A three dimensional CFD analysis of a novel vane pump power split transmission is studied in this paper. The model was built using PumpLinx®, a three-dimensional CFD commercial code developed by Simerics Inc.® The Mathers Hydraulics® vane pump is a double-acting vane pump with a floating ring. By coupling the floating ring to an output shaft, the vane pump becomes a hydrostatic transmission. The focus of this activity is the optimization of the vane pump analyzing the internal fluid dynamics of each part during the pump operation and redesign. The study is a result of collaboration between the University of Minnesota and the University of Naples “Federico II” research groups. The universities involved in this project worked in close cooperation on these simulations. A prototype pump will be tested on a hydraulic test bench at the University of Minnesota, and the experimental data will be used to validate the simulation model.

Hydrostatic transmissions are commonly used in heavy-duty equipment for their design flexibility and superior power density. Compared to a conventional wind turbine transmission, a hydrostatic transmission (HST) is a lighter, more reliable, cheaper, continuously variable alternative for a wind turbine. In this paper, for the first time, a validated dynamical model and controlled experiment have been used to analyze the performance of a hydrostatic transmission with a fixed-displacement pump and a variable-displacement motor for community wind turbines. From the dynamics of the HST, a pressure control strategy is designed to maximize the power capture. A hardware-in-the-loop simulation is developed to experimentally validate the performance and efficiency of the HST drive train control in a 60 kW virtual wind turbine environment. The HST turbine is extensively evaluated under steady and time-varying wind on a state-of-the-art power regenerative hydrostatic dynamometer. The proposed controller tracks the optimal tip-speed ratio to maximize power capture.

Conventional wind turbines are equipped with multi-stage fixed-ratio gearboxes to transmit power from the low speed rotor to the high speed generator. Gearbox failure is a major issue causing high maintenance costs. With a superior power to weight ratio, a hydrostatic transmission (HST) is an ideal candidate for a wind turbine drivetrain. HST, a continuous variable transmission, has the advantage of delivering high power with a fast and accurate response. To evaluate the performance of the HST wind turbine, a power regenerative hydrostatic wind turbine test platform has been developed. A hydraulic power source is used to emulate the dynamics of the turbine rotor. The test platform is an effective tools to validate the control strategies of the HST wind turbine. This paper presents the high fidelity mathematical model of the test platform. The parameters of the dynamic equations are identified by the experiments. The steady state and transient operations results are compared with the experimental data. The detailed control architecture of the start-up and shut-down cycle is described for the test platform.

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Soft robotic actuators may provide the means to develop a soft robotic catheter, enabling safer and more effective transcatheter procedures. In many clinical applications, device contact force affects the quality of diagnostic or the degree of therapy delivered. Therefore precise end effector force control will be a requirement for the soft robotic catheter. In this study a bending soft actuator system was fabricated, and the relationship between volume input and end effector contact force is examined. Static and dynamic system identification were conducted under two different loading conditions loosely related to actuation in a blood vessel. The experimental data from these tests led to the creation of a non-linear system model. A reduced term model was developed using a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) method in order to observe the importance of system dynamics and nonlinearities. A different system model was designed for each loading condition. These two reduced models matched with experimental result, but differed in model terms and parameters, suggesting that either loading condition identification or end effector closed-loop sensing will be needed for accurate contact force control of a soft robotic actuator in an intravascular environment.