Energy saving systems of hydrostatic drives for ship deck machines

A control system with a proportional directional throttling control valve or a directional control servo valve, controlling a cylinder (linear hydraulic motor) is used in the ship steering gear drive, in the controllable pitch propeller control, in the variable capacity pump control system for hydraulic deck equipment motors or fixed pitch propellers in small ships (for example ferries). Energy savings in a constant capacity pump operation can be achieved by means of overflow valve controlled by the oil outlet pressure between the directional throttling control valve and the cylinder. Although structural volumetric losses cannot be eliminated in such a system, but it is possible to reduce considerably structural pressure losses, mechanical losses and volumetric losses in the pump, and mechanical losses in the cylinder too. The paper discusses these energy savings using an earlier developed by Paszota mathematical model of losses in elements, the energy efficiency of the system and the operating range of the cylinder. The paper also presents a comparison of the energy behavior of two widespread structures of hydrostatic systems: a standard individual systems with a throttling steering fed by a constant capacity pump. Both system solutions are described and equations of the total efficiency η of the system are presented. Diagrams of energy efficiency of two hydraulic systems working at the same parameters of a speed and a load of hydraulic linear motor, which were different due to structure and ability of energy saving, were presented and compared.