A DUAL-HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FOR HIGH HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE GENERATION IN INDETERMINATE WATER VOLUMES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11113/aej.v16.25407Keywords:
hydrostatic pressure testing, fire protection equipment, dual-hydraulic actuation, finite state machine control, leakage compensationAbstract
Hydrostatic pressure testing is a significant procedure for evaluating fire protection equipment’s structural integrity and leak resistance, particularly devices with flexible structures and variable internal volumes such as fire hoses. Instability, safety concerns, and environmental risks hinder conventional pressure generation methods relying on compressed air or hydraulic oil. This study is devoted to introducing a novel dual hydraulic actuation system (D-HAST) that employs water as the working fluid. By substituting compressed air and hydraulic oil, the D-HAST effectively mitigates pressure fluctuations arising from air compressibility and eliminates leakage risks associated with hydraulic oil, thereby establishing a safer and more environmentally sustainable framework for hydrostatic pressure testing. The system leverages two double acting cylinders operating in an alternating compression mode under a finite state machine (FSM) control scheme. The system architecture, component sizing methodology and control logic are systematically developed to achieve rapid pressurization, stable pressure maintenance and real time leakage compensation. A laboratory-scale prototype, designed to ISO 4642:2015 standards, was experimentally validated under both low- and high-leakage conditions. Results show that under low-leakage scenarios, the D-HAST achieved the target pressure within "120 s" and maintained stability ("±0.02 MPa" ) for "180 s" , while high-leakage tests revealed extended pressurization times ("964÷2675 s" ) and clear differentiation between compliant and defective hoses. The findings confirm that the proposed D-HAST offers a safe, precise, and environmentally sustainable solution for hydrostatic pressure testing, with strong potential for industrial deployment and adaptation to various leakage rates and expansion capacities.
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