Improving the reliability of hydraulic systems of technological machines

Modern technological machines have in their design hydraulic systems that are used to control the working body of the machine. Currently, hydraulic systems are complex systems that consist of a large number of subsystems and separately functioning elements. An analysis of the reasons leading to the failure of hydraulic systems shows that their reliability depends on a large number of factors, which are often interconnected. These factors include the external influence of the environment, the properties of materials and working hydraulic fluid, wear processes, the magnitude of the loads, the operating time, as well as regulations for the maintenance of the hydraulic system as a whole and its individual elements. As the statistics of hydraulic systems failure show, about sixty percent of failures are associated with contamination of the working fluid. It is possible to prevent contamination of the hydraulic system at the design stage or by changing the organization of maintenance. It is shown that the number of sensors registering the level of contamination of the hydraulic fluid and their placement on the machine body must be scientifically substantiated. The studies presented in the article allow us to make a conclusion about the possible formation of stagnant zones in remote nodes of the hydraulic system. An important result of this research is that dynamic data collected by the built-in particle detection sensors can give inaccurate information about the condition of the hydraulic fluid. Evaluation of modern methods of technical operation has made it possible to identify a priority condition that will allow the transition from diagnostic to predictive assessment of the state of elements of hydraulic systems of technological machines.