Hydraulic force fight mitigation
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes controlling, by a first fluid valve, a first fluid flow to a first fluid actuator, actuating, by the first fluid actuator, an output, controlling, by a second fluid valve, a second fluid flow to a second fluid actuator, and actuating, by the second fluid actuator, the output.
1. A fluid actuator system comprising:
a first fluid actuator configured to actuate an output and comprising a first fluid chamber and a second fluid chamber;
a second fluid actuator operating in parallel with the first fluid actuator and configured to redundantly actuate, with the first fluid actuator, the output, the second fluid actuator comprising a third fluid chamber and a fourth fluid chamber;
a first fluid valve configured to control a first fluid flow to the first fluid actuator, the first fluid valve comprising a first valve body configured to permit the first fluid flow to the first fluid chamber in a first configuration, permit the first fluid flow to the second fluid chamber in a second configuration, and block the first fluid flow to the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber in a third configuration; and
a second fluid valve configured to control a second fluid flow to the second fluid actuator, the second fluid valve comprising a second valve body configured to permit the second fluid flow to the third fluid chamber in the first configuration, permit the second fluid flow to the fourth fluid chamber in the second configuration, and is substantially unblocked and offers substantially no fluidic blocking action to-permit the second fluid flow to the third fluid chamber and the fourth fluid chamber in the third configuration.
2. The fluid actuator system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first fluid actuator comprises a first piston, the first fluid chamber is configured to receive fluid to urge movement of the first piston in a first direction, and the second fluid chamber is configured to receive fluid to urge movement of the first piston in a second direction opposite the first direction.
3. The fluid actuator system of claim 1 , wherein:
the second fluid actuator comprises a second piston, the third fluid chamber is configured to receive fluid to urge movement of the second piston in a first direction, and the fourth fluid chamber is configured to receive fluid to urge movement of the second piston in a second direction opposite the first direction.
4. The fluid actuator system of claim 1 , wherein the second fluid valve comprises at least one fluid inlet, a first fluid outlet, and a second fluid outlet, and the second valve body is configured to (1) fluidically connect the at least one fluid inlet to the first fluid outlet in the first configuration, (2) fluidically connect the at least one fluid inlet to the second fluid outlet in the second configuration, and (3) fluidically connect the at least one fluid inlet to the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet in the third configuration.
5. The fluid actuator system of claim 1 , wherein the second fluid valve is a redundant backup fluid valve and the second fluid actuator is a redundant fluid actuator arranged to operate as a backup actuator in case of failure of the first actuator.
6. The fluid actuator system of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid actuator comprises a first piston rod affixed to the output and the second fluid actuator comprises a second piston rod affixed to the output.
7. The fluid actuator system of claim 1 , wherein the second valve body offers substantially no fluidic blocking action to permit the second fluid flow to the third fluid chamber and the fourth fluid chamber in the third configuration so that the second fluid actuator is in a floating position to substantially match a position of the first fluid actuator.
8. The fluid actuator system of claim 1 , wherein the first valve body is configured to permit the first fluid flow to the first fluid chamber in a fourth configuration and permit the first fluid flow to the second fluid chamber in a fifth configuration, and the second valve permits the second fluid flow to the third fluid chamber and the fourth fluid chamber in the fourth configuration and in the fifth configuration.