Control of a check ball in hydraulic L-shaped pipe by Magnus effect

This paper presents a control method of a check ball in hydraulic L-shaped pipe by Magnus effect. The spring-driven ball-type check valve is one of the most important components of hydraulic systems: it controls the position of the ball and prevents backward flow. To simplify the structure, the spring must be eliminated, and to accomplish this, the flow pattern and the behavior of the check ball in the L-shaped pipe must be determined. In this paper, by using CAE tool, we clarified the relationship between the position of the inlet pipe and the check flow rate. By moving the position of the inflow pipe from the center of the housing, a strong swirling flow is generated in the entire housing to give rotational motion to the check ball. Magnus force was exerted by this rotation and it was found that the check flow rate was small and the levitation time was advanced.