Analysis of Power (Energy) Losses on Spool Valves of Hydraulic Mining Machines

The world's leading manufacturers of hydraulic equipment: Boschrexroth, Atos, PONAR Wadowice, etc. are constantly working hard to improve the design of hydraulic equipment. In recent years, the quality of hydraulic equipment, including hydraulic valves, has been significantly improved. But still, the efficiency of hydraulic equipment, in terms of energy losses, leaves much to be desired. By such an important indicator as efficiency factor, the hydraulic drive of mining machines is much inferior to the electric drive.
The paper presents an analysis of one of the main elements of the control system of hydraulic drives - the hydraulic distributor. Using the example of the most widely used typical spool distributor, it is shown that energy (pressure) losses in hydraulic distributors occur due to vortex formation (turbulence) in separate parts of the hydraulic distributor. The cause of vortex formation is sharp changes in the cross-section of the liquid flow (contraction, expansion), as well as the presence of sharp changes in the direction of the flow. All these factors are well illustrated in the KompasFlow programme, which is based on computational fluid dynamics and is a version of the FlowVision software package integrated into KOMPAS-3D as an application. Visualisation layers show specific sections of the hydraulic distributor in which there are changes in flow direction, pressure and velocity values, and areas of turbulence. Visualisation of the fluid flow in the spool hydraulic distributor clearly confirms the fact that the currently existing designs of hydraulic distributors do not allow to exclude completely or minimise the number of vortex formation zones.
It is necessary to create a new design of the hydraulic distributor operating on other, different principles from the existing one. The new design of the distributor should completely exclude or minimise the number of zones of possible turbulence occurrence and provide a corresponding reduction in energy (pressure) losses on the hydraulic distributor. The obtained results of the research can be used in real production.

hydrofitted mining machines, hydraulic drive, hydraulic distributor, pressure losses, KompasFlow, express analysis.

1. Yakushev A. (2004). Study of the energy parameters of single-bucket hydraulic excavators. Dissertation. 179 (in Russian). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Kruglov V.Yu. From the expansion of electric drives to the "symbiosis" of electric and volumetric hydraulic drives. Armament. Technology. Security. Control. Materials from the VIII All-Russian Scientific and Technical Conference. Kovrov: Kovrov State Technological Academy named after V.A. Degtyarev. 2018; 281‒288. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Buriiev B.A., Akulov D.V. Hydraulic drives: review of the current state and technical application in machines and devices. Current problems of aviation and cosmonautics. Collection of materials from the VIII International Scientific and Practical Conference dedicated to Cosmonautics Day in 3 volumes. Krasnoyarsk: Siberian State University of Science and Technology named after Academician M.F. Reshetnev. 2022; 258‒260. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Pobegailo P.A. Single-bucket hydraulic excavators: local indicators of working equipment quality in design at the load analysis stage. Technological equipment for the mining and oil and gas industries. Collection of papers from the XIX International Scientific and Technical Conference held as part of the Ural Mining Decade. . Yekaterinburg: Ural State Mining University. 2021; 263‒267. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Kolks G., Weber Jü. Modiciency - Efficient industrial hydraulic drives through independent metering using optimal operating modes. Conference: 10th International Fluid Power Conference (IFK). Dresden. 2016; (1): 105‒120 (in English). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Casoli P., Scolari F., Minav T., Rundo M. Comparative Energy Analysis of a Load Sensing System and a Zonal Hydraulics for a 9-Tonne Excavator. Actuators. 2020; 9(2): 39 (in English). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Frosina E., Marinaro G., Senatore A., Pavanetto M. Numerical and experimental investigation for the design of a directional spool valve. Energy Procedia. 2018; 148: 274‒280 (in English). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Zardin B., Borghi M., Cillo G., Rinaldini C., Mattarelli E. Design Of Two-Stage On/Off Cartridge Valves for Mobile Applications. Energy Procedia. 2017; 126: 1123‒1130 (in English) [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Sobolevsky A. et al. (2000). Modern hydraulic distributors and ways to improve them. Construction and Road Machines, 2 (in Russian). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Yakushev A. (2003). Research on energy saving systems. Construction and Road Machines, 12, 35–38 (in Russian). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Ranev, A. (2000). Single-bucket hydraulic excavators. Ways to save energy resources. Construction and Road Machines, 6 (in Russian). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Sveshnikov V.K. Individualisation – a new word in hydraulics. RITM Machine Building. 2017; (2): 38–43 (in Russian). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Rozhkin V., Grushetsky Yu.L. (1986). The state and prospects of development of hydraulic distributors and hydraulic control devices. Construction and Road Machines, 12. (in Russian) [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Eresko A.S. Improvement of the hydraulic drive of lifting mechanisms of lifting and transport and construction and road machines. Speciality 05.02.13 "Machines, units and processes (by industry)": Thesis for the degree of Candidate of Technical Sciences. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Krasnoyarsk, 2004 (in Russian)/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Merk, D., Schreider, B., Toms, B. Hydraulics. Grundschritte. TP 501. (2004). Berlin Heidelberg New York, Springer- Verlag. Zweite, actualisierte Auflage, 230 (in English). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Grinchar N.G., Zaitseva A.A. (2016). Fundamentals of Hydraulic Drive of Machines. Part 1, 442 (in English). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Tochilkin V., Filatov A., Zadorozhny V., Ivanov S., Kolga A., Vagin V. (2009). Fundamentals of the Functioning of Hydraulic Systems in Metallurgical Equipment. Magnitogorsk (in Russian). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. WE10 spool-type power distributor (2024) WK499495_WE10s12 rus.dft (hydropart.ru) (in Russian). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Official website of KOMPAS-3D: http://kompas.ru/Web - documentation for KompasFlow (v.20): https://flowvision.ru/webhelp/kf-v20-ru/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Kramsakov D., Kolga A., Stolpovskikh I., Aleksandrov V. (2024). A new approach to the design of shut-off and control pipeline valves. Bulletin of the Kurgan State Agricultural Academy, 2 (50), 53-61 (in Russian). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Methane Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste - Case Study in Cai Rang District, Can Tho City, Vietnam
• Youth Activism, Intentional Integration of Policies to Raise Awareness on Climate Change Action among the Youth
• Breathing Spaces: Environmental & User Experience in Dhanmondi and Zigatola Multistoried Apartments, Dhaka, Bangladesh
• Effects of Solid Waste Disposal on Soil Quality in Makurdi Metropolis, Benue State, Nigeria
• Environmental Impact of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Borgu Local Government Area