Damping strategies for energy efficient pressure controllers of variable displacement pumps

In hydraulic-mechanically controlled variable displacement pumps, the actual pump controller produces additional power losses. Due to the low damping coefficients of all pump controller’s components, hydraulic-mechanically pressure controlled pumps use to oscillate while adjusting the pressure level in the hydraulic system. In several state-of-the-art variable pump controllers, a damping orifice connects the control actuator’s displacement chamber with the reservoir. This bypass dampens the movement of the control actuator but also leads to bypass losses during steady-state operation of the pump. A new concept for damping via feedback loops avoiding bypass losses is presented in this paper.