An apparatus for determining the position of a movable separation element which is arranged within an accumulator as a separator between a gas space and a fluid space, wherein the determination apparatus comprises at least one pressure sensor for the detection of pressure data, at least one ultrasonic sensor for the detection of ultrasonic data and at least one calculation unit for the evaluation of the data with the aid of which determination apparatus the position of the separation element can be determined.

A method of detecting an accumulator failure is provided. The method may comprise measuring a first pressure on a gas-side of an accumulator, measuring a second pressure on a fluid-side of the accumulator, finding a difference between the first pressure and the second pressure, and comparing the difference to a predetermined threshold. A system for detecting an accumulator failure is also provided. The system may comprise a non-transitory memory communicating with a processor, the non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations. The operations may include receiving a first pressure measurement, receiving a second pressure measurement, determining a difference between the first pressure measurement and the second pressure measurement, and detecting the accumulator failure based on the difference.

Prognostication and amelioration of gas ingress in hydraulic systems can be provided by identifying a stable reading window when operating a carrying system comprising a hydraulic system; collecting a set of fluid level readings of a hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic system during a plurality of stable reading windows across a corresponding plurality of operational instances of the carrying system; calculating median fluid levels in each stable reading window of the plurality of stable reading windows; identifying an increasing trend in the median fluid levels when analyzed as time series data that satisfies a trend threshold of at least a predefined number successive indications of increased fluid levels in the hydraulic fluid within an analysis window; and generating an alert of gas ingress to the hydraulic system.

A method for checking the state of a hydraulic accumulator having a fluid chamber, which communicates with a hydraulic system supplied with hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic reservoir by a motor-driven hydraulic pump, includes monitoring via a control unit a pressure drop in the hydraulic system in relation to a jump in the pressure curve, which is characteristic of reaching a fully relaxed state of the hydraulic accumulator, when the motor drive of the hydraulic pump is switched off, ascertaining via the control unit a hydraulic pressure corresponding to the jump in the pressure curve, calculating via the control unit a preload pressure exerted by the hydraulic accumulator by starting with the ascertained hydraulic pressure, and concluding via the control unit a malfunction of the hydraulic accumulator when the preload pressure does not reach a specified target value.