Electro-hydraulic servo-valves and related methods are disclosed herein. An example electro-hydraulic servo-valve includes an inlet to receive a fluid from a reservoir, a torque motor, a chamber, the fluid to return to the reservoir via the chamber, and a flexure tube coupled to the torque motor. At least a portion of the flexure tube is disposed in the chamber. The flexure tube includes a nozzle to deliver the fluid to an actuator. The example electro-hydraulic servo-valve includes a damper operatively coupled to the flexure tube. The damper is disposed in the chamber.

A diffuser has a cylindrical wall and an arcuate end wall located at an end of the cylindrical wall. The cylindrical wall has a first lattice structure formed of a first plurality of triply periodic surfaces that are periodic in cylindrical coordinates, the first lattice structure having a plurality of passages that extend between an inner surface of the cylindrical wall and an outer surface of the cylindrical wall. The arcuate end wall has a second lattice structure formed of a second plurality of triply periodic surfaces that are periodic in spherical coordinates, the second lattice structure having a plurality of passages that extend between an inner surface of the arcuate end wall and an outer surface of the arcuate end wall.

Inerters with friction disk assemblies, and aircraft hydraulic systems and aircraft including the same. An inerter comprises an inerter housing containing an inerter fluid, a threaded shaft extending within the inerter housing and fixed relative to the first terminal, and an inerter rod extending at least partially within the inerter housing and fixed relative to the second terminal. The inerter further includes a friction disk assembly that, together with the inerter fluid, is configured to damp a motion of the second terminal relative to the first terminal. The friction disk assembly includes a fixed portion and a rotating portion, and is configured such that rotation of the rotating portion generates a frictional torque that opposes the rotation of the rotating portion. In some examples, the inerter is a component of a hydraulic actuator, an aircraft hydraulic system including the hydraulic actuator, and/or an aircraft including the aircraft hydraulic system.

An accumulator for storing fluid that includes a shell that defines an interior volume of the accumulator. The shell includes at least one port for providing fluid to a fluid system. The accumulator also includes an accumulator shaft disposed in the interior volume and extending at least partially across the interior volume from a first interior surface of the shell along a longitudinal axis of the shell, e.g., a central axis. The accumulator includes a piston-plate disposed in the interior volume such that the piston-plate and a second interior surface of the shell define a chamber in the interior volume. The accumulator further includes a motor disposed in the interior volume. The accumulator is configured such that rotational movement of the motor translates to linear movement of the piston-plate along the accumulator shaft.

A manipulator includes an articulated boom configured to be folded out. The articulated boom includes a turntable that can be rotated about a vertical axis, a plurality of boom segments, electrically-actuated proportional valves, and a remote control. The boom segments are pivotable via respective drive assemblies. The electrically-actuated proportional valves are respectively arranged directly on or in proximity to the respective drive assemblies to be controlled. The remote control includes at least one control lever configured to be displaced in a plurality of actuating directions. The manipulator further includes an electronic controller configured to actuate the drive assemblies via a travel command. The travel command indicates a desired movement of the boom tip. The travel command is generated in response to displacement of the control lever into at least one of the plurality of actuating directions. And, the travel command causes actuation of the respective electrically-actuated proportional valves.

A mobile hydraulic system includes a hydraulic actuator coupled to a load, and a control unit coupled to the load and/or to the hydraulic actuator. The control unit is adapted to anticipate an over-center transition of the load relative to a gravity vector prior to the over-center transition through the use of sensors configured with accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers. In some examples, the over-center transition is from an overrunning driving of the load to a passive driving of the load. In some examples, the over-center transition is from a passive driving of the load to an overrunning driving of the load. In some examples, the control unit is adapted to control change in a metered flow through one or more ports of the associated actuator to minimize and/or prevent one or more hydraulic effects of the anticipated over-center transition. In some examples, the control unit controls the metered flow by causing one or more actuators (e.g., a solenoid) to shift one or more valve positions to change the flow through one or more ports of the associated actuator.

A manifold block is provided with attachment grooves for attaching silencer members and a plurality of individual exhaust paths that are branched from the attachment grooves and open on fixing regions of a valve mounting surface. Openings along the axes of the attachment grooves are formed as exhaust ports in lightening grooves on the bottom surface of the manifold block. The silencer members are held in the attachment grooves. The individual exhaust paths communicate with the exhaust ports through the silencer members.

In accordance with an example embodiment, a hydraulic system may include a pump, reservoir, accumulator, hydraulic cylinder, ride control valve assembly, and controller. The ride control valve assembly may include a charging valve, discharging valve, and a head ride control valve. The controller may open the head ride control valve when a ride control feature has been activated, or open the charging valve if the ride control feature has not been activated and a hydraulic fluid warmup is to be performed.

Method and apparatus for improving the performance, response, and durability of an electro-hydraulic active suspension system. The noise caused by hydraulic flow ripple is reduced and system response is improved.

A diffuser has a cylindrical wall and an arcuate end wall located at an end of the cylindrical wall. The cylindrical wall has a first lattice structure formed of a first plurality of triply periodic surfaces that are periodic in cylindrical coordinates, the first lattice structure having a plurality of passages that extend between an inner surface of the cylindrical wall and an outer surface of the cylindrical wall. The arcuate end wall has a second lattice structure formed of a second plurality of triply periodic surfaces that are periodic in spherical coordinates, the second lattice structure having a plurality of passages that extend between an inner surface of the arcuate end wall and an outer surface of the arcuate end wall.