Influence of Hydraulics on Electric Drive Operational Characteristics in Pump-Controlled Actuators

Transitioning from a valve- to pump-controlled system has been observed in working hydraulics to reduce energy consumption and accelerate the response to decarbonization requirements in Non-road Mobile Machinery (NRMM). The utilization of an electric motor as a prime mover significantly enhances the chances of completing this task. While the concept of combining hydraulics with an electric motor is not new, the functionality of electro-hydraulics can be improved due to multidisciplinary domains, the impact of the electric drive and its control is usually underestimated. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the influence of hydraulics on electric drive operational characteristics in pump-controlled actuators. It utilizes an electro-hydraulic model and simulation study under various conditions, a stability analysis, and a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) of the frequency converter (FC) evaluation on a selected variable speed pump-controlled actuator to demonstrate the influence of hydraulics on an electric drive. Experimental validation of the model demonstrated an acceptable accuracy of 5%. Moreover, the stability analysis indicated a rise time of about 0.051 s, an overshoot of 0.53%, a transient process time of 0.13 s, and a steady-state value difference of 0.16%; all of which guarantees stable operation of the electric drive with a hydraulic load. In addition, an optimal PWM of an FC frequency of 5 kHz was selected to guarantee accurate speed control with minimum overshoot.