Nonlinear Model Predictive Control for Efficient Control of Variable Speed Variable Displacement Pumps

Hydraulic pumps are a key component in manufacturing industry and off-highway vehicles. Paired with diesel engines or electric motors, they provide hydraulic flow that can conveniently be used to power a variety of actuators. Hydraulic power transmission has numerous advantages, unfortunately energy efficiency is usually not one of those. The use of Variable Speed Variable Displacement pumps has been proven to be advantageous with respect to constant speed or constant displacement solutions: It allows to achieve higher efficiency and faster flow tracking dynamics. This paper presents the development of a Model Predictive Control for this system, considering the nonlinearities and look-up-tables that characterize the system dynamics. The Model Predictive Controller is then compared both in simulation and on test bench with a reference controller for such system, showing potential both regarding efficiency and flow tracking dynamics. Copyright (c) 2023 The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)