A Hydraulic Rotary Switched-Inertance Servo-Transformer

Abstract

Switched-reactance hydraulics represents a radically novel approach to the control of fluid power, since the proportional metering of flow through adjustable orifices is eliminated, and the inertive properties of the fluid substituted. Potential advantages in bandwidth, linearity, and efficiency have been indicated. This paper presents the first steady-state theory and experiments with a rotary fluid switch, which accomplishes the needed pulse-width modulation at a desirably high frequency. Cavitation problems are observed, means of their partial solution are implemented, and means of a more complete solution are indicated.