Modeling and Experimental Validation of the Hydraulic Power Source for Deep-sea Manipulator

Deep-sea hydraulic manipulator is an essential operation equipment for scientific investigation and resource exploitation. To improve the efficiency of hydraulic power source for manipulator in the presence of load variations, a pressure control variable displacement pump (PCVDP) is used to respond quickly to dynamic demands of multiple loads. Considering the variations of seawater properties at different ocean depths, especially high hydrostatic pressure in deep-sea environment will make the kinematic viscosity of oil obviously increased, which has a significant influence on the performance of PCVDP, the mathematical model is established and related simulations are conducted to analyze the different viscosities against varying depths affecting the dynamic characteristics and performance of PCVDP. The experiment results based on a hydraulic manipulator platform validate the simulation model accuracy, which makes it instructive to deep-sea manipulator design and system parameter matching at any ocean depth.