Combined velocity and position control of large inertial hydraulic swing mechanism considering energy balance of supply and demand

Abstract

Abstract The position of a conventional large inertial hydraulic swing system is controlled by the operator-in-loop, the production efficiency of which is poor, and the repetitive positioning precision is low owing to slow human reactions. To address this problem, this study proposes a combined velocity and position control strategy based on the independent metering control system. In this method, it is not necessary to change the conventional operation mode. If the required rotary angle is the same in each swing process, a precise desired position is provided as the input signal for closed-loop position control. If the required rotary angle is random, in order to be compatible with the handle operation mode used in mobile machines, a handle signal integral control method is proposed. Moreover, velocity feedback is used to improve the control accuracy, while differential pressure feedback is used to reduce the position overshoot. Meanwhile, to improve the system dynamic characteristics during the braking process, an energy balance principle is applied. The proposed strategy is verified with simulation and a 6 t hydraulic excavator. The simulation and experimental results demonstrate that a higher positioning accuracy can be achieved with different desired angular displacements. Furthermore, the position overshoot, and velocity and pressure fluctuation are avoided, while the dynamic characteristics are clearly improved.