Patent ID: 6779340
Filing Date: 2004-08-24
Classification: E02F,F15B,G05B

Abstract:
A method of apportioning flow of fluid from a source to a plurality of hydraulic actuators, wherein each hydraulic actuator is operated in a metering mode, that method comprising steps of:(a) requesting a desired velocity for one of the plurality of hydraulic actuators; (b) determining a required fluid flow based on the metering mode and the desired velocity for the one of the plurality of hydraulic actuators; (c) repeating steps (a), (b) for other ones of the plurality of hydraulic actuators thereby producing a plurality of required fluid flows; (d) summing the plurality of required fluid flows to derive an aggregate required fluid flow; (e) determining an amount of fluid flow available from the source; (f) deriving a proportion value representing a relationship between the aggregate required fluid flow and the amount of fluid flow available from the source; (g) deriving a velocity command based on the desired velocity for a given one of the plurality of hydraulic actuators and the proportion value; and (h) controlling flow of fluid to the given one of the plurality of hydraulic actuators in response to the velocity command.