Efficient energy utilization is critical in the design and operation of heavy machinery, particularly in hydraulically operated equipment like excavators, which are integral to construction, mining, and other industrial applications. Due to inherent inefficiencies in the operation of hydraulic excavators, manufacturers are continuously working towards enhancing the productivity, operational efficiency, and safety parameters of these equipment. Several techniques have been proposed in previous literature to address these challenges. Therefore, this article presents a comprehensive review of these techniques, which include hydraulic accumulator-based energy regeneration systems, electric accumulator-based energy regeneration systems, energy regeneration utilizing hybrid energy recovery systems, idle speed control (ISC) systems, and independent metering systems. Further, this article presents a novel comparative analysis of the aforementioned technologies, considering factors such as additional components required, reductions in energy consumption, energy saving efficiency, complexity of control algorithms, practical implementation feasibility, and initial investment necessary for prototype development. The findings indicate that the ISC-System eliminates the requirement for additional components and reduces control complexity, making it easy to implement. However, hybrid energy recovery systems demonstrate a significant reduction in energy consumption and offer superior energy saving efficiency compared to other techniques. This article also identifies key challenges in adopting these technologies and discusses the novel research gaps. Based on these insights, a novel energy regeneration system for the swing drive of the hydraulic excavators is proposed. This system integrates an automatic switch control system, designed to optimize energy savings and enhance regeneration efficiency, along with an intelligent brake control system for precise tracking of the swivel angle. Simulation results indicate that the proposed system achieves a 13.2% improvement in energy savings and a 97.5% efficiency in energy regeneration.
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