Multi-objective optimization of high-speed on-off valve based on surrogate model for water hydraulic manipulators

Water hydraulic manipulators are suitable for remote handling maintenance task in reactors. Water hydraulic servo valves are currently used in the manipulators, but water has the characteristics of low viscosity and poor lubricity, there are inevitable leakage and wear failure. High speed on-off valve (HSV) can be used to generate proportional output and could be used to replace servo valves. In this research, a water hydraulic HSV for water hydraulic manipulators is proposed. An optimization method supported surrogate model, non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II), and AMESim simulation is built. And the effect of the HSV structure parameters on dynamic characteristic is analyzed using the global sensitivity analysis. The Pareto frontier is investigated using decision-making tools with FUZZY, LINMAP, and TOPSIS methods, the best solutions are selected by using the deviation index. The HSV prototype is fabricated, and the static and dynamic characteristics experiments of the HSV are carried out. The simulation results showed that, after optimization, the opening response time is reduced by 17%, and the closing response time is reduced 9%. The experimental results show that the opening response time and closing response time reach 5.93 ms and 4.84 ms.