Reduction of Hydraulic System Pressure Spikes Through Limiting of Servovalve Current Change Rate

Fast closing of actuator servovalves in airplane hydraulic systems can often cause unacceptably high pressure spikes in these systems. This paper describes and discusses a method of reducing these hydraulic system pressure spikes by suitable limiting of the rate at which the servovalve current can change. Analytical and test results are presented to show that with this method, the pressure spikes can be reduced without significantly affecting the actuator dynamic response characteristics.