Pressure-Compensated Flow Control Test Rig

This example shows a test circuit built to check the characteristics of a pressure compensator. A pressure source is connected to two flow paths, each with a fixed orifice and a variable orifice that acts as a variable load. Along one flow path a pressure compensator is installed.

The pressure compensator is set to maintain a 6 bar pressure differential across the orifice. As a result, the flow rate along that flow path remains nearly constant as long as the pressure differential across the flow control is bigger than 6 bar. This is not the case for the flow path with no pressure compensator where the flow rate varies with the load.

Model

Simulation Results from Simscape Logging

This plot shows the behavior of the pressure compensator, which controls the pressure drop across Fixed Orifice 2. As the downstream loads (variable orifices) are adjusted, the pressure drop across Fixed Orifice 2 stays constant at the set level in the pressure compensator. When the pressure drop across the loads gets too high, the pressure drop across Fixed Orifice 2 then falls below the set level in the pressure compensator.