Servo valves key to building better test bench

Major storms like Winter Storm Blair and Hurricanes Helene and Milton aren’t the only threat to the nation’s power grid. Earthquakes, too, can knock out high-voltage electrical grid infrastructure. To protect these assets and other civil structures from seismic stress, engineers manufacture damping systems, some of which reduce vibration by up to 80%. One way to design and tune these high-performance solutions prior to installation is with hydraulically actuated seismic test benches. 

Test benches enable engineers to use a controller and collect data on specimens situated on either side of a bench, separated by a reaction block. A hydraulic shock dyno oscillates dampers at different speeds (from 200 to 2000 mm/sec) and then measures the force of the shock at various velocities. Heavy duty hydraulic cylinders on each side hold their respective test specimens in position against the reaction block. Some of these cylinders can apply up to 800,000 newtons.

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