Studying the Efficiency of a Compact Excavator Primary Workgroup Hydraulic Control System

This paper studies the proportional directional controlvalves design influence on the energetic behavior of amid-power compact excavator.In particular, with reference to the hydraulic circuitactuating the primary workgroup, in the paper thehydraulic power metering performed with the boomcylinder proportional control valve is studied, and somedesign solution useful in reducing both the hydraulicpower dissipation, and the power absorption from themachinery prime mover are highlighted.The analysis, experimentally performed for differentoperating conditions, is carried out highlighting theinfluence of a metering configuration both on the supplypressure modulation and on the flow-rate supplied tothe actuator.The hydraulic power metering and the boom actuationhydraulic efficiency are defined for two alternativeproportional control valve metering configurations and,within the limits implicitly implied on the actuation circuitarchitecture, a possible design solution in determiningthe improvement of the boom actuation systemperformances is investigated.