PhD-Theses  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11 
Awards  1  2 
Books  1 

PHDS, HABILITATIONS, AWARDS AND BOOKS


From Editor

Through the listing of PhD theses and habilitations world-wide completed, books published as well as prizes awarded, the International Journal of Fluid Power strives to keep its readers informed of new literature and scientific works. Names of authors, title, number of pages, publisher, ISBN, date, abstract and in case of PhD theses, name of university and institute are desired. The abstract should not exceed 200 words. The Journal solicits your help in keeping the listing current by asking you to transmit conference and meeting information formally or informally by post, fax or email to Dr. Monika Ivantysynova, MAHA Professor Fluid Power Systems, Purdue University, College of Engineering, 225 South University Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA, Phone: +01 765 742 - 1213, Fax: +01 765 742 - 1217, Email:
Mivantys@purdue.edu

PhD-Theses completed in 2006

Holger Breit

Design and test of an active bearing spindle for vibration damping within machine tools
Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Controls (IFAS) Aachen University (RWTH), Aachen, Germanybr>

   Chattering is a limiting factor for both metal removal rate and productivity within the milling process. Active suspension can help to overcome this problem while a stable milling process with increased cutting velocities also increases the overall productivity. This report describes the design and the testing of such a system. The system is designed as a 3-chamber actuator where the piston houses the spindle conventionally using roller bearings. Due to extremely small capacities and large pressurized areas, the 3-chamber actuator is having a remarkably large Eigen frequency, far higher than those of the operating servo valves. The valve dynamic therefore limits the overall actuator dynamic. In order to prove the ability of this new design, the dynamic stiffness of the whole machine with and without the active device is being investigated. During these tests, it can be seen that the active device is able to improve the dynamic stiffness of the machine tool.
   Because the valves limit the system dynamic as shown, a further part describes the design of high-speed servo valves as well as the design of a newly conceived piezo-hybrid actuator.

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David Breuer

Friction at the working piston of swash plate machines at slow speeds


Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Controls (IFAS) Aachen University (RWTH), Aachen, Germany

Hydraulic swash plate type machines are used as pump and as motor. The combination of pump and motor leads to an infinite variable hydrostatic transmission. To optimize hydrostatic transmissions, one has to improve the starting and slow speed behaviour of the hydraulic motors under full load. In case of using a motor of the swash plate type the main source of losses consists in friction on the side-loaded working piston. Within this thesis, a tribometer for piston friction force measurement with stiff piezoceramic sensors is presented. The important mechanisms of friction force appearances under high load and slow speed are investigated by measuring and simulation. Particularly designed working pistons have been manufactured in order to transfer the findings to practical application. This study enlarges the knowledge about the working behaviour of pumps and motors in extreme slow speed condition and shows that the swash plate design suits well into this particular field of application.

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Wolfgang Gauchel

Development and control of an integrated and flexible servo pneumatic 2-jaw gripper

Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Controls (IFAS) Aachen University (RWTH), Aachen, Germany

  In automation technology, especially in the field of assembling and handling, there will be a large demand for flexible gripping systems in future. These grippers need to allow the handling of a broad product spectrum with high variant varieties and small lot sizes. A servo pneumatic 2-jaw gripper with individually movable jaws in force or position control in closed loop is one solution for these demands. The methodical concept of construction theory is a useful support to design such a gripper. Indispensable condition for the operation of a servo pneumatic 2-jaw gripper are powerful and robust control concepts. It has to guarantee the reliable solution of the complex control request. Particularly, the connection of the two individually moveable jaws by means of the control strategy is a challenging task. Also the communication between the gripper with its extensive functionalities and a necessary superior control unit poses a challenge. A possible solution is a connection via field bus. Therefore functions, parameter and error states of the gripper must be defined and fixed. A second important future trend is an energy efficient way of production. In the field of servo pneumatic gripper technology there are a variety of options to reduce the energy consumption both in construction and control. These solutions can also be used in other pneumatic applications.

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Andreas Hoppermann

Influence of the surface design and the material selection on the tribological behaviour of sliding and sealing contacts of hydraulic components
Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Controls (IFAS)
Aachen University (RWTH), Aachen, Germany

   Sliding and sealing contacts have central functions in hydraulic machines and devices. Important properties like good controllability and operational availability as well as aspects of environment protection interfere with tribological system characteristics. Demands for environmentally friendly materials and coating technologies result from automotive and mobile hydraulic applications in particular. In the beginning the state of the art in the fields of choice of tribological materials and contact surface design is presented. An optimization strategy for tribological contact surfaces is concluded from it.
The first part of the thesis deals with the substitution of a galvanic hard chrome plated piston rod in an automotive strut. The tribological systems of piston rod and seal as well as piston rod and slide bearing are investigated on test benches especially developed for this application. Plasma nitrified and oxidized piston rods stand out against flame sprayed self fluxing coatings. They reach the tribological properties of conventional chrome plated rods under consideration of the determined contact area optimization. The test bench results are confirmed in prototype testing.
In the second part of the thesis the influence of micro texturing using laser technology is discussed. The studies start with sliding rings of different metallic material combinations in an experimental model according to Siebel/ Kehl. The obtained results are applied to the sealing and sliding contact of a piston rod, to the radial shaft bearing of an internal gear pump and to the piston/ bushing contact of an axial piston motor. The test results prove that micro textures work as fluid reservoirs independently from the materials used. An additional load carrying capacity can be built up on micro textures. They support the restriction of the area of mixed friction and the separation of contact areas from each other. These results are useful, especially in combination with the results of the first part of the thesis, to substitute bearing materials containing heavy metals in the future.
It was possible to show that a systematic choice and parameterization of manufacturing technologies produces an optimized surface design. By that the tribological properties of alternative material combinations thus can be improved and adjusted to existing requirements.

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Albert W. Schultz

Design of electromagnetic linear actuators for fluid power valves based on simulation
Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Controls (IFAS)
Aachen University (RWTH), Aachen, Germany

The method of finite elements (FEM) is a suitable tool for the numerical solution of Maxwell’s field equations to calculate electromagnetic fields. Solenoids as electromechanic converters are an important component in various industries. Their technical design can be supported and accelerated by the early application of FEM in the design process. This thesis shows the consistent use of FEM to determine the stationary and dynamic properties of electromagnetic linear actuators. All simulation examples are compared to the measurements of samples. The modelling and simulation parameters thus can be optimized in order to achieve best accuracy with acceptable effort. The application of FEM to on/off and proportional actuators is separately investigated. The different physical effects to generate forces in the electromagnetic field are mentioned, the typical characteristics of various actuator concepts thereby justified. Possible improvements of existing actuator layouts are demonstrated with FE calculation.


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Jiří Farnik

Investigation of the instabilities in the gap between two relative rotating concentrical cylinders
Department of Hydromechanics and Hydraulic Equipment
VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic

This thesis addresses the dilemma concerning instabilities between counter rotating cylindrical surfaces. Further, it contains description of the physical experiment and the measurement methods as well as the methodology used for numerical experiment and a procedure for investigation of the time series for the individual types of flow instabilities. In the first part one focuses on the practical examination of the flow instabilities originating between two counter rotating cylinders by means of physical experiment. Subsequently, the author discusses the measurements resulting from the experiment. This part also has become the corner stone for the carrying out of the numerical experiment using software FLUENT 6. In the last part of the thesis one deals with the problematic of time series interpretation using the methods of chaos dynamic.

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Marian Bojko

Mathematical modelling of flow of gaseous media through blast systems into the oxygen reactor
Department of Hydromechanics and Hydraulic Equipment
VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic

   The overall purpose of the present work has been to develop a mathematical model of the gas injection in the oxygen high temperature reactors, based on fundamental transport equations. The model development was divided into two major steps, where the first step involved application of numerical simulation in the flow of hydrocarbon fuels through the tuyere of the high temperature reactors at high gas flow rates. The second modelling step consisted of the development of full two-phase or three-phase real converter model.
The aim of the tuyere model was to investigate fluid phenomena and changes of physical properties with consideration of heat transfer that occur in tuyere during injection of gas at high flow rates. Simultaneously the existing approach was extended with influence dissociation of hydrocarbons in high temperature. The resolution flow of gases by tuyere of converter was optimization of incoming fuel with consideration of pressure the molten iron. It was necessary to define inlet and outlet boundary conditions, which are corresponded to working information (oxygen reactor Oxyvit in Vitkovice a.s.) and physical quantity of gases in dependence of temperature. The full multiphase converter model is CFD model, based on fundamental transport equations and includes the solution of the steel and the gas phases. Two models of converter were investigated. The first solution was two-phase model of converter with bottom blowing of gaseous phase (argon) into the liquid phase (molten iron). The second model was three-phase model of tandem furnace with blowing of stream oxygen on the surface of molten iron. The drag, lift, and gravity forces have considerable influence on the bottom blowing. The parameters of real model converter (Třinecké železárny a.s.) were defined with including of boundary conditions for blowing gas (mass flow rate on the inlet). In model with bottom blowing was observed mainly interaction steam of argon with molten iron. The results of modelling offer image of momentum the liquid iron inside the converter.
The three-phase mathematical model of tandem furnace (Nová Huť – Ostrava, spol. s. r. o) is operating furnace where it was observed particularly reaction the stream of oxygen on the momentum of liquid phase. The three-phase model (liquid iron, oxygen and air) was defined. When the oxygen is blowing on the surface is important to occupy with interface, surface tension and gravity forces. Three variants of configuration the supply pipe of oxygen were performed for observed of momentum the liquid phase. One solution is currently operating configuration. Next variant introduced the additional burner. Intensive mixing and better homogenization is followed from numerical solution.

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Eduarda Englbertha

A Study of a Direct Operated Pressure Relief Valve
Department of Hydromechanics and Hydraulic Equipment
VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic

   Direct operated pressure relief valves are hydraulic components where the pressure input is almost independent of the flow. An understanding of basic physical principles taking place during the valve function is extremely important for developing new valve designs or improving contemporary designs. Mathematical models are built for that purpose. In this work a mathematical model, based on flow equations and an equation of motion, is built and made more accurate by chosen input parameters. Experience in hydraulic component modelling shows that the parameters with difficulties are the discharge coefficient involved in the volumetric flow rate equation through an orifice and the flow force that is used to suppress the influence of spring characteristics. These parameters are obtained via a modern modelling tool based on the latest knowledge of fluid dynamics – CFD modelling (Computational Fluid Dynamics). The mathematical model and the CFD model of the fluid flow of the valve were verified by comparing simulated and measured data. The results have shown very good accuracy of the models. Through the valve model parameters that influence static and dynamic characteristics are studied.

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Sylva Drábková

Numerical Modeling of Jet-Cross-Flow Interaction
Department of Hydromechanics and Hydraulic Equipment
VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic

   In this thesis, an application of numerical simulation of the non-isothermal turbulent flow is reported as a tool to investigate the Jet in Cross Flow (JICF). Modelling of this specific problem is closely connected with the modelling of turbulence. From this point of view and also due to many engineering applications, this problem has been investigated physically and numerically for many years. The flow of turbulent jets in cross flow can be encountered in variety of problems like combustion chamber design, film cooling of turbine blades, vertical and short takeoff/landing (VSTOL) and also pollutant discharges from point sources and their further dispersion. This work was carried out within the solution of the project COST OC715.60 „Numerical Modelling of the Small Scale Urban Air Flow and Pollutant Dispersion under Various Meteorological Conditions“. Presented numerical study was based on the physical experiment carried out at the wind tunnel of the Institute of Thermo mechanics, Academy of Science, CR, Prague. The main objectives were to test the capability of the mathematical models to account for steady and unsteady vortex structures in the region of interaction. The influence of the mesh, turbulence models, boundary conditions and solution parameters were tested. The results were partly compared with the measured data provided by the authors of measurement. Obtained results and conclusions will be applied in further investigation of the problem.

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Bernhard Steiner

Contributions to the Computer Aided, Interactive, Graphical Conceptual Design of Hydraulic Components
Institute of Machine Design and Hydraulic Drives
Johannes Kepler University Linz, Linz, Austria

   Designing a new technical product can be compared with treasure-hunting. A designer is like an explorer, who needs navigation tools to plot the course of a journey and maintain control over the destination. Nowadays, computer aided conceptual design methods are such important navigational tools. A proper conceptual design reduces the time to market and is the basis for a new successful technical product. Normally, different concepts must be established and comparatively evaluated to end up with a promising solution. Concepts are typically described by sketches, drawings, circuit diagrams and a set of calculations based on rather simple mathematical models. These different documents often use a person specific syntax, are not linked together, and are difficult to understand by other people. Today, there exists hardly any computer support for working out and documenting the conceptual design. This documenting is like plotting the course of a journey, should include the designer's ideas and considerations and should link together the various forms of documents, like sketches, circuit diagrams, and mathematical models.
In this dissertation contributions to computer aided, interactive, graphical conceptual design for oil hydraulic components are presented. A new developed software tool for conceptual design helps the designer to declare his/her physical understanding and generates automatically a mathematical description of the model by simple analytic equations. It links together the graphical domain of sketches/drawings with the symbol domain for reflecting the physical effects and the domain of basic mathematical models for their quantification. It also calculates the constraint matrix from the mathematical model, which maps the functional requirements (FR) from the functional domain to the design parameters (DP) from the physical domain. Certain features of this map gives valuable information on the complexity of a design. The constraint matrix can be transformed into a bipartite graph. A bipartite graph is the companion to the constraint matrix and shows exactly the same information. These two models are basic concepts of constraint theory of Friedmann which is a powerful tool for evaluating mathematical model consistency and computational allowability. To demonstrate this approach, a specific switching valve, developed at Linz University, and a comparative evaluation of three different principles of a 2/2-way seat valve are discussed. These principles are a 2/2-way cartridge valve, a 2/2-way check valve, which are state of the art and a new leakage free ball valve with an integrated deformable disk.

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Ho Ching

Internet-Based Bilateral Teleoperation
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia USA

   Haptic control of hydraulic actuated devices has been shown to offer substantial advantages to operators in terms of accuracy of motion and error-free performance. In some cases it would be desirable to connect the operator’s master to a distant slave device, for example over the internet. In conventional bilateral or force feedback teleoperation, transmission delay over the internet can potentially cause instability. The wave variable algorithm guarantees stability under varying transmission delay at the cost of poor transient performance. Adding a predictor on the master side can reduce this undesirable side effect, but that requires a slave model. An inaccurate slave model used in the predictor as well as variations in transmission delay, both of which are likely under realistic situations, can result in steady state errors. A direct drift control algorithm is used in this work to drive this error to zero regardless of the source of error. A semi-adaptive predictor that can distinguish between free space and rigid contact environment is used to provide more accurate force feedback on the master side. A full adaptive predictor is also used that estimates the slave environment parameters using recursive least squares with a forgetting factor. The system is tested using real master and slave. The master used is a commercially available PHANTOM haptic device, and the slave used is either the Hydraulically Actuated Lifter (HAL) or another PHANTOM. The PHANTOM can be seen as a revolute robot with three degrees of freedom where the feedback force is provided by electrical motors. HAL is a custom made hydraulically actuated prismatic robot with two degrees of freedom modelled after a forklift. A hydraulic rotary motor actuates the horizontal axis, and a hydraulic cylinder actuates the vertical axis. The wave variable algorithm generates significant drift because the method does not preserve position data in a PHANTOM-HAL teleoperation with varying transmission delay of about 400 ms. The proposed algorithm with predictor and drift control has been shown to be effective in minimizing the steady state error. The results are consistent with those obtained from extensive human experiments documented in the thesis in a PHANTOM-PHANTOM teleoperation with about 200 ms variable delay one-way. Without any compensation, the system becomes unstable. In a maze navigation test, the navigation time for the proposed wave based algorithm is about half as long as that of the wave variable only algorithm.

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Awards in 2006



Best Paper Award for the 2006 ASME Congress, Chicago, IL


Determination of Gap Surface Temperature Distribution in Axial Piston Machines

Awarded to

Monika Ivantysynova (Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA)
Changchun Huang (Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA)
Andreas Japing (Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA)
Proc. of 2006 ASME Congress Chicago, IL


Best Paper Award for the 2006 ASME Congress, Chicago, IL


Bramah Medal for Outstanding Achievement Particularly in the Field of Hydraulic Engineering

Awarded to

Matti Vilenius (Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland)
Presented at Bath Symposium of Power Transmission and Motion Control PTMC 2006, University of Bath, UK


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Books & Proceedings Published in 2006


Pneumatic Drives
System Design, Modelling and Control
by Peter Beater


324 pages
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 978-3-540-69470-0

There are many books about pneumatic drives, but typically intended for technicians and maintenance personal. On the other side, there are a great number of scientific articles about certain aspects of pneumatic drives. This book is a comprehensive work on all aspects of pneumatic drives, intended for scientists and graduate students as well as professional engineers. It bridges the gap between classical descriptions of pneumatic systems in terms of their steady-state behavior and the wish of scientist or design engineers to analyze or test their design before setting up the actual hardware. The book presents the basic laws of nature as well as the design and the modes of operation of pneumatic components to derive the modelling equations and gives additionally 400 references. The book covers the whole range of today’s technology for pneumatic drives. In addition to drives for factory automation and automotive applications the technology for the process industry like positioners or spring-and-diaphragm actuators is described. It further covers several control strategies like binary mode cylinder drives or position controlled drives and computer aided analysis of complex systems .

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