The Next Generation of Fluid Power Systems

Over the past half century the fluid power community has seen the development of a number of new energy efficient components. Despite these improvements on the component level many hydraulic systems still remain inefficient. These losses are mainly due to two reasons. The first relates to economic factors as more efficient systems are usually considerably more expensive. The second reason is poor system designs that frequently force efficient components to operate in regions of low efficiency. The Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Controls (IFAS) in Aachen, Germany is one of a number of institutes worldwide aiming to change this trend in order to secure the future of fluid power in industry. IFAS has not only focused on the development of new cost-effective architectures but also on holistic design methodologies aimed at assisting engineers in the design of efficient hydraulic systems. One further strategy has been to enter new fields of application, where the attributes of hydraulic systems, previously considered to be disadvantages, actually become advantages. An example of such a field is the renewable energy sector, where hydraulic drivetrains for wind, wave and marine current power are currently under development. This paper gives insight into these new developments and briefly summarizes the research into new hydraulic systems currently being conducted at IFAS.