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A new methodology for determining the steady-state flow force on a hydraulic spool valve has been developed. From a solid model of the valve and valve body, a commercially available CFD package automeshes the volume grid and determines the 3D steady-state flow field and forces on the valve within 36 CPU hrs. This numerical approach enables the quick determination of optimal valve design aimed at improved valve controllability and reduced wear in the hydraulic circuit. To demonstrate this methodology, several simulations were performed aimed at investigating the influence of valve design and valve operating conditions on the steady-state flow force experienced by the valve. The numerical simulations showed that a tapered spool geometry can introduce significant variations in the axial and radial forces (30%).

A computer model for the design of automobile engines is being developed to enable an evaluation of engine concepts for new vehicles. The model automates the design process and helps in the reduction of the product development cycle. The model determines the basic geometry of engine sub-systems (crank-train, valve-train, etc.) and allows simultaneous evaluation of different engine configurations and different arrangements of engine components. The engine design model consists of two modules. The first module is a computer program that contains design rules and is used to determine the critical geometry of engine components. The second module is CAD (Computer Aided Design) software that uses geometry data from the first module for generation of parametric 3-d solid models of engine components. By simple changes in geometry of components a new 3-d engine configuration is generated and available for evaluation and analysis of component dimensions, masses and other desired properties.