Modelling of the Hydraulic Cylinder Using Custom MATLAB-Simscape Component

Abstract Hydraulic cylinders are used in many fields, such as aerospace, construction, and automotive systems. Therefore, understanding the behaviour of hydraulic cylinders is crucial for enhancing the efficiency of hydraulic systems. This study addresses the problem of predefined libraries being unable to simulate real-world conditions, and they are ‘black boxes’, i.e., provide the result without a transparent understanding. A hydraulic cylinder in MATLAB (Simscape library) is simulated and validated experimentally by comparing the pressure variation with time. After the validation of the model, impact load conditions are considered. A comprehensive model of the hydraulic cylinder was developed considering the effects of piston loading conditions like friction (Coulomb friction model) and inertial forces. The entire hydraulic cylinder setup can be defined by a certain set of governing equations. The findings discuss the dynamic response of the hydraulic cylinder subjected to impact load, when subjected to such loading there is a significant pressure fluctuation of around 160% indicating that the hydraulic cylinder response is highly sensitive to rapid load changes and the system experiences substantial stress during impact which could lead to issues like seal damage or even failure of critical components. Future research could involve incorporating additional factors such as temperature, fatigue, wear, etc.