles. The actuator and cylinder ram may be advanced in a manual mode of operation for adjustment and calibration proposes. A display associated with the keyboard graphically illustrates desired and actual velocity/position profiles during operation, together with a profile of actuator drive pressure verses position.

Electrohydraulic control of a die casting machine

A rotary hydraulic machine which includes a housing having a shaft mounted for rotation within the housing about a shaft axis. A cylinder block is coupled to the shaft for co-rotation with the shaft within the housing and includes a plurality of cylinders disposed in a circumferential array parallel to and surrounding the shaft axis. A piston is disposed to reciprocate within each of the cylinders and is coupled to a yoke for determining displacement of the pistons within the cylinders. A valve plate is mounted on a valve block and includes kidney-shaped slots for registering with the cylinders as the cylinder block rotates, and thereby connecting the cylinders to pump input and output ports. A microprocessor-based controller is externally mounted on the pump valve block and includes internal memory having various remotely-selectable control programs prestored therein. Sensors responsive to pump operating conditions are connected to the pump control electronics, and include a first sensor responsive to yoke position, a pressure sensor responsive to pump output pressure and a speed sensor responsive to angular velocity of shaft rotation. All of the electronic components are mounted on the valve block.

Power transmission

A rotary hydraulic machine which includes a housing having a shaft mounted for rotation within the housing about a shaft axis. A cylidner block is coupled to the shaft for co-rotation with the shaft within the housing and includes a plurality of cylinders disposed in a circumferential array parallel to and surrounding the shaft axis. A piston is disposed to reciprocate within each of the cylinders and is coupled to a yoke for determining displacement of the pistons within the cylinders. A valve plate is mounted on a valve block and includes kidney-shaped slots for registering with the cylinders as the cylinder block rotates, and thereby connecting the cylinders to pump input and output ports. A microprocessor-based controller is externally mounted on the pump valve block and includes internal memory having various remotely-selectable control programs prestored therein. Sensors responsive to pump operating conditions are connected to the pump control electronics, and include a first sensor responsive to yoke position, a pressure sensor responsive to pump output pressure and a speed sensor responsive to angular velocity of shaft rotation. All of the electronic components are mounted on the valve block.

An electrohydraulic servo system in which a microprocessor-based controller directs a pulse width modulated control signal to a servo valve for controlling flow of hydraulic fluid therethrough. Duration of each half-cycle in the pulse width modulated control signal is separately controlled by selectively incrementing or decrementing duration of the half-cycle in increments of the microprocessor clock period. Signal transition is controlled by a timer interrupt in which time required to enter the interrupt routine is measured following generation of the interrupt, and further operation is delayed by a complementary time, so that control signal transition takes place a fixed preselected number of clock periods after generation of a timer interrupt. In this way, timer interrupt latency is eliminated, and resolution of the pulse width modulated signal is enhanced through individual duration control of the signal half-cycles while maintaining a fixed modulated signal period.

High resolution pulse width modulation

An electrohydraulic system includes a plurality of electrohydraulic devices individually controlled by microprocessor-based control electronics. The device controllers are connected in common by a bidirectional serial data bus to a master controller for coordinating operation of the various devices. Internal programming within the master controller establishes a repetitive time-sequence of windows for communications with the various device controllers for downloading control signals and parameters, and for uploading data indicative of system status and operation. The various device controllers include internal programming for operating the associated hydraulic devices as a function of control signals and parameters received from the master controller. Pseudo-devices are also connected to the bus for time-division multiplexed communication with the master controller and for performing overall system coordination and analysis.

An electrohydraulic servo system for controlling pressure of fluid in a cavity of undetermined volume includes a valve having a valve spool element and ports for supplying fluid as a function of position of the valve element within the surrounding valve body. A servo valve is responsive to electronic valve control signals for controlling pilot pressure within the main valve body and thereby controlling position of the valve element. An electronic valve controller receives a pressure command signal from remote master electronics as a function of desired fluid pressure within the cavity volume, and a pressure feedback signal indicative of fluid pressure within the cavity volume from a pressure sensor coupled to the valve output ports. The pressure command signal is compared to the pressure feedback signal in a pressure-control mode of operation, and a difference or error signal is employed for generating valve control signals to the servo valve. A second sensor is coupled to the valve element for supplying a position feedback signal as a function of position of the valve element within the surrounding valve body.

Control system for injection molding machine

An electrohydraulic system includes a plurality of electrohydraulic devices individually controlled by microprocessor-based control electronics. The device controllers are connected in common by a bidirectional serial data bus to a master controller for coordinating operation of the various devices. Internal programming within the master controller establishes a repetitive time-sequence of windows for communications with the various device controllers for downloading control signals and parameters, and for uploading data indicative of system status and operation. The various device controllers include internal programming for operating the associated hydraulic devices as a function of control signals and parameters received from the master controller.

An electrohydraulic servo system which includes a plurality of pressure compensated flow control servo valves for feeding hydraulic fluid from a variable displacement pump to associated actuators and loads. A closed-loop velocity-control servo system is coupled to each servo valve, and is responsive to velocity command inputs from an operator and to feedback signals from the respective loads for providing flow control signals to the respective servo valves. A pump controller receives the valve flow control signals, derives associated valve flow rates from predetermined functional characteristics of the pressure compensated valves, and obtains a total flow demand as a function of the sum of the indicated individual valve flow rates. A pump displacement command is derived as a combined function of total flow demand and pump speed to accommodate volumetric inefficiencies which vary with speed, and the displacement command signal is fed to a pump displacement servo control loop for controlling pump output. Displacement command is limited as a function of power available at the engine coupled to the pump to prevent engine stall.

An electrohydraulic servo control system which includes a position feedback loop responsive to actual position at the hydraulic actuator and load, and a position command reference generator responsive to an operator joystick input command and to an operator mode select switch for generating a position command reference signal to the position loop as differing functions of the joystick input in each of the switch-selectable modes. The selectable modes of operation include an absolute position control mode wherein the joystick input is treated as indicating absolute desired position at the actuator and load, an incremental position control mode wherein the joystick input is treated as indicating desired change in position with reference to a base position, and a velocity control mode wherein the joystick input is treated as indicating velocity at the actuator and load desired by the operator.

A system and method for pulse-width modulation of multiple solenoid-operated valves in an electrohydraulic servo system employing a microprocessor-based digital controller. Solenoid-energization pulse widths are identified by comparison of operator command input signals to feedback signals responsive to actual motion at the actuators and loads. During each modulation period, all solenoids are initially selectively simultaneously energized as a function of binary information stored in an energization control register, and the shortest energization pulse duration is identified. After a delay corresponding to such shortest duration, during which the microprocessor may perform other control functions, the solenoids associated with such shortest duration are selectively de-energized as a function of binary information stored in a de-energization control register. The next-shortest duration is then identified, and the process again delays for a time equal to the difference between such next-shortest duration and the previous duration. The process of identifying pulse durations of increasing length and correspondingly deenergizing the solenoids continues until all pulse durations have been accommodated or until the modulation period terminates, at which point the entire control process rebegins.

An electrohydraulic servo control system responsive to a load acceleration or velocity command input signal wherein the input command signal is integrated and compared with position feedback from the valve actuator and load to obtain an error signal which controls the actuator. The velocity command input may be multiplied by an exponential factor to compensate for system following error. Another modification contemplates resetting of command signals to compensate for following error and to eliminate dead time upon change of direction of the load by the operator.

An electrohydraulic control system which includes first and second electrically controlled fully variable hydraulic pumps adapted to be driven by the vehicle engine. In the specific embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, the first pump is coupled to the steering and braking control valves, and the second pump is coupled to the bucket and hoist control valves. An electrically controlled poppet valve selectively interconnects the respective pump outputs. Operator-responsive controllers, namely a bucket/hoist joy-stick controller, a vehicle propulsion controller and a steering controller, provide associated electrical signals as respective functions of operator demand. Electrically operated valves control application of hydraulic fluid to the bucket and hoist drive mechanisms, and pressure and position sensors are connected to such valves and actuating mechanisms. An electronic controller receives inputs indicative of operator demands, pump outputs, and operation at the hoist and bucket, and selectively controls or modulates the cartridge valve, the pumps, and the hoist and bucket valves for operation at optimum efficiency.

A frequency modulated control circuit for an electronic fuel injection system to control the pulse-type injection of fuel at a single point of the fuel intake of an internal combustion engine in accordance with the derived mass air flow rate into the engine comprising a pressure sensor for sensing the manifold pressure of the internal combustion engine, and an engine speed sensor, both of which generate an analog signal which are multiplied by a multiplier circuit to provide a signal representative of the mass air flow to the engine. The multiplier circuit includes a separate control input for varying the output signal level of the multiplier circuit by a preselected factor determined by the final output of the control circuit. The output of the multiplier circuit is fed to a voltage controlled oscillator to produce an output signal taking the form of a pulse train, the frequency of which varies with the amplitude of the mass air flow signal. The output of the voltage controlled oscillator is fed to a pulse generator which generates a fixed on-time pulse for each pulse in the pulse train being fed from the voltage controlled oscillator. The output of the pulse generator is sensed by a duty cycle switch which senses when the output frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator results in a high duty cycle for the output pulses. In this high duty cycle situation, the output analog signal of the multiplier is reduced by a preselected fraction. The duty cycle switch also generates an output signal which varies the duration of the pulse output from the pulse generator as a reciprocal of the variation being applied to the multiplier from the duty cycle switch or enable a secondary injector. The system also includes a temperature sensor and coolant temperature circuit which generates an analog voltage signal which varies as a function of the engine coolant temperature. The temperature analog signal, designated V.sub.H.sbsb.2.sub.O, is fed to a cold start circuit to control the output pulse width from the cold start circuit.

Frequency modulated fuel injection system

A frequency modulated control circuit for an electronic fuel injection system to control the pulse-type injection of fuel at a single point of the fuel intake of an internal combustion engine in accordance with the derived mass air flow rate into the engine comprising a pressure sensor for sensing the manifold pressure of the internal combustion engine, and an engine speed sensor, both of which generate an analog signal which are multiplied by a multiplier circuit to provide a signal representative of the mass air flow to the engine. The multiplier circuit includes a separate control input for varying the output signal level of the multiplier circuit by a preselected factor determined by the final output of the control circuit. The output of the multiplier circuit is fed to a voltage controlled oscillator to produce an output signal taking the form of a pulse train, the frequency of which varies with the amplitude of the mass air flow signal. The output of the voltage controlled oscillator is fed to a pulse generator which generates a fixed on-time pulse for each pulse in the pulse train being fed from the voltage controlled oscillator. The output of the pulse generator is sensed by a duty cycle switch which senses when the output frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator results in a high duty cycle for the output pulses. In this high duty cycle situation, the output analog signal of the multiplier is reduced by a preselected fraction. The duty cycle switch also generates an output signal which varies the duration of the pulse output from the pulse generator as a reciprocal of the variation being applied to the multiplier from the duty cycle switch or enable a secondary injector. The system also includes a temperature sensor and coolant temperature circuit which generates an analog voltage signal which varies as a function of the engine coolant temperature. The temperature analog signal, designated V.sub.H.sbsb.2.sub.O, is fed to a cold start circuit to control the output pulse width fromn the cold start circuit.

Frequency modulated single point fuel injection circuit with duty cycle

This invention describes a system of control for a power source-transmission-load system such as might be used on an off-the-road vehicle, for example. The power source is an internal combustion engine having a known optimum characteristic of desired manifold vacuum versus engine speed. The transmission is a hydrostatic or hydromechanical transmission having infinitely variable speed ratio and having a control means for varying said speed ratio. The control system includes a transducer means for measuring engine speed and converting this quantity into an analog fluid pressure proportional to the speed. This analog fluid pressure proportional to speed is modified in a function generator to produce an analog fluid pressure which is proportional to the desired manifold vacuum as a function of engine speed. Means are provided for measuring the actual manifold vacuum and for comparing the actual manifold vacuum with the desired manifold vacuum on a continuous basis. This comparison produces an error signal which is amplified and used to control a hydraulic system to operate the control means in order to vary the transmission ratio of the hydrostatic or hydromechanical transmission to obtain a speed ratio such that will provide optimum engine conditions.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, MI, United States of America

Rajamouli Gunda