IAA - Smart Fluid Inertance Technology for Improving Hydraulic Energy Efficiency

Hydraulic fluid power is used in a variety of important sectors that include aerospace, transportation, oil and gas, robotics and machinery for industry, construction, and agriculture. However, current hydraulic control simply involves using valves to throttle flow which is highly inefficient. The average efficiency of fluid power systems is only around 21%. This IAA project will build on the successful research outcomes from PI’s EPSRC projects and will develop a compact and highly efficient digital hydraulic converter prototype to provide a pathway to a commercial product that can significantly improve hydraulic efficiency to 80%, which will be showcased to customers and potential investors to significantly accelerate research impact.