CPC E02F 9/2217 (2013.01) [E02F 9/2228 (2013.01); F15B 1/024 (2013.01); F15B 1/027 (2013.01); F15B 21/14 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
1. A potential energy storage system for a material handler comprising:
a machine element;
a position sensor measuring a position of the machine element;
at least one hydraulic cylinder to actuate the machine element;
a hydraulic circuit hydraulically coupled to the at least one hydraulic cylinder to control motion of the at least one hydraulic cylinder;
at least one compressible gas actuator to actuate the machine element;
an accumulator comprising a hydraulic chamber and a gas chamber coupled to the at least one compressible gas actuator;
a hydraulic adjustment valve providing a hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic chamber of the accumulator;
a pressure sensor measuring a gas pressure within the gas chamber;
an electronic control unit executing instructions from a tangible computer-readable medium to:
determine a maximum target pressure for the gas actuator;
receive the position;
calculate a target pressure at the position;
receive a gas pressure measurement from the pressure sensor;
compare the target pressure to the gas pressure measurement; and
adjusting the hydraulic adjustment valve to adjust the gas pressure measurement to correspond to the target pressure.
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11. A computer-implemented method for storing potential energy for a material handler, the method comprises:
actuating a machine element using at least one hydraulic cylinder;
measuring a position of the machine element;
controlling the at least one hydraulic cylinder with a hydraulic circuit by an electronic control unit;
determining a maximum target pressure for at least one gas actuator coupled to the machine element;
calculating a target pressure for the at least one gas actuator at the position;
measuring a gas pressure measurement from the at least one gas actuator;
comparing the target pressure to the gas pressure measurement; and
adjusting a hydraulic adjustment valve to increase or decrease an amount of hydraulic fluid within a hydraulic chamber of an accumulator thereby changing a gas pressure within the at least one gas actuator to correspond to the target pressure.
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