System for controlling the operation of a hydraulic winch

A method of electronically controlling an operation of a winch assembly, comprising:

• accessing a winch load threshold, the winch load threshold defining a hold zone and a reel zone of the winch assembly, one of the hold zone and the reel zone including loads on a winch cable wrapped around a rotatable winch drum being greater than the winch load threshold and another of the hold zone and the reel zone including loads less than the winch load threshold;
• determining a pressure differential between a first port of the hydraulic winch motor and a second port of the hydraulic winch motor based upon pressure differential data from a pressure differential sensor;
• determining whether the winch assembly is operating within the hold zone or the reel zone based upon tension data from a cable tension sensor including the pressure differential, the cable tension sensor being operatively associated with the winch cable, the tension data being indicative of a tension on the winch cable;
• generating a zero flow command to prevent flow of hydraulic fluid to a hydraulic winch motor while the winch assembly is operating within the hold zone and preventing rotation of the hydraulic winch motor;
• and
• generating a pressure differential command to permit a desired flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic winch motor at a desired pressure differential while the rotatable winch drum is operating within the reel zone, the desired flow of hydraulic fluid being based upon the winch load threshold and operating to permit rotation of the hydraulic winch motor.

A machine, comprising:

• a prime mover;
• a ground-engaging drive mechanism operatively coupled to the prime mover to propel the machine;
• a winch assembly including:
• a rotatable winch drum;
• a winch cable wrapped around the rotatable winch drum;
• a hydraulic winch motor operatively connected to the rotatable winch drum, the hydraulic winch motor including a first port and second port for receiving hydraulic fluid;
• a cable tension sensor operatively associated with the winch cable and configured to generate tension data indicative of a tension on the winch cable, the cable tension sensor comprising a pressure differential sensor operatively connected to the hydraulic winch motor and configured to generate pressure differential data indicative of a pressure differential between the first port and the second port;
• and
• an electronic controller configured to:
• access a winch load threshold, the winch load threshold defining a hold zone and a reel zone of the winch assembly, one of the hold zone and the reel zone including loads on the winch cable greater than the winch load threshold and another of the hold zone and the reel zone including loads on the winch cable less than the winch load threshold;
• determine the pressure differential between the first port and the second port based upon the pressure differential data from the pressure differential sensor;
• determine whether the winch assembly is operating within the hold zone or the reel zone based upon the tension data from the cable tension sensor including the pressure differential;
• generate a zero flow command to prevent flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic winch motor while the winch assembly is operating within the hold zone and preventing rotation of the hydraulic winch motor;
• and
• generate a pressure differential command to permit a desired flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic winch motor at a desired pressure differential while the rotatable winch drum is operating within the reel zone, the desired flow of hydraulic fluid being based upon the winch load threshold and operating to permit rotation of the hydraulic winch motor.