Electronic begin of regulation control for a hydraulic motor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10151331-B2
Application number	US-201514969342-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2015
Priority date	Dec 15, 2015
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

An electronic begin of regulation (EBOR) control system and method is disclosed for a hydraulic motor of a machine having an engine for producing power and a track system for moving. The EBOR system includes a flow source, variable displacement motor, pressure sensor and control unit. The operator sets a pressure setpoint. The flow source generates flow in a loop with the motor. The pressure sensor senses loop working pressure. The control unit adjusts motor displacement based on comparisons between the pressure setpoint and sensed loop working pressure. The flow source can be bidirectional, and different pressure sensors can be used depending on the direction. The pressure setpoint can be varied during operation, and the control unit can adjust the displacement of the motor based on comparisons between the latest pressure setpoint and the loop working pressure sensed by the appropriate pressure sensor.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electronic begin of regulation (EBOR) control system for a hydraulic motor of a powered machine, the machine having an engine for producing power and a track system for moving along a surface, the EBOR control system comprising:
an electrohydraulic control valve that includes a first section with an inlet port and an outlet port, a second section with a first port and a second port, and a third section with a third port and a fourth port, where flow can be directed from the inlet port to any of the first, second, third and fourth ports and flow can be directed from any of the first, second, third and fourth ports to the outlet port;
a flow source providing fluid flow to the inlet port;
a first variable displacement hydraulic motor in a first hydraulic loop that is coupled to the second section of the control valve such that the first port is coupled to one side of the first motor and the second port is coupled to an opposite side of the first motor, the first motor configured to drive a first portion of the track system;
a second variable displacement hydraulic motor in a second hydraulic loop that is coupled to the third section of the control valve such that the third port is coupled to one side of the second motor and the fourth port is coupled to an opposite side of the second motor, where the second hydraulic loop is different from the first hydraulic loop, and the second motor is configured to drive a second portion of the track system;
a first pressure sensor configured to sense a first loop working pressure in the first hydraulic loop;
a second pressure sensor configured to sense a second loop working pressure in the second hydraulic loop; and
operator controls configured to set a first loop operator pressure setpoint for the first hydraulic loop and a second loop operator pressure setpoint for the second hydraulic loop, where the second operator pressure setpoint is independent of the first operator pressure setpoint;
a control unit in electrical communication with the operator controls, the control valve, the first and second motors and the first and second pressure sensors;
wherein the control unit controls the control valve to couple the inlet port to the first port and the outlet port to the second port of the control valve to cause flow in a clockwise direction in the first hydraulic loop, the control unit controls the control valve to couple the inlet port to the second port and the outlet port to the first port of the control valve to cause flow in a counterclockwise direction in the first hydraulic loop; the control unit controls the control valve to couple the inlet port to the third port and the outlet port to the fourth port of the control valve to cause flow in a clockwise direction in the second hydraulic loop, and the control unit controls the control valve to couple the inlet port to the fourth port and the outlet port to the third port of the control valve to cause flow in a counterclockwise direction in the second hydraulic loop; and
wherein the control unit adjusts the displacement of the first motor based on comparisons between the first loop operator pressure setpoint and the first loop working pressure, and the control unit adjusts the displacement of the second motor based on comparisons between the second loop operator pressure setpoint and the second loop working pressure.

2. The EBOR control system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit increases the displacement of the first motor when the first loop working pressure exceeds the first loop operator pressure setpoint, and the control unit decreases the displacement of the first motor when the first loop working pressure does not exceed the first loop operator pressure setpoint.

3. The EBOR control system of claim 2 , wherein the control unit increases the displacement of the second motor when the second loop working pressure exceeds the second loop operator pressure setpoint, and the control unit decreases the displacement of the second motor when the second loop working pressure does not exceed the second loop operator pressure setpoint.

4. The EBOR control system of claim 3 , further comprising a third pressure sensor and a fourth pressure sensor, where the first pressure sensor is configured to sense pressure in the first hydraulic loop between the first port and the one side of the first hydraulic motor and the third pressure sensor is configured to sense pressure in the first hydraulic loop between the second port and the opposite side of the first hydraulic motor, and the second pressure sensor is configured to sense pressure in the second hydraulic loop between the third port and the one side of the second hydraulic motor and the fourth pressure sensor is configured to sense pressure in the second hydraulic loop between the fourth port and the opposite side of the second hydraulic motor, wherein the control unit uses pressure readings sensed by the first pressure sensor for the first loop working pressure when the control valve causes flow in the clockwise direction in the first hydraulic loop, and uses pressure readings sensed by the third pressure sensor for the first loop working pressure when the control valve causes flow in the counterclockwise direction in the first hydraulic loop, and the control unit uses pressure readings sensed by the second pressure sensor for the second loop working pressure when the control valve causes flow in the clockwise direction in the second hydraulic loop, and uses pressure readings sensed by the fourth pressure sensor for the second loop working pressure when the control valve causes flow in the counterclockwise direction in the second hydraulic loop.

5. The EBOR control system of claim 4 , wherein the first and second loop operator pressure setpoints can be varied during operation, and the control unit adjusts the displacement of the first motor based on comparisons between the latest first loop operator pressure setpoint and the first loop working pressure, and the control unit adjusts the displacement of the second motor based on comparisons between the latest second loop operator pressure setpoint and the second loop working pressure.

6. An electronic begin of regulation (EBOR) control system for a powered machine having a track system with a first track and a second track for moving the machine along a surface, the EBOR control system comprising:
a first flow source that provides fluid flow in a first hydraulic loop;
a first variable displacement hydraulic motor in the first hydraulic loop and fluidly coupled to the first flow source, the first motor configured to drive the first track of the track system;
at least one pressure sensor that senses loop working pressure in the first hydraulic loop;
a second flow source that provides fluid flow in a second hydraulic loop, the second hydraulic loop being different from the first hydraulic loop;
a second variable displacement hydraulic motor in the second hydraulic loop and fluidly coupled to the second flow source, the second motor configured to drive the second track of the track system;
at least one pressure sensor that senses loop working pressure in the second hydraulic loop;
operator controls to set a first operator pressure setpoint for the first hydraulic loop, and to set a second operator pressure setpoint for the second hydraulic loop, where the second operator pressure setpoint is independent of the first operator pressure setpoint; and
a control unit in electrical communication with the operator controls, the first and second motors and the pressure sensors sensing loop working pressures in the first and second loops;
wherein the control unit increases the displacement of the first motor when the loop working pressure of the first hydraulic loop exceeds the operator pressure setpoint for th

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Mcdonald Chris
• Nielsen Mikael C
• Ramler Matthew J
• Neumann Bryon P

Classifications

• F15B2211/20576

  with multiple pumps · CPC title

• F15B11/17 Primary

  using two or more pumps · CPC title

• F16H61/4035

  Control of circuit flow · CPC title

• F15B2211/20561

  reversible · CPC title

• F15B2211/6656

  Closed loop control, i.e. control using feedback · CPC title