Multiplexed hydraulic control systems
AssigneeWoodward Governor Company
InventorDonald F. Wernberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A time division multiplexed (TDM) hydraulic control system having a plurality of channels, each channel having a servo actuator. Electrical demand signals are arranged in TDM sequence and applied to a pilot valve so that the pilot valve produces a plurality of hydraulic signals. The hydraulic signals in turn are coupled to a separate commutator which distributes the hydraulic signals to the associated channels. The pilot valve is arranged with a full annular output port to maximize the port area and thereby the flow rate to the channels. The commutator size and port area is coordinated to that of the pilot valve to minimize pressure drop across the commutator and to maximize flow rate to the channels.
Claims21
A time division multiplexed (TDM) hydraulic control system having a plurality of channels for individually controlling the positions of a plurality of hydraulic actuators in the respective channels in accordance with an associated plurality of electrical control signals, the TDM control system comprising the combination of:
- a pilot valve having a valve spool linearly positionable within a valve body, the body having substantially full annular porting controllably opened or closed by a metering land on the spool, linear actuator means associated with the spool for positioning the metering land to control the output flow rate of the pilot valve;
- control means including electrical multiplexer means for sequentially feeding electrical control signals to the pilot valve, the electrical control signals being related to the plurality of hydraulic channels to be controlled;
- a rotating commutator valve having a plurality of outputs, one for each channel, the commutator valve having an input for receiving the output of the pilot valve, means for causing the commutator valve to rotate for sequentially distributing the pilot valve output to the commutator valve outputs;
- means connecting the commutator valve outputs to the actuators for controlling the positions thereof;
- and
- the commutator valve having a port area for each channel which is greater than the maximum port area of the pilot valve.
A time division multiplexed (TDM) hydraulic control system having a plurality of channels for individually controlling the positions of a plurality of hydraulic actuators in the respective channels in accordance with an associated plurality of electrical control signals, the TDM control system comprising the combination of:
- a pilot valve having a valve body with substantially full annular porting controllably opened or closed by a valve actuator;
- control means including electrical multiplexer means for sequentially feeding electrical control signals to the pilot valve, the electrical control signals being related to the plurality of hydraulic channels to be controlled;
- a commutator valve having a plurality of outputs, one for each channel, the commutator valve having an input for receiving the output of the pilot valve, means for causing the commutator valve to sequentially distribute the pilot valve output to the commutator valve outputs;
- means connecting the commutator valve outputs to the actuators for controlling the positions thereof;
- and
- the commutator valve having a port area for each channel which is greater than the maximum port area of the pilot valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.