Innovations and Advanced Control in Fluid Power Actuation Systems

A special issue of Actuators (ISSN 2076-0825). This special issue belongs to the section "High Torque/Power Density Actuators".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 October 2026 | Viewed by 659

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering for Industrial Systems and Technologies, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
Interests: postive displacement pumps; condition monitoring in hydraulic systems; CFD
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Energy, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, Italy
Interests: postive displacement pumps; CFD; fluid power system modelling; valves
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue explores recent advancements in fluid power actuation systems, covering both hydraulic and pneumatic technologies. The focus is on advanced control strategies such as adaptive, nonlinear, robust, and intelligent methods, as well as sensor integration and diagnostic solutions aimed at enhancing system performance and reliability. Particular attention is given to the optimization of components and systems, not only through control strategies but also through improved design, integration, and energy management. This is especially relevant in the context of mobile machine electrification, where increasing efficiency helps extend battery life and reduce energy consumption.

Contributions are also invited on the development and testing of innovative materials and fluids, including bio-based and nano-enhanced oils, along with air treatment technologies. Topics of interest include energy efficiency improvement techniques, sustainable system design, and experimental validation of novel components and architectures. The Issue also explores the role of digitalization and Industry 4.0 integration, with a focus on predictive maintenance and condition monitoring.

Further areas of interest include noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) reduction strategies, trends in miniaturization and lightweight design, and the use of additive manufacturing in fluid power components. Applications in robotics, automated manufacturing, renewable energy, and other emerging sectors are particularly welcome.

Prof. Paolo Casoli
Prof. Massimo Rundo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Actuators is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hydraulic actuators
  • pneumatic actuators
  • hydrostatic pumps and motors
  • advanced control strategies
  • smart sensors and diagnostics
  • sustainable fluids and materials
  • Industry 4.0 integration
  • energy efficiency in fluid power
  • noise and vibration reduction
  • fluid power control valves

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

23 pages, 4693 KB  
Article
Dynamic Tribological Behavior of Surface-Textured Bushings in External Gear Pumps: A CFD Investigation
by Masoud Hatami Garousi, Paolo Casoli, Massimo Rundo and Seyed Mojtaba Hejazi
Actuators 2026, 15(3), 168; https://doi.org/10.3390/act15030168 - 16 Mar 2026
Viewed by 353
Abstract
This study investigates the dynamic behavior of the suction-side lubrication gap between bushing and gear in external gear pumps (EGPs), with emphasis on how surface texturing and bushing micromotion influence the effective stiffness and damping of the oil film. A three-dimensional CFD model [...] Read more.
This study investigates the dynamic behavior of the suction-side lubrication gap between bushing and gear in external gear pumps (EGPs), with emphasis on how surface texturing and bushing micromotion influence the effective stiffness and damping of the oil film. A three-dimensional CFD model of a lubrication gap between bushing and gear is developed to resolve the coupled sliding–squeezing hydrodynamics arising under realistic suction-side operating conditions. Steady-state simulations are used to determine the nonlinear static force–gap height relationship and extract the hydrodynamic stiffness, while transient simulations with harmonic perturbations are post-processed to evaluate the damping coefficient through acceleration-based filtering. The results show that both stiffness and damping increase sharply as the gap height decreases due to the strong confinement of the lubricant in the small-clearance region. Increasing the textured area slightly enlarges the effective gap height and reduces the hydrodynamic load capacity, leading to lower stiffness and damping values; this behavior highlights that the choice of an appropriate texturing configuration is a critical design parameter. Overall, the study provides a comprehensive dynamic characterization of textured bushing–gear lubrication films in EGP and offers quantitative data for developing lumped parameter models of EGP with textured bushings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Advanced Control in Fluid Power Actuation Systems)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop