Hydraulic system for an air cart

A hydraulic system for an air cart towed by a tow vehicle across a field, comprising:

• a hydraulic pump in communication to receive a hydraulic fluid supply from a reservoir;
• a hydraulic-driven auger motor configured to drive an auger in conveying a supply of product to a hopper of the air cart;
• a hydraulic-driven fan motor configured to drive a fan in creating a forced air stream for the forced conveyance of product supplied from the product metering system;
• a first control valve configured to provide the hydraulic fluid flow at a first flow rate to drive the hydraulic-driven auger mechanism;
• a first selector valve configured to selectively communicate the hydraulic fluid flow from the pump to the first control valve;
• a second control valve configured to provide the hydraulic fluid at a second flow rate to drive the hydraulic-driven pressure source, the second flow rate different than the first flow rate;
• a second selector valve configured to selectively communicate the hydraulic fluid flow from the pump to the second control valve;
• a common hydraulic pressure line configured to receive the hydraulic fluid flow from the first and second control valves;
• and
• a main selector valve fluidly connected to selectively communicate the hydraulic fluid flow from the common hydraulic pressure line to the hydraulic-driven pressure source and to selectively communicate the hydraulic fluid flow from the common hydraulic pressure line to the hydraulic-driven auger mechanism.

A method of communicating a hydraulic fluid flow from a reservoir at a tow vehicle to a hydraulic-driven fan motor at an air cart and to a hydraulic-driven auger motor at the air cart, the method including the steps of:

• opening a first selector valve to selectively communicate the hydraulic fluid source to a first control valve;
• adjusting the first control valve to provide the hydraulic flow at a first flow rate to the hydraulic driven fan motor via a common hydraulic pressure line;
• closing the first selector valve;
• opening a second selector valve to selectively communicate the hydraulic source with a second control valve different than the first control valve;
• and
• adjusting the second control valve to communicate a second flow rate of hydraulic fluid via the common forward line to the hydraulic-driven auger motor.