FLUID POWER

Design Data Sheet

Revised Sheet 34 Womack Design Data File
A LOAD SENSING CONTROL INCREASES PUMP AND CIRCUIT EFFICIENCY
A number of pump manufacturers are now coming on
the market with variable displacement piston pumps with
a load sensing control. We believe this control will become
increasingly popular because of its superior performance over
a standard pressure compensator control.
A load sensing control has conventional pressure
compensating action, but also has a flow compensator which
responds to the volume of flow permitted to pass through

the system flow control valve, and keeps pump displacement reduced to this exact amount at all times and under
all conditions of loading. The total action of the control is to
regulate the pump cam angle so the pump will produce only
the flow needed at only the pressure required by the load. The
result is the most efficient use of input power, the most precise
control of the fluid power, and the least amount of oil heating
of any system devised to date.
Non-Compensated
Flow Control Valve

Relief
Valve

Point B

Point A

Sensing Line

Variable Displacement
Pump With Load
Sensing Control

Shuttle Valve
4-Way Valve With
Float Center Spool

Counterbalance
Valve

Hydraulic
Cylinder

Figure
1. typical
A typicalcircuit
circuitfor
for aa pump
pump with
control.
Figure
1. A
withaaload
loadsensing
sensing
control.
Figure 1. Basic circuit showing the necessary elements
of a system using the load sensing control. All components
are catalog standard items, but knowledge and judgment are
required to select them correctly.
Flow Resistance. The flow sensing part of the control
compares pressure of the load at Point B with pressure in
the pump line at Point A. It regulates pump displacement
to maintain a constant 100 to 150 PSI pressure difference
between these points. The measured pressure difference
is due to oil flowing from the pump, through the plumbing,
through the 4-way valve, and through the flow control valve.
Pressure level at Point B is picked up through the shuttle
valve and piped through the sensing line back to the pump
control for comparison with pump line pressure.
Four-Way Valve. This valve must be of sufficient size
to keep the pressure drop through it very low, say not more
than 25 PSI. The higher it is, the less will be the adjustment
spread on the flow control valve, and the more critical will be
the speed adjustment.
This valve should have a blocked pressure port and vented
cylinder ports in neutral. If either cylinder port should be
blocked, the pump cannot unload against the closed pressure
port in neutral. With both cylinder ports vented, the pump can
idle at about 300 PSI at almost zero flow when the 4-way
valve is centered.

Shuttle Valve. A shuttle valve must always be used

regardless of whether speed is controlled in one direction or
both. The purpose is to pick up a pressure signal from the
cylinder port with the higher pressure, according to whether
the cylinder is extending or retracting, and still to vent the
sensing line in valve neutral. Without the shuttle valve and
the open cylinder ports on the 4-way valve, the pump cannot
unload when it becomes deadheaded in neutral.
Flow Control Valve. A non-compensated type must be
used. The pressure drop through a compensated type is too
high to be compatible with a load sensing control.
Meter-in type of speed control must be used. Load sensing
controls will not work with meter-out speed control
Counterbalance Valve. Any auxiliary valving such as
counterbalance, lock, or cushion valves must be placed
between the cylinder port and the shuttle valve pick-up point,
so they will not interfere with venting of the shuttle valve when
the 4-way valve is placed in neutral.
Relief Value. We recommend a relief valve with all
pressure compensated pumps for added protection. The
compensator, even if fast-acting, still requires a definite time
to move the cam plate in the pump to zero displacement.

1990 by Womack Machine Supply Co. All rights reserved. Illegal to reproduce any part of this sheet without permission. Printed in U.S.A.
This company assumes no liability for errors in data nor in safe and/or satisfactory operation of equipment designed from this information.

34

Sensing Line
Load
Sensing
Control
Relief
Valve

Shuttle Valve

Shuttle Valve

First Spool
in Bank Valve

Lock, cushion, or
counterbalance
valves as needed

Second Spool
in Bank Valve
Tank Port of
Bank Valve
Plug the power
beyond port on
the bank valve

Shuttle Valve

Figure
2. A2.typical
bank
valve
for aa pump
pumpwith
withload
load
sensing
control.
Figure
A typical
bank
valveapplication
application for
sensing
control.
Figure 2. This is a typical application with a 2-section,
manually operated bank valve. The load sensing control can
used with most standard bank or stack valves, either parallel
or series types, which meet the requirements described below.
If the remainder of the circuit is correctly designed, at deadhead (in valve neutral) the pump will be working at zero flow
and at a pressure of only 300 PSI, instead of at compensator
setting. This improves efficiency.
Bank Valve. This valve must have a high pressure carryover or power beyond port which is separate from its main
tank return port. The power beyond port should be plugged so
the pump will be deadheaded in neutral.
A mixture of spools in various sections of the bank valve
not permissible with load sensing controls. All spools must
have the porting shown, with both cylinder ports vented to
the main tank port in neutral. Venting of the cylinder ports is
essential to proper action of the load sensing control in deadheading the pump at a very low pressure.
Usually, separate flow controls are not used with bank
valves. The handles are modulated to control speed in each
branch. The pump will come on stroke far enough to supply
the combined flow needed in all branches, and at a sufficient
pressure to satisfy the branch with highest load.
Load holding checks must not be used in the cylinder ports
of the bank valve. Lock, or counterbalance valves may be
used if required, and placed in the location shown.
One important benefit of the load sensing control is the

reduction of pump flow, at all load levels, to the exact flow required, and at a pressure only 100 to 150 PSI above the actual pressure needed on the load. This eliminates the necessity
of discharging part of the oil across a relief valve, or of deadheading at the compensator pressure setting which,
of course, always shortens the life of the pump.
Another advantage is reduction of idling losses, particularly
with bank valves having a large number of sections. In neutral,
a high pump flow through many valve sections will produce a
substantial power loss if the power beyond port is connected
to tank. With the load sensing control, the pump can be deadheaded, and since it will build up only about 300 PSI at near
zero flow, idling losses are negligible.
Instructions for lock, counterbalance, cushion, and shuttle
valves are the same as described for Figure 1.
Additional information on load sensing controls and how
they work, together with additional circuits, is available from
your local Womack office. Give them a call.
Published by:
WOMACK EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATIONS
Womack Machine Supply Co.
13835 Senlac Dr.
Farmers Branch, TX 75234
Tel: 800-859-9801
Fax: 214-630-5314
www.womack-educational.com