Method and system for a flow-isolated valve arrangement and a three-chamber cylinder hydraulic architecture

A hydraulic circuit, comprising:

• one or more i) linear;
• or ii) rotary hydraulic actuator each with one or more cylinder chambers disposed therein, wherein total number of cylinder chambers is N;
• M pressure rails, each at a corresponding pressure;
• a valve arrangement, comprising:
• M hydraulic rail ports each configured to be coupled to a pressure rail;
• N hydraulic chamber ports each configured to be coupled to a chamber of one or more actuators;
• N proportional valves each corresponding to one of the N hydraulic chamber ports, wherein each proportional valve includes a rail side coupled to the M hydraulic rail ports and a chamber side coupled to a corresponding hydraulic chamber port, and wherein each rail side of the N proportional valves is divided into a supply side configured to supply hydraulic fluid to a corresponding hydraulic chamber port and a return side configured to receive hydraulic fluid from the corresponding hydraulic chamber port;
• X sets of on-off valves and check valves coupling two or more hydraulic rail ports to each of the supply sides of each of the N proportional valves;
• and
• Y sets of on-off valves and check valves coupling two or more hydraulic rail ports to each of the return sides of each of the N proportional valves,
• wherein selectively operating each of the on-off valves and the proportional valves provides selective pressure or flow to each one of the N hydraulic chamber ports;
• and
• a controller configured to receive one or more desired functional parameters for the one or more cylinder chambers and in real-time i) receive data from a plurality of sensors associated with the one or more cylinder chambers, and ii) activate and deactivate the N proportional valves and the associated on-off valves to achieve the one or more desired functional parameters, wherein M is between 2 and 3, N is between 1 and 4, X has a maximum number of M−1, X has a minimum number of 1, Y has a maximum number of M−1 and Y has a minimum number of 1.

A hydraulic force generator for use with heavy machinery, consisting of:

• a hydraulic actuator with three chambers disposed therein;
• three hydraulic pressure rails consisting of i) a high-pressure rail, ii) a medium pressure rail, and iii) a low pressure rail;
• and
• up to nine proportionally controlled hydraulic valves coupled to the hydraulic actuator, wherein each chamber is coupled to the three hydraulic pressure rails via the proportional valves, wherein continuous force control is achieved by proportionally controlling an opening area of each proportional valve.

A hydraulic control system for use with heavy machinery, comprising:

• at least one hydraulic actuator each with N chambers disposed therein, wherein
• N is between 1 and 3;
• three hydraulic pressure rails including i) a high-pressure rail, ii) a medium pressure rail, and iii) a low-pressure rail;
• and
• up to N2 sets of proportionally controlled hydraulic valves each set for and coupled to each of the at least one hydraulic actuator, wherein each of the N chambers of each of the at least one actuator is coupled to the three hydraulic pressure rails via each said N2 sets of proportionally controlled hydraulic valves, wherein continuous force control is achieved by proportionally controlling an opening area of each of the N2 sets of proportionally controlled hydraulic valves, and
• a control unit responsible for adjusting the corresponding opening area of each of the N2 sets of the proportionally controlled hydraulic valves such that a closed loop-pressure control is achieved by fluid throttling in each one of the N chambers of the at least one hydraulic actuator.