Influence of variable inertia flywheel and soft switching on a power hydraulic system

Abstract

In this work a variable inertia flywheel and a soft switch are incorporated into an on/off valve-controlled power hydraulic system to analyze the influences of those in energy saving and vibration isolation of the system. Four different configurations of hydrostatic transmission systems, i.e. Hydrostatic Transmission with Constant Inertia Flywheel (HSTCIF), Hydrostatic Transmission with Variable Inertia Flywheel (HSTVIF), Hydrostatic Transmission with Constant Inertia Flywheel and Soft Switch (HSTCIFSW) and Hydrostatic Transmission with Variable Inertia Flywheel and Soft Switch (HSTVIFSW) have been modeled and simulated. The Lagrange’s approach is used to obtain the mathematical model of the variable inertia flywheel. The main objective of the study is to reduce the transient peak of the system response by using the variable inertia flywheel and the soft switch individually or collectively. It is observed that the incorporation of these two components together provides benefits from two different perspectives, i.e. energy savings and vibration reduction of the system.