Research of a Water Hydraulic Rotary Actuator

Abstract

In view of the difficulties in cleaning the bio-fouling on the surface of underwater marine engineering equipment, a systematic solution based on the advantages of water hydraulic technology—a water hydraulic rotary actuator (WHRA) —is proposed. Its composition and working principles are introduced. The system is composed of a DC motor, bidirectional water hydraulic pump, water hydraulic motor, relief valve, pilot check valve. By adjusting the speed and direction of the DC motor, the output flow of the hydraulic pump, the direction and the speed of the water hydraulic motor can be controlled. This paper addresses the effects of workload and DC motor rotation direction on WHRA. Simulations have been carried out to study input flow, inlet pressure, and output speed of the executive part of WHRA—water hydraulic motor—under different conditions. It is concluded from the results that the actuator has a good capacity of resisting disturbance and the actuator works well under normal conditions with the startup time is 0.3s, the steadystate error is 0.01 rpm. The research provides a fundamental basis for the development of high-performance water hydraulic rotary actuator.