Hydraulic system with a functional safety feature for demolition robots

A control unit arranged to control a hydraulic system on construction equipment comprising one or more movable members, wherein the control unit is configured to operate the construction equipment in a safe mode of operation,

• wherein the hydraulic system comprises a load sensing, LS, circuit connected to one or more hydraulic valves of the hydraulic system, wherein a hydraulic pump controller is arranged to control an operation of a hydraulic pump of the hydraulic system based on a pressure feedback signal from the LS circuit,
• the control unit comprising processing circuitry operable to:
• obtain a first LS pressure from a first hydraulic pressure sensor arranged to sense pressure in a first LS circuit part of the LS circuit, wherein the first LS circuit part is connected to one or more hydraulic valves arranged to operate one or more of the movable members,
• monitor the sensed first LS pressure,
• compare the first LS pressure to a predetermined acceptance criterion associated with stationarity of the one or more movable members, and
• trigger a safety-related action by the hydraulic system in response to the hydraulic system being configured in the safe mode of operation and the first LS pressure not satisfying the acceptance criterion.

A computer-implemented method for controlling a hydraulic system on construction equipment comprising one or more movable members, wherein the hydraulic system is configurable in a safe mode of operation associated with stationarity of at least one of the one or more movable members,

• wherein the hydraulic system comprises a load sensing, LS, circuit connected to one or more hydraulic valves of the hydraulic system, wherein a hydraulic pump controller is arranged to control an operation of a hydraulic pump of the hydraulic system based on a pressure feedback signal from the LS circuit,
• the computer implemented method comprising:
• obtaining a first LS pressure from a first hydraulic pressure sensor arranged to sense pressure in a first LS circuit part of the LS circuit, wherein the first LS circuit part is connected to one or more hydraulic valves arranged to operate one or more of the movable members,
• monitoring the sensed first LS pressure,
• comparing the first LS pressure to a predetermined acceptance criterion associated with stationarity of the one or more movable members, and
• triggering a safety-related action by the hydraulic system in response to the hydraulic system being configured in the safe mode of operation and the first LS pressure not satisfying the acceptance criterion.