Active Regeneration Load Sensing: A Simulated Comparison with Traditional Load Sensing System in Excavator Working Cycle

Load sensing with Active Regeneration System is a patented technology that can be applied to multi-actuator hydraulic systems, in particular mobile machinery such excavators, loaders and tractors. This hydraulic system can achieve considerable energy saving in different working situations compared with traditional Load Sensing System, by mean of an optimized flow regeneration between actuators. Regeneration in fact permits to actively use pressure drops usually wasted in local compensator (in case of multiple actuation) or dissipated over control valves (in case of overrunning loads). The system is supervised by an electronic unit that controls regeneration through electro-hydraulic valves. To evaluate benefits and drawbacks of the Active Regeneration System, AMESim(TM) based modeling and simulation of the two mentioned systems has been performed. The aim of this simulation is to compare the performance of a simplified version of Active Regeneration System, applied to boom and slew actuators, with traditional Load Sensing both in terms of control and energy use. Numerical testing procedure consists on inverse dynamic simulation of the excavator applied to a typical trench digging cycle.