Stiffness Model of the Armature Assembly in a Jet Pipe Pressure Servo Valve

Abstract The armature assembly of the jet pipe pressure servo valve plays an important role in connecting the torque motor and the jet pipe amplifier. A stiffness model of its complex structure is very necessary for analyzing the dynamic/static performance of the jet pipe pressure servo valve. At the present work, the component parts in the armature assembly are simplified into linear elastic beams. The simplified armature assembly is a fourfold statically indeterminate structure under the premise of small deformation. The unknown forces and moments are solved by using the section continuity condition as the additional supplement equation, and the functional relationship between the electromagnetic torque produced from the torque motor and the armature rotation angle /the nozzle displacement is derived based on the Castigliano's Theorem. The finite element model of the armature assembly is also established to calculate the deformation under different loads and different spring tube lengths. The simulated displacements with the finite element method are consistent with the theoretical results. The experimental results of the recovery pressure of the jet pipe valve verified the theoretical model. The proposed stiffness calculation method can be used as a reference for designing and optimizing the armature assembly in the jet pipe pressure servo valve.