Electro-Hydraulic Pumps, Proportional Valves, and System Diagnostics
This course delivers a comprehensive examination of electro-hydraulic power systems, focusing on variable-displacement piston pumps, proportional directional valves, and integrated electronic system diagnostics. Students explore the physical principles and control architectures governing variable displacement, analyzing how electronic pressure and flow regulators interact with hydraulic circuits under dynamic loads. Through systematic operational testing and signal monitoring, technicians learn to interpret circuit schematics, evaluate proportional solenoid response, and assess closed-loop electro-hydraulic performance. Emphasis is placed on identifying fault modes, including mechanical contamination, internal leakage, spool sticking, and sensor drift, using flow meters, digital pressure transducers, and diagnostic software interfaces. By integrating fluid power fundamentals with digital instrumentation, participants develop the analytical methodology required to troubleshoot complex electro-hydraulic faults rapidly and safely in heavy equipment applications. Laboratory exercises reinforce theoretical concepts through real-world component testing, pressure calibration, and root-cause failure analysis.
InstructorJacob CalhounPrerequisites
Course outline
Lectures, virtual labs, and graded assignments — completed in your browser.
Syllabus
["Week 1: Lesson 1: Fundamentals of Electro-Hydraulic Power Conversion and High-Pressure Safety Protocols", "Week 2: Lesson 2: Variable-Displacement Axial Piston Pumps and Electronic Displacement Controls", "Week 3: Lesson 3: Electronic Load-Sensing and Pressure-Compensated Pump Regulation Systems", "Week 4: Hands-on Lab: Electronic Pump Displacement Setup, Flow Testing, and Margin Pressure Calibration", "Week 5: Lesson 5: Proportional Directional Control Valves and Electro-Hydraulic Pilot Stages", "Week 6: Lesson 6: Proportional Solenoid Characteristics, Pulse-Width Modulation Driving, and Dither Optimization", "Week 7: Lesson 7: Electro-Hydraulic Pressure Relieving and Reducing Valve Circuit Integration", "Week 8: Hands-on Lab: Proportional Valve Spool Mapping, Flow Profiling, and Current-to-Flow Calibration", "Week 9: Lesson 9: Closed-Loop Cylinder Position and Motor Velocity Feedback Systems", "Week 10: Lesson 10: Fluid Contamination Dynamics, Offline Particle Counting, and Filtration Diagnostics", "Week 11: Hands-on Lab: Electro-Hydraulic Fault Simulation, High-Speed Pressure Logging, and Flow Diagnostics", "Week 12: Lesson 12: System Thermal Management, Cooler Bypass Controls, and Case Drain Leakage Evaluation", "Week 13: Lesson 13: Root-Cause Diagnostic Methodologies for Intermittent Electro-Hydraulic Failures", "Week 14: Capstone Service Project: Comprehensive Electro-Hydraulic Machine Diagnosis and Commissioning"]