A Switched Inertance Device for Efficient Control of Pressure and Flow

Abstract

This paper reports on an initial investigation of a switched inertance device (‘SID’). Using this device, flow and pressure can be varied by a means that does not rely on dissipation of power. The device can provide a step-up or step-down of pressure or flowrate, analogous to a hydraulic transformer. Simulated and experimental results on a prototype device show a promising performance. The device could potentially provide very significant reduction in power consumption over conventional valve-controlled systems, provided that noise issues and some other practical problems can be overcome.