Experimental validation of hydraulic support system for large structures

Abstract

In the control of a large structure, hydraulic equipment is often used because it requires a large output. In this study, we focus on a telescope as an example of a large structure, and experimentally verify the basic characteristics of the hydraulic support system for the telescope. Large telescopes are equipped with a hydraulic system that adjusts the deformation of the structure, because the change in ambient temperature causes the expansion of the structure, thereby degrading the observational performance of the telescope. In another report of the authors, a dynamic and simple transfer function model of this system has been derived. In this report, an experimental apparatus simulating the system is built, and the static and dynamic transient response characteristics are evaluated. The transfer function model is evaluated using the experimental response results. As a result, it is confirmed that the system has sufficient properties to achieve a high observational performance of the telescope and that the proposed transfer function model adequately represents the properties.

Keywords

• large structure
• large telescope
• modeling
• piping
• piston
• transfer function
• hydraulic actuator