Energy Consumption of an LS Excavator Hydraulic System

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a simulation study regarding the energy consumption of a load-sensing excavator hydraulic system and discusses the possible energy savings by eliminating the directional control valves. The energy consumption of the excavator hydraulic system has been studied for typical working cycles. For this purpose a coupled multi-body dynamics and hydraulic system model was developed in the Matlab Simulink environment, including a precise measurement-based loss model of the variable displacement pump. Power transmission and dissipation was calculated for each component and subsystem, including pumps, motors, valves, cylinders, transmission lines, and others. The simulation results show the amount of dissipated energy, indicating the major loss sources during various operations. Furthermore, the potential recoverable energy in the cycle is calculated, highlighting the prospective advantages of equipping the existing machine with new pump-controlled actuator technology.

Decentralized Hydraulics for Micro Excavator

“…This cycle represents an excavator digging a load of earth, rotating, releasing the load onto a pile, and then returning to its initial position [3]. The cycle inputs shown in fig.…”

“…When multiple actuators operate simultaneously, the power losses of lower-load actuators are particularly significant. Up to 35% of the energy losses during the working cycle could be avoided by removing the control valves in a typical digging cycle, and up to an additional 8% of the total energy could be recovered [3]. State-of-the-art, diverse hybrid systems are developed for construction machinery, like series or parallel hybrid hydraulic excavators [4].…”

Effect of Zonal Hydraulics on Energy Consumption and Boom Structure of a Micro-Excavator

“…An example of a typical working cycle for the excavator from [21] was adopted as the input reference for this investigation. The positions of the excavator cylinders and their operating sequence are illustrated in Figure 3.…”

“…The digging load has a characteristic profile described by [21] which captures the increasing profile of the load while digging, its constant nature while the bucket is holding it, and the decreasing of the load while it is being emptied. This nature of the external load was utilized to mimic the everyday operation of the micro-excavator in this paper.…”

“…The simplified load is illustrated in Figure 7. Since it is difficult to determine the terra-mechanical forces on the bucket during an actual digging cycle, a simplified simulated time-dependent load of the moving load was implemented [21]. Respective to this, the y-axis in Figure 7 corresponds to the load magnitude in N.…”