In the name of GOD

University of Tehran
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Modeling and Simulation of a Hydraulic

Servosystem for Position Control
M. A. Sharifi K.

BACKGROUND
Fig. 1. shows the scheme of a hydraulic servo system for position control constituted by a
double acting, double ended actuator controlled in closed loop by a four-way servovalve. The x
position of the piston is determined by the equilibrium of the forces acting on it: external force, thrust
due to the pressures 1 and 2 acting in the chambers of the ram, friction force, and force of inertia.
Pressure 1 and 2 are determined by the oil flows 1 and 2 entering and leaving the chambers.
Flow rate represents the oil leakage flow between the piston and the barrel. The flow proportional
valve controls the oil flow on the basis of the reference signal ref from a compensator . The input to
the compensator is the error between the signal , corresponding to the desired rod
position , and the feedback signal / , corresponding effective rod position x measured by
apposition transducer LVDT [1].

Fig. 1.

MODELING
1. Elementary model:
The diagram of the linearized model of system above in a working neighborhood, defined by
the passage area of the valve 0 , load pressure drop 0 = 1 2 , and piston position 0 , and,
also, in the hypothesis that the leaks are negligible, is shown in Fig. 2. [1].

MODELING AND SIMULATION OF A HYDRAULIC

SERVOSYSTEM FOR POSITION CONTROL 3/12/2010

Fig. 2.

Parameters of model above are given bellow [1]:

MODELING AND SIMULATION OF A HYDRAULIC

SERVOSYSTEM FOR POSITION CONTROL 3/12/2010

2. Modified model:
According to the data derived and also some simplifying hypothesis, the above model is
modified to the following model. To do so, two blocks corresponding to the servovalve are combined
into one block which input is current (compensator's input is voltage and its output is current). Also,
the static gain of LVDT is assumed to be unit ( = = 1).

Fig. 3.

PARAMETERS
Parameters of servovalve are determined using datasheets of MOOG flow control
servovalves; i.e. [2] and [3]. Parameters of hydraulic actuator are derived from [4].
According to [2], the servovalve dynamic can be represented as a second-order transfer
function

1
=

1 + 2 + ( )2
in which
= 0.55 , = 160
for 32Series valve. Also, it can be obtained from [2] that =

; so, from [3] we have (for

32Series)
=

10 = 5.047 5

Comparing k above to K from modified model, we find out that the output of above TF is not
the same as the output of corresponding block which is velocity (m/s). From the equations for in
elementary model, to make the outputs the same, we have
= .

Now, from [3] (Fig. 1. and Fig. 2.):

MODELING AND SIMULATION OF A HYDRAULIC

SERVOSYSTEM FOR POSITION CONTROL 3/12/2010

5
100 70 30
5
3
=
=
= 3.004 11
3000 1000
1500

Parameters of actuator are as follows using [4]:

= 8 4 2
= 1.49

= 6 4 3
Using = 5, as given in [4], leads to < 0 which means the actuator's TF will be
unstable; so, since value of M should be determined in a way to prevent instability, we have
= 2.5 .
Also, value of is assumed 1000 Ns/m, which is acceptable according to [1].
Using these values and equations in page 2, we have:
= 6.309 2

/
; = 5.9736
; = 4.925 5
; = 3.567 3

= 1.5093

; = 0.099

SIMULATION
Now that we obtained the parameters of the modified model, we can simulate the
servosystem. Following is the block diagram of the simulated system (Fig. 4.).

Fig. 4.

In above block diagram:

= 0.1 1
= 1000 1
=
MODELING AND SIMULATION OF A HYDRAULIC
SERVOSYSTEM FOR POSITION CONTROL 3/12/2010

Followings are results of simulation for different values of k.

Fig. 5: k =1

Fig. 6: k = 10

Fig. 7: k = 100

Fig. 8: k = 200

MODELING AND SIMULATION OF A HYDRAULIC

SERVOSYSTEM FOR POSITION CONTROL 3/12/2010

Fig. 9: k = 400

As results shows, for small values of k (k = 1) system is unstable. Increasing k (k = 10) leads
to system's stability; however, both transient and steady state characteristics of response are weak, that
is, system has not only slow dynamic response (rising time is 6sec) but also large steady state error
(80 percent). More increase in k (k = 100) leads to a good response in which not only the effect of
disturbance is almost completely compensated in steady state response, but also rising time is
reduced effectively. More increase in k (k = 200 and 400) fastens system; however, it increases steady
state error, and also, ends in noisy response.
A good way to test the performance of a hydraulic servo system for position control is to
apply triangular input to it. A good performance will end in following result [5] shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 10

Applying above input (amplitude of 0.1) to the model ended in following waveform (Fig.
11.).

Fig. 11.

MODELING AND SIMULATION OF A HYDRAULIC

SERVOSYSTEM FOR POSITION CONTROL 3/12/2010

Finally, a sine wave with amplitude of 0.1 and frequency of 0.5Hz is applied to the model.
Fig. 12. shows the result of simulation.

Fig. 12.

REFERENCES
[1] THE MECHATRONICS HANDBOOK, pp.603-608
[2] TECHNICAL BULLETIN 103, TRANSFER FUNCTION FOR MOOG SERVOVALVES, pp.3-4
[3] CATALOG 310-A, MOOG SERRIES 31 AND 32 FLOW CONTROL SERVOVALVES, pp.4-5
[4] Attila Kovari, Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing of a Hydraulic Servo System, pp.8
[5] TECHNICAL BULLETIN 117, MOOG, SPECIFICATION STANDARDS ELECTROHYDRAULIC
FLOW CONTROL SERVOVALVES, pp.11-12

MODELING AND SIMULATION OF A HYDRAULIC

SERVOSYSTEM FOR POSITION CONTROL 3/12/2010