Hydraulics are an integral part of the aerospace industry. From the testing and simulation phase right up to flying, and then back down for landing, hydraulic systems play a critical role in ensuring an aircraft gets from point A to point B safely and reliably. However, traditional hydraulic systems have critical design flaws that make them wasteful and inefficient. With the industry pushing towards more electric aircraft, there is increasing pressure to address these flaws and make these systems as efficient as possible.
Hydraulics in the Aerospace Industry
Hydraulic systems are the backbone of many critical aspects of an aircraft’s operation. Hydraulic actuators are used for various mission-critical systems, for example, to control components such as flaps and ailerons, deploy and retract landing gear, and actuate brakes. Even in the development of aircraft, hydraulic systems are used to control testing and simulation rigs that test aircraft components to ensure they stand up to the rigours of flight. Hydraulics provide reliable, accurate, and powerful actuation, and have played a major role in the exemplary safety record of modern aircraft.
Traditionally, aircraft make use of centralised hydraulic systems. With this design, there is a central hydraulic pump, or pumps, that provide hydraulic pressure to all hydraulic control interfaces in the aircraft. Centralised systems require layers of redundancy to ensure that critical control systems remain operational in case of a fault or loss of hydraulic pressure.
These centralised systems rely on heavy-duty piping to connect all the hydraulic subsystems together, resulting in a total system weight of over two tonnes on some aircraft. This added weight significantly impacts an aircraft’s energy efficiency, range, and performance.
Micro-EHAs, the Future of Decentralised Hydraulics
We believe that decentralised hydraulic systems are the future of efficient aviation. This design paradigm is nothing new. Over the past few decades, many manufacturers have opted for the use of electromechanical actuators (EMAs) for certain control interfaces. However, EMAs have not been able to offer the same level of power density or reliability as hydraulics, limiting their adoption for many of the critical control interfaces.
In order to address these issues, we at Domin have developed micro-electrohydrostatic actuators (EHAs) that allow for the use of decentralised hydraulics for all critical control interfaces of the aircraft. These micro-EHAs are lightweight, compact, and extremely power-dense, allowing for localised hydraulic subsystems that provide high-performance and precision control with significant weight reduction compared to traditional centralised hydraulics.
Our micro-EHAs are built on top of two key pieces of technology: our high-speed hydraulic servo valves, and our revolutionary radial piston pumps.
High-Speed Control Valves
At Domin, we have developed a best-in-class electrohydraulic servo valve by completely rethinking what a servo valve can be. By using modern techniques and technologies, our servo valves feature a totally unique design that is lightweight and efficient, with world-leading precision and performance, while our use of modern onboard electronics allows for real-time monitoring and fault detection.
Radial Piston Pumps
Through the use of additive manufacturing, we have developed a high-performance radial piston pump, unlocking performance that has heretofore been unattainable with traditional manufacturing techniques. These ultra-compact pumps have low inertia, high controllability, and incredible power density, making them ideal for use in the aerospace industry.
Domin’s Contribution to the Push Towards Net Zero in Aerospace
By using our micro-EHAs in distributed hydraulic systems, we can unlock potential weight savings of up to 550 kg per aircraft, while maintaining performance and reducing energy consumption due to our highly efficient servo valves. This translates into significant improvements in terms of range and fuel usage without sacrificing reliability or precision.
Furthermore, our modern onboard electronics open up the door for fault detection and condition monitoring, further improving the overall reliability and safety of air travel.
At Domin, we are creating efficient and sustainable motion control solutions that do not compromise on performance. Our micro-EHA technology is one such solution, whereby we offer world-leading performance with unparalleled efficiency, unlocking the ability of the aerospace industry to move forward in the mission to net zero.
