Open-Center HydraulicCircuit The fixed displacement pump shown in Fig. 4.3 delivers 20 GPM continuously.

The relief valve is set on 2500 psi. When the DCV is manually shifted, the pump builds pressure to 1300 psi, and the load begins to move. At this point, the operator notices that the load is moving too fast. Remember, the required flow is only 9 GPM, and the pump is delivering 20 GPM. The operator partly closes the DCV, thus creating a restriction. The operator continues to close the valve manually until the restricted flow gives the desired load speed. The restriction produced by partly closing the DCV builds pressure at the relief valve to the point where it opens sufficiently to dump 11 GPM back to the reservoir. This flow is dumped at some pressure less than 2500 psi, the full open position of the relief valve. To produce the graph at the bottom of Fig. 4.17, we assume that the 11 GPM is dumped at 2500 psi. Total system capacity is compared to the required capacity in the power diagram shown at the bottom of Fig. 4.17. Thepowerlossforthe open circuitis

HydraulicSequenceValve A sequencing valve again is a normally closed pressure control valve used for ensuring a sequential operation in a hydraulic circuit, based on pressure. In other words, sequencing valves ensure the occurrence of one operation before the other. A sectional view of a sequencing valve is shown in Figure 6.23.

When the components connected to port A of the valve reach the pressure set on the valve, the fluid is passed by the valve through port B to do additional work in a different portion of the system. The high-flow poppet of the sequence valve is controlled by the spring-loaded cone. At low pressures, the poppet blocks the flow of fluid from entering port A. The pressure signal at port A passes through the orifices to the top side of the poppet and to the cone. There is no flow through the valve unless the pressure at port A exceeds the maximum set pressure on the spring-loaded cone. When the pressure reaches the set valve, the main poppet Hfts, allowing the flow to pass through port B. It maintains the adjusted pressure at port A until the pressure at port B rises to the same value. A small pilot flow (about VA gpm) goes through the control piston and past the pilot cone to the external drain. When there is subsequent pressure increase in port B, the control piston acts to prevent further pilot flow loss. The main poppet opens fully and allows the pressures at port A and B to rise together. Flowmaygoeitherwayduringthiscondition.

HydraulicSequenceValveApplication Let us consider a hydraulic circuit in which two cylinders are used to execute two separate operations as shown in Figure 6.24.

Now, let us assume that cylinder A is required to extend completely before cylinder B extends. This can be accomplished by placing a sequencing valve just before cylinder B as shown. The pressure value of the valve is set to a predetermined value say 28 kg/cm2 (400 psi). This ensures that the operation involving cylinder B will occur after the operation involving cylinder A or in other words, cylinder B will not extend before a pressure of 28 kg/cm2 (400 psi) is reached on cylinder A.

HydraulicPressureReducingValveApplication

Let us consider a hydraulic circuit where one cylinder is required to apply a lesser force than the other as shown in Figure 6.20. Here cylinder B is required to apply a lesser force than cylinder A. This is accomplished as follows. A pressure-reducing valve is placed just before cylinder B in the hydraulic circuit as shown. This arrangement allows flow to the cylinder, until the set pressure value on the valve is reached. At this point where the set pressure is reached, the valve shuts off, thereby preventing any further buildup of pressure. The fluid is bled to the tank through the drain valve passage resulting in the easing-off of the pressure, as a result of which the valve opens again. Finally a reduced modulated pressure equal to the valve results.

HydraulicCompoundReliefValve

A compound pressure relief valve is one which operates in two stages. They are designed to accommodate higher pressures than direct acting relief valves at the same flow rate capacity. To have a broad understanding of how a compound pressure relief is internally designed, a cutaway view of an actual valve manufactured by Vickers INC., Detroit is shown in Figure 6.18. The first stage of the pilot relief valve includes the main spool which is normally closed and kept in position by a non-adjustable spring. The pilot stage is located in the upper valve body and contains a pressure-limiting poppet, which is held against a seat by an adjustable spring. The lower body contains the port connections. The balanced piston in the lower part of the body accomplishes diversion of the full pump flow. In normal operation, the balanced piston is in a condition of hydraulic balance. Pressure at the inlet port acts on both sides of the piston, through an orifice, that is drilled through the large land. For pressures less than the valve setting, the piston is held on its seat by a light spring. As soon as the pressure reaches the setting of the adjustable spring, the poppet is forced off its seat. This limits the pressure in the upper chamber. The restricted flow through the orifice into the upper chamber results in an increase in pressure in the lower chamber. This causes an imbalance in the hydraulic forces, which tends to raise the piston off its seat. When the pressure difference between the upper and the lower chamber reaches approximately 1.5kg/cm3 (approx. 21 psi) the large piston lifts off its seat to permit flow directly to the tank. If there is a flow increase through the valve, the piston lifts further off its seat. However, this compresses only the light spring and hence very little override occurs. Compound relief valves can also be operated remotely by using the outlet port from the chamber above the piston. This chamber in turn can be vented to the tank through a solenoid-operated direction control valve.

HydraulicPressure Control Applications

1. A backhoe operator controls the speed of the cylinder, which extends the bucket by cracking open the DCV controlling flow of the cylinder. Describe the difference in the feel of the controls using the two different relief valves (a) and (b) shown in Fig. 3.31.

2. A 1.79-in3 displacement motor is turning at 804 rpm and delivering 340 lbf-in of torque. The operator notices that motor speed decreases as load increases and the torque demand is greater than 340 lbf-in. Theoperatorcollectedthefollowing data:

Use this data to deduce the shape of the relief valve curve. Plot this curve [flow across relief valve (in3/s) vs. pressure (psi)]. 3. A fixed-displacement pump is delivering 3.5 GPM to a circuit such as the one shown in Fig. 3.21. The workpiece must be held by the clamp cylinder with a minimum force equivalent to 600 psi during the operation. It has been determined that a clamping force equivalent to 750 psi will damage the workpiece. Pressure at the cap end of the extend cylinder was measured during extension. An idealized plot of this pressure is shown in Fig. 3.32. (No data are presented for the retraction part of the cycle.) a. Will this circuit operate satisfactorily? If so, briefly explain how all functional requirements are met. b. Calculate the hydraulic energy (hp-h) dissipated across the sequence valve during extension. Rememberenergyispower time.

4. A peanut shelling plant uses a truck dump to unload truck-trailers loaded with peanuts. The truck is backed onto a platform, and the entire vehicle (tractor and trailer) is raised to pour the peanuts out through the back unloading gate. The hose on the cap end of one lift cylinder failed at the fitting, and this caused the entire load to be held by the other cylinder. The resulting high pressure caused the hose on this cylinder to burst, and a $105,000 truck was destroyed. You are assigned the task of redesigning the hydraulic circuit such that a similar accident could never happen again. Your circuit is shown in Fig. 3.33. A counterbalance valve is installed directly on the cap end port of the cylinder. There is no line (hose or hydraulic tubing) between the port and the valve. For simplicity, there is only one cylinder shown. The actual design has two cylinders with a counterbalance valve on each one. Given: Cylinders 5-in. rod diameter Maximum lift force 8-in. bore 100 tons

a. Find the setting on the counterbalance valve (psi) that will ensure that the load can never fall. Valve setting should be 10% higher than the pressure produced by the expected maximum load. b. What pressure must be developed at the rod end of the cylinder to lower the load?

5. The stroke of the cylinders in Problem 4 is 18 ft. The design states that the truck must be lowered in 10 min. The counterbalance valve is a cartridge mounted in an aluminum block known as a line body. Total mass of the counterbalance valve is 9.4 lb. The pressure setting of the valve (inlet pressure) is 2200 psi, and the pressure drop from the outlet to the reservoir is 50 psi. Use the following assumptions and calculate the temperature rise of the counterbalance valve during a retraction event. a. The valve is mounted on the cylinder. 20% of the total heat generated is conducted to the cylinder. b. 40% of the total heat generated is exchanged to the oil as it passes through the valve. c. 30% of the total heat is convected or radiated to the surrounding atmosphere during the event. Specific heat of aluminum is 0.214 Btu/lbm F. 1 hp = 2547 Btu/h. Hint: Remember that hydraulic power is converted to heat energy when there is a pressure drop and no mechanical work is delivered.