Accumulator pre-charge monitoring using position sensor
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsAlexander C. Reiners, John A. Dighton, Peter A. Johnson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for determining a pre-charge gas pressure in a gas-charged hydraulic accumulator are disclosed. For example, systems and methods for determining pre-charged gas pressure of a gas-charged hydraulic accumulator included as part of a vehicle are disclosed. Further, the present disclosure provides for determining a pre-charge gas pressure of a gas-charged hydraulic accumulator using a position sensor. The accumulator may form part of a hydraulic system used to move one part of the vehicle relative to another.
Claims22
A method for detecting a pressure condition of a gas-charged hydraulic accumulator, the method comprising:
- lifting a first portion of a vehicle relative to a second portion of the vehicle to a selected height with hydraulic fluid at a pressure in excess of a first pressure;
- releasing the pressure in excess of the first pressure to cause the first portion of the vehicle to fall relative to the second portion of the vehicle;
- establishing the hydraulic fluid at the first pressure when the first portion has fallen by a selected amount;
- compressing a gas within a gas-charged hydraulic accumulator with the hydraulic fluid at the first pressure;
- causing the first portion of the vehicle to rebound relative to the second portion of the vehicle in response to compression of the gas within the gas-charged hydraulic accumulator;
- and
- determining a pre-charge gas pressure in the gas-charged hydraulic accumulator in response to the rebound of the first portion of the vehicle relative to the second portion of the vehicle, the pre-charge gas pressure being a gas pressure within the gas-charged hydraulic accumulator in the absence of hydraulic pressure.
A method for detecting a pressure condition in a gas-charged hydraulic accumulator for a vehicle, the method comprising:
- lifting, with a first hydraulic pressure greater than a selected hydraulic pressure, a first portion of the vehicle relative to a second portion of the vehicle to a selected height, the first portion of the vehicle coupled to the second portion of the vehicle;
- lowering, with a second hydraulic pressure greater than the selected hydraulic pressure, the first portion of the vehicle relative to the second portion of the vehicle;
- stopping the lowering of a first portion of the vehicle relative to the second portion when the first portion has been lowered by a selected amount;
- rebounding the first portion of the vehicle relative to the second portion of the vehicle with a gas-charged hydraulic actuator;
- sensing an amount of rebound of the first portion of the vehicle relative to the second portion;
- and
- determining a pre-charge gas pressure within the gas-charged hydraulic accumulator using the amount of rebound of the first portion of the vehicle relative to the second portion of the vehicle, the pre-charge gas pressure being a gas pressure within the gas-charged hydraulic accumulator in the absence of applied hydraulic pressure.
A computer-implemented system for determining a pre-charge gas pressure in a gas-charged hydraulic accumulator, the system comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the one or more processors and storing programming instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the programming instructions instructing the one or more processors to:
- lift a first portion of a vehicle relative to a second portion of the vehicle to a selected height with hydraulic fluid at pressure in excess of a first pressure;
- release the hydraulic pressure in excess of the first pressure to cause the first portion of the vehicle to fall relative to the second portion of the vehicle;
- establish the hydraulic fluid at the first pressure when the first portion has fallen by a selected amount;
- detect an amount of rebound of the first portion of the vehicle relative to the second portion as a result of compression of a gas within the gas-charged hydraulic accumulator in response to the hydraulic fluid established at the first pressure;
- and
- determine a pre-charge gas pressure in the gas-charged hydraulic accumulator based on the detected amount of rebound of the first portion of the vehicle relative to the second portion of the vehicle, the pre-charge gas pressure being a gas pressure within the gas-charged hydraulic accumulator in the absence of applied hydraulic pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.