2010 International Conference on Intelligent Computation Technology and Automation

New Idea for Hydraulic Testing Machine with Stress and Strain Rates Controlled
and Its Realization

Du Jingqing, Gao Shiqiao, Niu Shaohua

State Key Laboratory of Explosion Science and Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
dujingqing@126.com

AbstractBased on the relationship between pressure and flux

of thin-walled hole, a new idea is proposed for hydraulic II. FLOW CHARACTERISTICS OF NEEDLE VALVE
testing machine. Using transducer and computer technique,
The structure of cone valve is showed in Fig1. When L
hydraulic system is formed by SCM(single chip micyoco),
needle valve, frequency converter and electric machine, to is small and h is large, the needle valve could be regarded
complete stress and strain rates control. This idea has been as thin-walled throttle orifice. According to the
realized in traditional hydraulic pressure testing machine and characteristics between thin-walled orifice flow and
hydraulic universal testing machine, and some excellent results pressure, the formula of the flow through cone valve could
have been obtained. According to the theory and practice, the be got by simplifying Bernoulli equation and the result is
new idea can meet the need of constant stress and strain rates
2p
testing, and replace proportional valve and servo valve, Q = Cd A0 , wherein, Cd is flow coefficient, is
thereby it can be widely applied for various hydraulic testing
machines.
fluid density, and p is the pressure difference before and
Keywords- testing machine; stress rate; strain rate ; needle after the thin-walled throttle orifice. A0 = d m xV sin
valves
A0 is the flow sectional area of the cone valve.
I. INTRODUCTION d m = (d 1 + d 2 ) / 2 and the remaining parameters could
In the material strength test, stress and strain rate are be found in Fig. 1[7-8]. The structure of needle valve is
often required to be constant. For example, during the similar to cone valve so that needle valve could be taken as
cement quality inspection, the loading rate is required to be cone valve. The actual structure of the needle valve used in
2.4 0.2KN/S[1]; when measuring the upper and lower practical engineering is showed in Fig2 and its flow
yielding points of metallic materials, the stain rate should characteristic curve is showed in Fig3[9].According to its
stay between 0.00025/S and 0.0025/S; In the determination structure and flow characteristics, needle valve can totally be
of elongation at break, the stress rate should stay in the range seen as thin-walled throttle orifice in engineering. So
2 1
of 110 N/mm s when the elasticity modulus smaller Formula 2 is the flow formula of needle valve.
2 d2
than 150000 N/mm [2]. Since 1950s, material testing
machines, which adopted large-flow electro-hydraulic servo
valve to form control system, have appeared in developed
countries. Control system of this type could meet the XV
requirements for the stress and strain rate in the material
strength test. For example, MTS and Instron from USA, h L
Schench from German, and Shimadzu from Japan all
adopted this type of system[3]. With the improvement of the d1
manufacturing level of proportional valve and the Figure 1. Structure of cone valve
development of control technology, electro-hydraulic
proportional valve began to be used as the main control part
home and abroad. However, this type of parts, which is
vulnerable to pollution, requires medium of high cleanliness.
It is of large noise and high price. This type of system could
go wrong easily for the complex hydraulic system[4-6].
Based on this, this paper proposes a simple and effective
control system, which has a good control effect upon stress
rate and strain rate in the application of engineering practice.

Figure 2. Actual structure of needle Valve

978-0-7695-4077-1/10 $26.00 2010 IEEE 768

DOI 10.1109/ICICTA.2010.454

Figure 3. Flow characteristic curve of needle valve
III. SYSTEM BASIC PRINCIPLE
The system basic composition is showed in Fig4, which
adopts single acting oil cylinder and constitutes the pressure
and speed regulating system with a throttle needle valve, a
frequency converter and a motor. By continuity equation,
there is
Q1 + Q2 = Q0 1 piston is A, the moving rate is v x , then system rate
Wherein, Q0 - pump flow; Q1 - flow into hydraulic
cylinder; Q2 - flow through the needle valve.[10]
The equation of Fluid flow through the needle valve is
2p
Q2 = C d A0
Wherein, C d - flow coefficient; A0 - needle valve
opening cross-sectional area; p pressure difference before
and after the needle valve, - density of hydraulic oil. The
pump output flow can be changed through controlling the
frequency output frequency converter by a computer.
Thereby, p is changed to achieve pressure and speed
regulating function.
Q1
Q0 Q2
f physical meaning of Formula (7) is: the changing load
Figure 4. Basic Principle of Hydraulic System
A. System Pressure Regulating Principle
For the system in Fig4, suppose n is the motor rotate
speed, f is the supply frequency of the motor and N is the
number of pole pairs, then n = 60 f / N [11]. Suppose the
pump delivery is QT , then the pump output flow is
Q0 = 60QT f / N 3
For p in the previous formula, p = p because the
needle valve is connected to the hydro cylinder directly p
is the system pressure). Obtained from Formula (1), (2), (3):
(60QT f / N Q1 ) 2
p= 4
2C d2 A02
This is formula of system pressure regulating. For a
given work object Q1 is basically unchanged. So system
output pressure p can be controlled through changing f .
Actually, for changing p , Formula 4 is also
applicable.
B. System rate regulating principle
Suppose the section area of the single acting oil cylinder
regulating ( v x changing) is to regulate Q1 according to
Q1 = Av x . Suppose the rising rate is v x , the
corresponding flow is Q1a , then Q0 = Q1a + Q2 a . When
the external load changes, it causes system pressure p to
2
change. Q1a will be changed into Q1b and the speed will be
changed into v xb (suppose v x > v xb ). Then the
corresponding flow change into the hydraulic cylinder is
Q = (v x v xb ) A 5
In order to keep v x unchanged, Q must be increased.
Obtained from Formula3:
Q0 = 60QT f / N 6
Obtained from Formula(5) and (6):
(v x v xb ) AN
f = 7
60QT
f is the output frequency increment of the frequency
converter. v xb can be known by measuring the displacement
or deformation. This is the rate regulating formula. The
system output rate can be controlled by changing f . The
causes the flow through the needle valve to change. Thereby,
the flow into the hydraulic cylinder is changed. Change the
supply frequency of the motor to make the pump output flow
change correspondingly to readjust. The requirement of
constant rate can be achieved when the system load is
changing.
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 IV. SYSTEM CONSTITUTION
As showed in Fig5, the testing machine actual hydraulic
system is constituted by single acting oil cylinder, throttle
needle valve, frequency converter, motor, high pressure oil
pump, safety valve and sensor. The dual control function
upon pressure and rate regulating is achieved by changing
the pump output flow.
The testing machine control system is showed in Fig6.
The SCM(single chip micyoco) controls the frequency
output of the control system as well as the compression and
displacement(or deformation). The pressure and
displacement(or deformation) are detected by the sensor.
Then the SCM will do PID control and adjustment. The
closed-loop control is formed to assure the control reliability.
The SCM-controlled PID algorithm flow chart is showed in
Fig7[12].
range of actual measured rate is -0.63%0.83%2.4KN/S
, which is lower than 1% and meets the Grade 1
accuracy requirement .[13]
Tests have been done according to the steel strength test
requirements in GB228-2002. The loading rate required by
standard is 110 or 330Nmm-2/S. The diameter of the
specimen is 8mm. According to GB228-2002, which
requires the loading rate to be 50.265502.65(150.796
1507.96)N/S, the loading rate is set to be 250N/S. The force-
time curve is showed in Fig9. The linear error totally meets
the requirements of the test standard.
KP KI KD

e( n 1) = e( n 2) = 0
Q1
u (n 1)
Q0 Q2
y (n)

r (n) = r0 + f (nT )

Figure 5. Hydraulic system principle

e( n ) = r ( n ) y ( n )

u (n) = K P' e( n)
K I e(n 1) + K D e( n 2)

u (n) = u (n 1) + u (n)

u (n)
Figure 6. Testing machine control system
u (n 1) = u (n)
V. TEST RESULT e(n 1) = e(n) e(n 2) = e(n 1)

A. Test Result of Stress Rate Control

Tests have been done on TYE-300 hydraulic
compression testing machine according to GB/T17671-1999
Test Method for Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortar (ISO
method), which requires the loading rate to be 2.4KN/S and
linear error to be 200N/S.Under this rate, divide 15%FS Figure 7. PID algorithm flow chart
90%FS into five equal part to do tests and the measured
curve is showed in Fig8. Three measures have been done
and the measured data is showed in Chart1. The linear error

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 showed in Fig10.Three measures have been don during the
test and data are showed in Chart2.The linear error of
actually-measured rate is -0.985%0.993%, which is lower
than 1% and meets the Grade 1 accuracy requirement.[14]
TABLE II. MEASURED DATA CHART WITH RATE OF 0.1MM/S

Range of
inspect
3-7 7-11 11-15 15-19 19-23
displacement
(mm)
Time of first 39.661 39.736 39.666 40.267 40.382
time (S)
Time of second 39.603 39.742 40.118 39.605 40.277
time (S)
Time of third 39.858 39.828 40.096 40.385 40.394
time (S)
Average time
Figure 8. 2.4KN/S load curve (S) 39.708 39.769 39.96 40.086 40.351

TABLE I. 2.4KN/S SPEED INSPECT DATA

Range of
90 135 180 225
inspect 45-90
-135 -180 -225 -270
force (KN)
Time of
18.913 18.906 18.751 18.710 18.594
first (S)
Time of
18.814 18.591 18.739 18.752 18.596
second (S)
Time of
18.879 18.867 18.641 18.692 18.592
third (S)
Mean time
18.869 18.788 18.710 18.718 18.594
(S)

Figure 10. 0.1mm/S Deformation curve

C. Test Result of Stress-strain Control

Tests have been done according to the steel strength test
requirements in GB228-2002 on WE-1000 hydraulic
universal testing machine which applies the above system.
As showed by the tensile force-deformation curve in Fig11,
it totally meets the requirements.

Figure 9. 250N/S load curve

B. Test Result of Strain Rate Control

The above system is applied to WE-600 hydraulic
universal testing machine. According to the steel strength
test requirements in GB228-2002, the strain rate is 0.00025
0.0025S-1. The gauge length of the specimen is 100mm,
and the corresponding deformation rate is 0.025
0.25mm/S.Tests have been done with the rate of 0.1mm/S Figure 11. Steel tensile force-deformation curve
and the actually measured displacement-time curve is

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 VI. CONCLUSION
Proposed by this paper, a comprehensive control system
can be formed by concinnating a pressure gauge throttle
needle valve and a frequency converter supported by modern
micro-computer control technology. This type of system can
be used in various strength testing device. Test and
inspection show that this system, which totally meets the
loading requirements of stress rate or strain rate in the
national standards, can be used in hydraulic testing
machines. For a pressure gauge throttle needle valve is
adopted as the main hydraulic part, the hydraulic system has
a simple structure and reliable performance. It has low
requirement for the working medium and strong anti-
pollution ability. It costs little and is easy to maintain. The
adoption of frequency converter technology not only saves
energy, but also reduces the system noise. It can totally
replace the expensive proportional valve and servo valve and
has a broad application prospects.
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