Simulation and Testing of a Slew-energy-saving System for Mini Excavators

To recover wasted energy in the slew braking of hydraulic excavators, a slew-energy-saving system based on an accumulator is proposed. Mathematical models of the main system components are developed, by which the energy-saving system simulation is constructed using AMESim. A rule-based energy management control strategy is also proposed. The influence of system parameters on the fuel economy and control performance of the system is analyzed through several simulation tests. Results demonstrate that the energy-saving system can raise the energy recovery ratio to 42% while maintaining great control performance of the entire machine. Finally, the prototype test verifies the effectiveness of the system and the simulation model.