Hydraulic Energy Recovery Research Articles

Turbine selection for hydraulic energy recovery in the Yuribia dam aqueduct

The recuperation of hydraulic energy in aqueducts is based on utilizing the energy dissipated by hydraulic devices aimed at regulating the flow or pressure within the system, in addition to fulfilling their primary purpose. This paper presents the methodology for the selection of a turbine coupled to a generator for the recovery of hydraulic energy in the aqueduct of the Yuribia dam situated in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. The results of system modeling, simulation, and calculation of the generated energy are presented.

Исследование математической модели объемного гидропривода с релейным управлением применительно к грузовой лебедке крана

The known variants of volumetric hydraulic drives of lifting and technological mechanisms are considered and analyzed. The areas of application of pumping and accumulator hydraulic drives, with various types of regulation, and options for their implementation as drives of a cargo winch of a bridge crane are considered. It is shown that the operation of the volumetric hydraulic drives of the cargo winch, along with volumetric and throttle control, can be performed by a relay method. It is noted that the cyclical operation of lifting mechanisms during lifting and lowering of cargo allows for mechanical and hydraulic energy recovery within the working cycle, which is a promising way to significantly increase the efficiency of their work. The analysis of the existing designs of hydraulic drives of technological machines, allowing to recover the potential energy of working bodies with cargo, is carried out. It is proposed as an alternative to the known hydraulic drives of the cargo winch of the bridge crane, a hydraulic drive with relay control. The efficiency of such a drive is shown, according to the indicators of the nominal pressure utilization coefficient and the energy intensity of the working fluid, in the case of the implementation of mechanical and hydraulic energy recovery in the working cycle in it. The mechanical and hydraulic circuits of such a drive are examined. An algorithm of mathematical model of its operation with consideration of different phases of cargo movement is proposed and its investigation is carried out. The possibility of fulfilling the safety conditions of operation of a hydraulic drive with relay control, in terms of ensuring the requirements for the uniformity of cargo movement, is analyzed.

Research on hydraulic braking energy recovery system of heavy vehicles

The carbon emission of a heavy-duty diesel vehicle is almost equal to the sum of 100 small cars. In the global environment where energy conservation and emission reduction are advocated, the pollution caused by heavy vehicles is non-negligible. A hydraulic brake energy recovery and regeneration system can store the braking energy, convert the energy into kinetic energy and output it to the vehicle transmission system when starting or accelerating, thereby reducing energy consumption and achieving the role of energy conservation and emission reduction. Firstly, this paper mainly summarizes several vehicle energy recovery technology schemes and determines the hydraulic braking energy recovery scheme after a comprehensive comparison. Secondly, the overall structure of the hydraulic brake energy recovery and regeneration system is designed, and the working mode is analyzed. Finally, according to the working characteristics of the main components in the system, the mathematical model is established, the key parameters are simulated and studied, and the appropriate selection and matching scheme is provided.

Research on electro-hydraulic composite drive winch and energy recovery system for mobile crane

Owing to the high power consumption and limited control precision of traditional hydraulic drive winch systems, this study proposes hydraulic and electric-type energy recovery systems. The accumulator used in the hydraulic type has low energy density, which makes it difficult to store a large amount of energy. Meanwhile, the electric motor/generator used in the electric type cannot solve the secondary slip because of oil leakage, which leads to low controllability and high-power consumption under near-zero speed and high torque conditions. Thus, based on electric construction machinery with high-pressure, energy-dense electric energy storage units, this study proposes an electro-hydraulic composite drive winch and energy recovery system and control strategy for mobile cranes. Considering the good control characteristics of the electric motor/generator and the high-power density of the hydraulic accumulator, this hydroelectric composite drive and energy recovery system may solve the secondary sliding challenge and ensure large torque output at near-zero speed. A simulation model of the mobile crane is established to verify the feasibility of the proposed system and control strategy. The research results showed that the system is more efficient at recovering energy when the weight is lowered by a greater distance.

Regenerative Braking Algorithm for Parallel Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicles Based on Fuzzy Q-Learning

The use of regenerative braking systems is an important approach for improving the travel mileage of electric vehicles, and the use of an auxiliary hydraulic braking energy recovery system can improve the efficiency of the braking energy recovery process. In this paper, we present an algorithm for optimizing the energy recovery efficiency of a hydraulic regenerative braking system (HRBS) based on fuzzy Q-Learning (FQL). First, we built a test bench, which was used to verify the accuracy of the hydraulic regenerative braking simulation model. Second, we combined the HRBS with the electric vehicle in ADVISOR. Third, we modified the regenerative braking control strategy by introducing the FQL algorithm and comparing it with a fuzzy-control-based energy recovery strategy. The simulation results showed that the power savings of the vehicle optimized by the FQL algorithm were improved by about 9.62% and 8.91% after 1015 cycles and under urban dynamometer driving schedule (UDDS) cycle conditions compared with a vehicle based on fuzzy control and the dynamic programming (DP) algorithm. The regenerative braking control strategy optimized by the fuzzy reinforcement learning method is more efficient in terms of energy recovery than the fuzzy control strategy.

Study of a novel hydro turbine with ultra-small unit discharge in theoretical calculation and numerical simulation

A novel hydro turbine with the ultra-small unit discharge was suggested and studied for the first time. It was specially developed for hydraulic energy recovery with a smaller flow rate and medium available head, its highlight feature is straight blades in the radial direction. In this paper, the theoretical and numerical simulation of a novel hydro turbine was studied. First, with the working process and principles introduced, the theoretical models were established for the prediction of optimal unit speed, optimal unit discharge, and performance curves. Second, numerical simulation was carried out to study the performance of the novel turbine and verify the theoretical models. Different mesh quantity cases were investigated to select an accurate configuration. The numerical simulation predicted that optimal unit speed was 57.07 r/min, and optimal unit discharge was 0.0705 [Formula: see text]/s, while the specific speed was 42.3 m kW. Comparisons between theoretical calculation and numerical simulation show the accuracy of the theoretical models. Finally, a tail energy recovery runner was proposed to improve the performance of the novel turbine, and maximum efficiency was improved from 79.6% to 84.5%. The novel hydro turbine fills the blank working area between Pelton turbine and Francis turbine, and could be easily applied to engineering with low cost and simple manufacture.

Recovering and accumulating energy in regenerative braking of a garbage truck using hydro-mechanic power split transmission

Hydro-mechanical power-split transmissions (HPSTs) are a kind of continuously variable transmission; HPSTs integrated with the hydraulic energy recovery and accumulation function are the most coherent selection to im-prove the energy efficiency of the garbage truck. With an accumulator located in the speed-increasing hydraulic converter of the HPSTs, it is possible to recover and accumulate energy during braking and reuse energy when starting, accelerating or using other technologies in the process of garbage collection and transportation. Some results of simulation research and analysis of the energy recovery and accumulation process introduced in this paper can be used as a scientific basis for the complete design of energy saving powertrain systems, quality, and environmental friendliness for garbage trucks. In this study, the results of the simulation and analysis of the energy recovery and accumulation process were reported. Our findings can be used as a scientific basis for the complete design of energy saving powertrain systems, quality, and environmental friendliness for garbage trucks.

Simulation of energy recovery system of high speed transmission shaft dynamic torque test bench

A hydraulic energy recovery and control system is proposed to solve the energy loss problem of the current vehicle transmission shaft torque test bench. On the basis of the original system, power recovery is realized by parallel hydraulic compensation. PID module is used to control the displacement of piston variable pump and motor respectively to adjust the speed and torque to achieve the established working conditions. The feasibility of the hydraulic system and control scheme is verified by AMEsim-MATLAB software and experiments. The results show that the proposed system can not only adjust the set speed and torque dynamically, but also achieve high power recovery.

Experimental study of centrifugal pump as turbine with S-blade impeller

As a hydraulic energy recovery device, pump as turbine(PAT) has been applied widely in the seawater desalination and petrochemical industry. In order to improve the hydraulic performances, the blade inlet angle was redesigned by analyzing the velocity triangle of PAT impeller inlet, and an S-blade was proposed. Then, A new S-blade impeller was obtained by optimizing the impeller in a real case of centrifugal pump as turbine application, and it was compared with the original impeller through experiments. The results show that the efficiency of the new S-blade impeller is around 3% higher than that of the original blade with the fixed flow rate and head. Under the fixed speed, the shaft power of the new S-blade impeller is higher than that of the original blade, and the maximum deviation is 0.75 kW. The study could have important directive significance to blade optimization of PAT.

Low-Head Hydropower for Energy Recovery in Wastewater Systems

Hydraulic turbines for energy recovery in wastewater treatment plants, with relatively large discharges values and small head jumps, are usually screw Archimedes or Kaplan types. In the specific case of a small head jump (about 3 m) underlying a rectangular weir in the major Palermo (Italy) water treatment plant, a traditional Kaplan solution is compared with two other new proposals: a Hydrostatic Pressure Machine (HPM) located at the upstream channel and a cross-flow turbine (CFT) located in a specific underground room downstream of the same channel. The fluid mechanical formulations of the flow through these turbines are analyzed and the characteristic parameters are stated. Numerical analysis was carried out for the validation of the HPM design criteria. The efficiency at the design point of the CFT and HPM are estimated using the ANSYS CFX solver for resolution of 3D URANS analysis. The strong and weak points of the three devices are compared. Finally, a viability analysis is developed based on several economic indicators. This innovative study with a theoretical formulation of the most suitable turbomachine characterization, the potential energy estimation based on hydraulic energy recovery in a real case study of a wastewater treatment plant and the comparison of the three different low-head turbines, enhancing the main advantages, is of utmost importance towards the net-zero water sector decarbonization.

Design and Year-Long Performance Evaluation of a Pump as Turbine (PAT) Pico-Hydropower Energy Recovery Device in a Water Network

Despite the existence of a vast scientific literature on the subject of hydraulic energy recovery from water pipelines by means of micro- and pico-hydropower using pumps as turbines (PAT), such technology has found a very limited application thus far in practice. In fact, the selection of a pump as turbine for a specific site is a matter of nontrivial trade-offs between a variety of technical and economic parameters and this aspect has not been sufficiently captured and integrated into a reliable, proven, and practical selection methodology available to designers and practitioners. Hence, a multi-objective PAT selection software was developed and utilized to design a 3 kW energy recovery installation at a rural Irish water network. The performance of the scheme was monitored over 13 consecutive months, resulting in the generation of nearly 16,000 kWh of electricity and validating the output from the PAT selection software.

Energy recovery for hybrid hydraulic excavators: flywheel-based solutions

Hybridization is an effective method to reduce fuel consumption and emissions of toxic pollutants generated by hydraulic excavators (HEs). This paper first reviews various hybrid HEs architectures with electrical, hydraulic, or flywheel-based energy recovery systems (ERSs). Flywheel-based ERS is not widely used in HEs but has achieved widespread concern in the automotive field. In light of this, the differences between HEs and automobiles are discussed to highlight the potential of flywheel-based ERSs in HEs. Then, the paper compares corresponding energy storage devices in these ERSs from many aspects. The comparison shows that flywheels display many advantages over other energy storage devices. Meanwhile, the drawbacks of flywheels are discussed in detail, indicating that the drawbacks can be offset by other advantages. The results show that the flywheel-based ERS is competitive with the electrical and hydraulic competitors for HEs. Finally, the challenges to the flywheel technology and future work are presented.

A Survey of Powertrain Technologies for Energy-Efficient Heavy-Duty Machinery

This article presents a comprehensive, multidisciplinary overview of the development of powertrain technologies for energy-efficient heavy-duty earthmoving machines. The heavy-duty earthmoving equipment industry has been among the biggest contributors to emissions globally. However, due to high power demand and multidisciplinary powertrain structures, improving the energy efficiency of heavy-duty mobile machines has been a pressing and challenging task in the industry. To cope with this challenge, hydraulics and power electronics (PE) have been the key driving forces. As such, the relative developments in both fields are covered in this article. For hydraulics, developments of efficient hydraulic circuits will be overviewed in detail along with the introduction of hydraulic energy recovery technologies. In addition, developments of PE architectures in hybrid and electrified machines will be introduced. Furthermore, potential medium-voltage dc mining site power distribution and the valves of wide bandgap devices will also be discussed with the hope to open up new research opportunities in PE. Moreover, emerging hybrid electrohydraulic drive technology is introduced. Based on the overview in this article, it is anticipated that electrohydraulic hybridization will be the future trend in the earthmoving machine industry. Deeper collaboration between the two areas is desirable.

Simulated research on large-excavator boom based on hydraulic energy recovery

According to the working condition characteristics of a company's existing XE series 70-ton-large-scale crawler hydraulic excavator, a new hydraulic type is designed for the purpose of energy saving, which contains an accumulator as a reversible energy storage component and a variable pump/motor as an energy conversion element. This scheme belongs to the excavator boom potential energy regeneration method. When the boom is lowered, the accumulator and the pump/motor function, part of the hydraulic cylinder rodless cavity fluid entering the rod cavity and the other part filling the accumulator with fluid and driving the pump/motor to assist the engine's work. After the boom is lowered, the accumulator continues to supply liquid to the pump/motor which carries on assisting the engine to do work. Then the main hydraulic components of the system are modeled, together with building the simulated system model in LMS Imagine.Lab AMESim(Advanced Modeling Environment for performing Simulation of engineering systems). The result of simulation manifests that this system scheme can achieve the recovery of the potential energy of the boom and realize a better energy saving effect.

Design, Modeling, and Test: The Hydraulic Vibration Energy Recovery System of Speed Bump

Abstract This paper designs a hydraulic vibration energy recovery system of speed bump that can recover vehicle vibration energy while decelerating the vehicle. Using hydraulic fluid as the energy recovery medium for deceleration, according to the speed range of vehicles passing through the speed bump, a design scheme for the hydraulic vibration energy recovery device for speed bump with a combination of split generation and continuous generation is proposed. Based on the coupling characteristics of the vehicle-speed bump-hydraulic transducer at different speeds of the vehicle, a joint simulation model was established to study the speed bump power generation module. Based on the simulation results, the hydraulic system operating parameters and component types were determined. Finally, a simulation test was conducted on an improved test-bed to test the power generation capability of the system.

Design and downhill speed control of an electric-hydrostatic hydraulic hybrid powertrain in battery-powered rail vehicles

The diesel-driven rail vehicles are gradually replaced by battery-powered rail vehicles (BRVs), due to its exhaust emissions and noise. However, the development of BRVs have two aspects that need improvement: low energy efficiency and poor downhill stability. To address these problems, this paper presents the design and downhill speed control of an electric-hydrostatic hydraulic hybrid (EH3) powertrain, which is mainly composed of a variable pump, a variable pump/motor, a proportional flow control valve (PFCV) and accumulators. Through a laboratory test bench, the hydraulic regenerative/non-friction braking performance of an EH3 powertrain is validated and experimentally analyzed. The hydraulic average energy recovery rate could be 50%. The method of downhill speed control is proposed, which is validated by the simulation results. During the downhill process, EH3 rail vehicle has a relatively high energy efficiency, which will bring good economic benefits in energy conversation and environmental protection.

A Novel Electro Hydrostatic Actuator System With Energy Recovery Module for More Electric Aircraft

Electro-hydrostatic actuator (EHA) is a highly integrated local hydraulic actuation system for more electric aircraft (MEA). However, the motor heating has always been the bottleneck in actual applications. In this paper, a novel energy-recovery EHA (ER-EHA) with specific hydraulic energy recovery unit is proposed to solve the problem. ER-EHA can reduce the heating of the motor, which is beneficial to improve the reliability and mean time before failure of the system. Besides, the power resistor is eliminated in the new system, so the volume of the system is reduced, and the power-to-weight ratio of the system is improved, which satisfies the needs of MEA. Simulations can prove the effect of energy recovery unit. To show the efficiency of our proposed structure, a specific test bench called redundant degree heterogeneous drives loads test bench is designed, and experiments are carried out in this paper. The results reflect its contribution to motor heating reduction.

Application study of fluid pressure energy recycling of decarbonisation process by C4H6O3 in ammonia synthesis systems by hydraulic turbochargers

A new type of hydraulic turbocharger energy recovery system was designed and applied in the decarbonisation process by propylene carbonate of a 100k tons ammonia synthesis system firstly in China. Compared with existing energy recovery devices, hydraulic turbocharger energy recovery system runs more smoothly, has lower failure rate, longer service life and greater comprehensive benefits due to its unique structure, simpler adjustment process and better adaptability to fluid fluctuation.

Energy Recovery and Reuse Management for Fuel-electric-hydraulic Hybrid Powertrain of a Construction Vehicle

Aiming at the frequent start-stop of a straight-manipulator aerial platform vehicle for sandblasting and spray painting hull, a hydraulic energy recovery and reuse unit consisting of accumulator and pump/motor is connected in parallel on the original series hybrid system. The main purpose of the modified hybrid powertrain is to exploit the operational characteristics of the hydraulic pump/motor to recover the kinetic energy during vehicle braking. And while, during the climbing and acceleration process, the stored energy in accumulator is quickly released to meet the intermittent and high power requirements of the system. Firstly, the fuel-electric-hydraulic hybrid power system is presented for an actual aerial platform vehicle. And then a logical control strategy of the energy management is designed according to vehicle driving condition. The simulation comparison result is given between the fuel-electric-hydraulic hybrid system and the original series hybrid system.

A novel autonomous PV powered desalination system based on a DC microgrid concept incorporating short-term energy storage

Seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination units coupled with renewable energy technologies such as photovoltaics are a very appealing suggestion, especially in remote areas, such as islands and coastal regions, which often face lack or low quality fresh water coupled with electrical energy shortages. This paper regards an experimental investigation of a PV powered small-scale SWRO desalination system which employs hydraulic energy recovery, based on a DC microgrid concept and incorporates a short term electric energy storage in the form of hybrid capacitors and a short term hydraulic energy storage in the form of pressure vessels. Α multi-agent decentralized energy management system which relies on intelligent agents and employs Fuzzy Cognitive Maps for its implementation, allowing for efficient operation of the desalination system under variable conditions (variable feed pressure), was developed and implemented. The experimental results show that it is feasible to operate efficiently such PV powered SWRO system. Furthermore, the desalination unit produces potable water during daytime even at periods when the produced energy from the PV array is not sufficient to operate the desalination unit. Moreover, the SWRO system shows a continuous and smooth operation, meaning small feed water pressure variations at sharp rapid solar irradiation intensity variations due to the incorporated short-term storage. In addition, the intelligently managed PV powered SWRO system with short term storage produces considerably more fresh water, especially at days with variable solar irradiation, as compared to the same SWRO system directly PV driven without storage and any control.