Rotational concrete volume determination

Abstract

A method is disclosed for determining the volume of a concrete mix load in a mixer drum based on the use of entry and exit sensor probes that are immersed in and exit from the concrete during drum rotation and provide data to a processor for calculating the volume based on the data. In order to provide for concavity, convexity and / or cascading surface flow effects that may hinder accurate determination of the concrete load volume, the processor can be configured to compare the rheology and / or original batch volume of the concrete load monitored during drum rotation. Calibration of the load volume value - which is very useful for monitoring or admixture dosing purposes - can be accomplished based on comparing real-time data with historical data collected over time and stored in a processor-accessible memory. Additional exemplary embodiments also take into account drum speed and / or incline (due to road conditions), concrete mix design, and other factors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of concrete rheology and more particularly to a system and process that takes into account the effects of non-Newtonian fluid surface flow anomalies, such as convexity, concavity and / or cascading, when determining concrete volume using entry / exit probes inside a rotating mixer drum. Background Art

[0002] It is known to use probes mounted on the inner surface of a concrete mixer drum to determine rheological properties and the volume of concrete mix contained within the rotating mixer drum.

[0003] In U.S. Pat. No. 9,199,391 to IBB Rheologie, Beaupre et al. disclose a probe having a resistance member for sensing pressure imparted by concrete when the probe mounted on the inner wall of a rotating mixer drum is immersed in the concrete and moved within the concrete by the rotation of the drum. The rheological properties are reflected by the resistance in the concrete sensed by the probe at low and high speeds.

[0004] In U.S. Pat. No. 9,625,891 (owned by GCP Applied Technologies), Berman teaches that a computer processor unit can be programmed to record a first time interval during which a sensor is rotated and immersed within a concrete mix within a drum during the rotation, and to record a second time interval during which the sensor is not immersed, thereby calculating the volume of concrete based on an analysis of the first and second intervals. Based on the calculated volume of concrete, the amount of liquid to be added to the concrete to achieve desired rheological properties can be calculated. (See, e.g., column 4, line 49 to column 5, line 14 of patent 9,625,891).

[0005] In U.S. Patent No. 10,041,928 (owned by GCP Applied Technologies), Berman discloses a sensor that takes into account the additional forces imparted on the sensor by the concrete mix; namely, the lateral action of mixing fins mounted on the wall of the rotating drum. This improvement is premised on the volume determination process set forth in the earlier U.S. Patent No. 9,625,891. The process involves recording the angle at which the sensor probe is immersed in the concrete in the rotating drum, recording the angle at which the sensor emerges from the concrete mix, and analyzing the angle by using a conversion table or mathematical function to determine the angle of the sensor probe. Immersion Angle "and" Exposure Angle ” to calculate the slump of concrete. See, e.g., column 5, line 32 to column 6, line 2.

[0006] In WO 2019 / 040562A1, Biesak et al. disclose a system for sensing the volume and / or viscosity of concrete slurry contained in a rotating drum. The sensor is mounted on the inner drum wall and may include an acoustic transducer, an accelerometer, and a pressure sensor to enable a signal processor to determine the angular position relative to the concrete load and the entry and exit points. It is noted that while low viscosity concrete slurry remains level within the drum, high viscosity concrete slurry may "ride up the wall" so that there is a "tilt" in the concrete level (when viewing the drum in a cross-sectional perspective). The amount of tilt is said to depend on the viscosity of the concrete and the rotational speed of the drum (see, e.g., page 11, lines 19-24; Figure 5 ).

[0007] Thus, by recording the entry and exit points at which the probe enters and exits the concrete mix contained in the rotating mixer drum, it has been assumed until now that an accurate volumetric determination of the concrete load is made. Summary of the invention

[0008] Departing from prior art assumptions, the inventors believe that determination of the entry and exit points of the electromechanical sensor probes with respect to the concrete slurry load contained in the rotating drum does not in itself ensure the accuracy of the calculated volume of the concrete load contained in the rotating drum.

[0009] The present inventors have recognized that viscous concrete mixes at elevated drum rotation speeds may exhibit surface flow phenomena that may deceive a system processor used to calculate the volume and / or viscosity of the concrete load based on the rotational entry and exit points of sensor probes mounted inside a rotating concrete mixer drum.

[0010] refer to Figure 1-4 Various concepts are illustrated to explain the present invention.

[0011] Figure 1 and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a concrete mixer drum 10 along its axis of rotation with a sensor probe 14 shown in communication 16 with a processor 18 rotating into and out of a concrete load (shown at 12 and 22 respectively). Figure 1 A "low viscosity" concrete 12 is shown; while Figure 2 The "high viscosity" concrete 22 is shown in FIG. According to the popular concept, compared with the low viscosity concrete 12 ( Figure 1 ) compared to concrete with a higher viscosity 22 ( Figure 2 ) due to the surface flow of the load Figure 2 The "wall climbing effect" shown in Figure 2 shows the angular orientation.

[0012] However, in Figure 3 , the following exemplary phenomenon is illustrated: the entry / exit point of the probe 14 installed inside the rotating mixer barrel 10 can be similar to Figure 2 At the entry / exit points of the mixer drum 10, except when viewed from a cross-sectional perspective along the mixer drum 10, the flow surface of the concrete 32 is concave. This concavity is due to the higher viscosity of the concrete "climbing" the drum wall (in the direction of rotation), and due to particle interactions of the aggregates (e.g., sand, stone) within the concrete mix 32. Depending on the degree or nature of the viscosity, the degree of concavity (or the degree of deviation from curvature compared to horizontal concrete) may be different at different drum speeds. As a result, the system processor used to calculate the volume of concrete based on the signals received from the probes at the rotating entry and exit points may be fooled into "thinking" that Figure 3 The volume of concrete 32 shown in FIG. Figure 2 The inventors note that in some cases, the flow surface may also show Convexity , which may also affect volume calculations based on entering and leaving sensor points.

[0013] The occurrence of the cascade effect demonstrates that at a certain point, concrete begins to exhibit flow behavior as a combination of a non-Newtonian fluid and a granular material; the behavior of the surface flow becomes affected by the movement of the granular particles within the slurry. The inventors believe that this complex behavior needs to be taken into account during volume calculations based on probe entry / exit points. While a slight cascade effect may not hinder accurate concrete load volume calculations in the case where the concrete delivery truck driver maintains a low mixer drum speed (e.g., 1 RPM), problems arise when the pressure of the construction site prompts the driver to rush when mixing and pouring concrete. There are many reasons for truck drivers to rotate the mixer drum at a faster speed: for example, the requirement to rotate the drum a minimum number of times before the load can be poured; the desire to mix in water and / or chemical admixtures so that the concrete load can be poured; the need to pour the concrete faster so that construction workers are not waiting around the construction site to trim (smooth) the poured concrete; the desire to return to the batching plant faster for the end of the work shift for the next delivery, etc.

[0014] Figure 4 This is an illustration of the concrete load 42 being subject to the rotational speed of the mixer drum 10, wherein cascading effects in the surface flow of the concrete 10 when viewed in cross-sectional perspective may increasingly prevent accurate determination of the concrete load volume. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 4A , the extreme “S” curve shape in concrete 42 may become very Asymmetry: where the center of the "S" shape may be displaced relative to the entry and exit points of the probe; or where the entry and exit points of the probe may be displaced relative to the entry and exit points at lower drum speeds Unevenly changing .

[0015] Again, the inventors believe that calculating the concrete load volume based solely on the probe's entry and exit points may be inaccurate given that various surface flow anomalies may begin to appear at a certain intersection between the viscosity of the concrete load and lower mixer drum speeds (somewhere above 1-3 RPM).

[0016] In order to detect excessive concavity, convexity and / or cascading surface flow effects that may prevent accurate calculation of concrete load volume based on entry-exit sensor probe data, the inventors believe that the entry and exit data generated by the probe (e.g., based on entry and exit points, or probe immersed and unimmersed intervals) can be compared with entry and exit probe data previously obtained from concrete loads with the same rheology. By using a processor, the entry and exit signal data for the current concrete load can be compared with the historical data, and two or more factors can be considered and used to calculate the current load volume and / or adjust (calibrate or recalibrate) the process factors by which the volume value is obtained.

[0017] Thus, the present invention provides a process and system for determining and / or calibrating a concrete load volume calculation based on the use of entry and exit sensor probes in a rotating concrete mixer drum. For example, a processor may be used to compare current entry and exit data and slump values ​​with stored entry and exit data and slump values ​​to provide an associated volume value of concrete (e.g., such as the original load volume value contained on a batch ticket) before unloading any portion of the load.

[0018] An exemplary method for determining the volume of concrete includes: (A) rotating a concrete load contained within a mixer drum having an inner wall, a non-vertical rotation axis, and at least one sensor probe mounted on or along the inner wall and configured to transmit entry and exit signal data to a processor when rotated by the concrete load using (i) probe submerged and unsubmerged intervals or (ii) probe entry and exit angles, the processor configured to receive the entry and exit signal data and calculate a value corresponding to the volume of the concrete load; (B) the processor executing a volume determination by accessing a database; (c) performing, based on the volume value calculation, at least one function selected from the group consisting of: (i) applying a dose of water or admixture to the concrete load, (ii) discharging a volume of concrete from the mixer drum, (iii) providing an indication of the dose applied, the volume of concrete discharged, or both (e.g., a delivery ticket indicating the volume of concrete delivered, the amount of chemical admixture dosed into the concrete), and (iv) any combination of the foregoing functions.

[0019] In further exemplary embodiments, in addition to the different rotational speeds of the mixer drum, the processor preferably considers other factors such as rheology (e.g., slump, slump flow), the angle of inclination of the concrete load (as might be experienced when a delivery truck is traveling up or down a sloped road surface), concrete mix design (e.g., cement content), mixer drum design, or any combination of the foregoing.

[0020] An exemplary system of the present invention includes at least one sensor probe in communication with a processor programmed to perform the aforementioned exemplary method.

[0021] Additional advantages and features of the present invention will be described in further detail below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] An appreciation of the benefits and features of the present invention may be more readily understood by considering the following written description of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a cross section of a rotating concrete mixer drum, where Figure 1 The low viscosity concrete load is shown, and Figure 2 Illustration of high viscosity concrete loading demonstrating the "wall creeping" effect;

[0024] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an exemplary phenomenon wherein a concrete load within a rotating mixer drum begins to exhibit concavity in surface flow at high viscosity and / or high drum rotation speed;

[0025] Figure 4 is another cross-sectional perspective view wherein concrete load within a rotating mixer drum exhibits cascading in surface flow at high viscosity and / or high drum rotation speed;

[0026] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the results from solving the equations of Example 1, which assumes Newtonian fluid behavior with low viscosity and low drum speed;

[0027] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view illustrating the results from solving the equations of Example 1, which assumes Newtonian fluid behavior with low viscosity and moderate drum speed;

[0028] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional perspective view illustrating the results from solving the equation of Example 1, which assumes Newtonian fluid behavior with high viscosity and moderate drum velocity (where the surface flow exhibits an "S" shape phenomenon);

[0029] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional perspective view illustrating the results from solving the equation of Example 1, which assumes Newtonian fluid behavior with high viscosity and moderate drum velocity (where the surface flow shows a concave shape);

[0030] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional perspective view illustrating the results from solving the equation of Example 1, which assumes Newtonian fluid behavior with high viscosity and moderate drum velocity (where the surface flow exhibits a convex shape);

[0031] Fig.10 is a graph showing the relationship between predicted volume and measured volume for 97 comparative measurements, where the predictions are based only on entering and exiting sensor measurements without considering rheology (e.g., slump);

[0032] Fig.11 is a graph showing the combined relationship between predicted volume and measured volume for 97 comparative measurements, where the linear prediction is based on entering and exiting sensor measurements for three different cement contents;

[0033] Fig.12 is a graph showing the relationship between predicted volume and measured volume for 97 comparative measurements, where the linear prediction is based on entering and exiting sensor measurements and slump for three different cement contents;

[0034] Fig.13is a graph showing the relationship between predicted volume and measured volume for 97 comparative measurements, where the linear prediction is based on entering and exiting sensor measurements for three different cement contents, slump, and inclination of the delivery truck along the axis of rotation of the mixer drum;

[0035] Fig.14 is a graph showing the relationship between predicted volume and measured volume for 97 comparative measurements, wherein the predictions are obtained from a linear regression analysis incorporating both linear and quadratic terms based on entering and exiting sensor probe measurements for three different cement contents, slump, and inclination of the delivery truck along the mixer's axis of rotation;

[0036] Fig.15 is a graph showing the relationship between predicted volume and measured volume for 97 comparative measurements, where the predictions are obtained from a random forest regression analysis based on entering and exiting sensor probe measurements for three different cement contents, slump, and inclination of the delivery truck along the mixer's axis of rotation; and

[0037] Fig.16 is a histogram showing an example distribution of potential calibration volumes for over 700,000 concrete loads. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The term "concrete" as used herein may be understood to include ready-mixed concrete. Typically, concrete comprises a hydratable cement or cementitious binder (e.g., ordinary Portland cement, optionally with supplementary cementitious materials such as granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash, limestone and / or natural pozzolans) combined with aggregate (e.g., sand, stone), water (in an amount sufficient to create a flowable or pumpable slurry), and one or more optional chemical admixtures (e.g., cement dispersants, such as water reducers known as plasticizers or superplasticizers, setting accelerators, setting retarders, corrosion inhibitors (for metal rebar applications), strength enhancers, etc.).

[0039] The concept of a mixer "drum" may encompass a fixed or mobile batching mixer within a concrete batching plant, or more preferably, a rotatable mixer drum having a non-vertical axis of rotation, such as found on a ready-mix concrete delivery truck. Figure 1 ) and Berman, U.S. Pat. No. 10,041,928 (see also Figure 1An example of a concrete mixer drum (e.g., on a ready-mix truck) having an axial rotation at a (non-vertical) angle is described in Patents 1999, which is owned by the common assignee herein. Such a mixer drum typically has at least one blade or fin mounted on the inner wall of the drum and arranged helically about the axis of rotation so that rotation of the drum in one direction forces the concrete components toward the closed end of the drum (mixing or loading mode), while rotation in the opposite direction discharges the material through the open end of the drum (pouring mode).

[0040] Exemplary sensor probes contemplated for use in the present invention may include force-type probes (e.g., stress or strain gauges, load cells), acoustic transducer-type probes, or other electromechanical-type probes mounted within the cavity of the barrel. Preferably, the sensor probe is mounted on the inner wall of the barrel, and more preferably, it is mounted on a removable hatch lid or door in the inner barrel wall. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 10,041,928 to Berman describes a force-type sensor probe powered by a solar panel device that is attached to a hatch door accessible from the outside of the blender (see, e.g., FIG. 1 ). Figure 1 Other force-type probes are previously described in the Background section (see, for example, U.S. Patent 9,199,391 to Beaupre et al.; U.S. Patent 9,625,891 to Berman). Acoustic transducer-type probes are also previously described in the Background section (see, for example, WO 2019 / 040562A1 to Biesak et al.).

[0041] The preferred sensor probe may be an on / off electrical or electronic contact switch that closes the circuit (i.e., turns "on") when the probe enters the concrete and disconnects (i.e., turns "off") when the probe leaves the concrete. Such a design may be made much simpler than the elongated, complex probe structures taught in the aforementioned patents to Beaupre et al., Berthold Berman, and Biesak et al. For example, if a slump monitoring system relying on hydraulic pressure sensing were to be employed, then there would be no need to use force or acoustic type sensors to determine the slump of a concrete load.

[0042] Suitable sensors require the ability to distinguish between submerged or unsubmerged states with respect to concrete, and more preferably submerged or unsubmerged states with respect to water or slurry, such as "grey water" at the bottom of a mixer drum. "Grey water" is a term sometimes used to refer to residual or returned concrete slurry, which may or may not be diluted with water and / or a retarder. For example, when the sensor is in contact with grey water, the output obtained needs to be distinguished from the output when the sensor is not in contact with grey water. Therefore, a binary signal is suitable for determining contact with water, slurry or other materials at the bottom of a mixer drum. When immersed in grey water, a resistivity-based sensor will show a significant drop in resistivity because grey water is a conductive medium. As the sensor comes into contact with grey water, a dielectric constant-based sensor will show an increase in dielectric properties. In addition, a sensor designed to measure turbidity will measure a significant increase in turbidity when the sensor comes into contact with grey water. Thus, suitable sensors may utilize resistance (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,665), dielectric constant (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,480), microwaves (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,584), nuclear resonance (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 2,999,381), infrared waves (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,727,608), sound waves (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,033,321), light scattering (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,324,304 and 4,263,511), or fluid (i.e., concrete) head changes (see, e.g., WO 2019 / 040562 A1). From the signal, the immersion fraction or inverse fraction may be calculated in several ways. The disclosures of the aforementioned patents are hereby incorporated by reference. It is conceivable that if a single sensor fails, multiple sensors may be used to improve the accuracy of the measurement or provide redundancy. If a redundant sensor fails, the system may detect the failure and switch to an alternative sensor, and may also alert to the failure. These sensors [46 and 48] can be used Figure 7 The arrangement shown in is attached to, for example, a hatch [8]. Figure 7 The sensors

[46] and

[48] in the example shown in can be the same type of sensor, or they can be different. If different types of sensors are used, they can be arranged to be spaced apart to minimize any effect the sensors have on each other's measurements. If there is no interference, for example because the sensors measure different physical phenomena, they can be spaced closer. In addition, such sensors can be powered by different means, such as batteries (which can be rechargeable) or solar panels, or a combination of both.

[0043] In a first exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a method for calibrating concrete volume, the method comprising: (A) rotating a concrete load contained within a mixer drum having an inner wall, a non-vertical rotation axis, and at least one sensor probe mounted on or along the inner wall and configured to transmit entry and exit signal data to a processor when rotated by the concrete load using (i) probe submerged and unsubmerged intervals or (ii) probe entry and exit angles, the processor configured to receive the entry and exit signal data and calculate a value corresponding to the volume of the concrete load; and (B) the processor accessing a sensor probe to determine a value corresponding to the volume of the concrete load. and (c) performing, based on the volume value calculation, at least one function selected from the group consisting of: (i) applying a dose of water or admixture to the concrete load, (ii) discharging a volume of concrete from the mixer drum, (iii) providing an indication of the dose applied, the volume of concrete discharged, or both (e.g., a delivery ticket indicating the volume of concrete delivered, the amount of chemical admixture dosed into the concrete), and (iv) any combination of the foregoing functions.

[0044] Preferably, the sensor is mounted on or along the inner wall of a blender drum, which preferably has at least one blade or fin mounted on the inner wall in a spiral arrangement around the axis of rotation of the blender drum.

[0045] In a first aspect of the first example embodiment, the sensor probe is a contact or pressure type switch that can sense electrical (conductive) or pressure of concrete. For example, a contact switch, an acoustic transducer, or a combination thereof that closes a circuit (turns "ON") when submerged in a concrete load and opens a circuit (turns "OFF" or disconnects) when not submerged in a concrete load. In a more preferred aspect, the contact or pressure type switch is effective for measuring the presence of water or diluted mud at the bottom of the mixer drum, so that this type of sensor probe can be used to measure "grey water", which is leftover or returned concrete.

[0046] In a second aspect of this first example embodiment, the sensor probe may be of the force type, having a sensor based on the use of strain or stress gauge(s) or load cell(s) for measuring the forces on the probe rotated by the concrete load (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 9,199,391 to Beaupre, see also U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,858,061 and 9,625,891 to Berman). Such a force type probe may additionally be used to monitor the slump of the concrete load.

[0047] In a third aspect of the first exemplary embodiment, two or more sensor probes may be mounted on or along the inner drum wall, or two or more sensors may be housed in the same probe body for detecting forces in two or more directions. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 10,041,928, Berman discloses a sensor probe apparatus capable of detecting concrete flow in two different directions. One sensor may sense concrete flow in one direction (such as the direction of drum rotation), while another sensor may sense concrete being pushed in a second direction by the force of the mixing blades that move the concrete during drum rotation.

[0048] In a fourth aspect of the first example embodiment, the sensor probe may be an acoustic transducer that generates a signal that reflects or indicates a state of being immersed in or emerging from concrete (eg, see WO 2019 / 040562 A1 to Biesak et al.).

[0049] In a second example embodiment, which may be based on the first example embodiment described above, the present invention provides a method, wherein in step (A), calculating the value of the volume of the concrete load contained in the mixer drum comprises: adjusting the concrete load volume value as included in or on a batching ticket issued by a batching plant. For example, after the concrete has been poured at a construction site, the adjusted volume may be printed on a delivery ticket.

[0050] In a first aspect of this second example embodiment, the concrete load volume value is adjusted as a result of or as part of an operation to calculate a current concrete load volume value. A value corresponding to the delivered concrete (e.g., the volume discharged from the drum at the construction site) may be printed on a delivery ticket that may be electronically transmitted or provided to the customer in hard copy form, thereby confirming the actual volume of concrete delivered to the construction site.

[0051] In a third example embodiment, which may be based on either of the first or second example embodiments described above, the present invention further comprises: monitoring the rheology of a concrete load contained in a rotating mixer drum, the inclination angle of the rotating mixer drum, or at least one of the two; and performing a calculation of a volume value calculation by accessing a database having stored values ​​of the concrete load volume associated with entry and exit signal data previously obtained from the sensor probe, the entry and exit signal data preferably being obtained at various drum rotation speeds, at various rheological conditions, and at mixer drum inclination angles.

[0052] In other aspects of this third exemplary embodiment, the rheological properties monitored may include slump, slump flow, yield stress, or other rheological properties taught in the patent literature as mentioned herein. One or more accelerometers may be used to monitor the tilt angle of the drum, such as an accelerometer mounted on a rotating drum (e.g., housed next to or as part of a sensor probe), and an accelerometer such as an accelerometer mounted on a concrete delivery truck frame, or an accelerometer mounted on both the drum and the truck frame. For example, an accelerometer may be mounted on a mixer drum hatch together with or as part of a sensor probe. Preferably, a triaxial accelerometer is used on the sensor probe because this can enable detection of the sensor probe entry angle and the probe departure angle relative to concrete, and can enable detection of any drum angle, and the front-to-back "tilt" of the entire delivery truck along the drum rotation axis, to which the mixer drum is attached.

[0053] In a fourth example embodiment, which may be based on any of the first to third example embodiments described above, the present invention provides a method wherein a rotatable concrete mixer drum is mounted on a ready-mix concrete delivery truck. In a first aspect of this fourth embodiment, the preferred truck-mounted mixer drum has a load capacity of at least 8 cubic yards of concrete, and at least two blades helically arranged about an axis of rotation; and the drum axis of rotation is preferably between 5 and 75 degrees relative to horizontal, and more preferably the drum axis of rotation is 10 to 55 degrees relative to horizontal.

[0054] In a fifth example embodiment, which may be based on any one of the first to fourth example embodiments described above, the present invention provides a method wherein the slump of a current concrete load in a mixer drum is monitored by an automatic slump monitoring system, wherein a force sensor, a hydraulic pressure sensor, or a combination thereof is used to derive the slump value.

[0055] In a first aspect of this example, a sensor probe with a stress gauge can be used to monitor the slump or other rheological properties of concrete load over time. For example, US Pat. No. 9,625,891 to Berman discloses a pressure sensor that can be used to measure and control the slump of concrete by monitoring the sensor within a concrete mixer.

[0056] In a second aspect of this example, an automatic slump monitoring system based on monitoring hydraulic pressure (preferably by having a hydraulic pressure sensor on each of the "fill" and "unload" ports of a hydraulic motor associated with a rotating mixer drum). Concrete monitoring systems based on hydraulic pressure sensing as well as drum speed sensing are available from GCP Applied Technologies and / or its affiliate Verifi LLC (62 Whitmore Avenue, Cambridge, MA) at VERIFI® Available under the trade name TRANSPORT. Such systems and their potential performance capabilities are described in various ways in the patent literature. See, for example, U.S. Patent Nos. 8,118,473; 8,020,431; 8,764,954; 8,989,905; 8,727,604; see also U.S. Patent Nos. 8,764,272; 8,960,990; 8,818,561; 8,311,678; 9,789,629; 8,491,717; 8,764,273; 9,466,203; 9,550,312; and 9,952,246.

[0057] In a sixth exemplary embodiment, which may be based on any of the first to fifth exemplary embodiments described above, the present invention provides a method wherein at least one sensor probe is a contact switch. It may be noted that an exemplary aspect of this sixth exemplary embodiment may involve the use of a contact switch that opens or closes a circuit when sufficient pressure or force is applied to the switch. Although the contact switch may be considered a basic kind of "force" sensor, the purpose of the contact switch is not so much to measure force or pressure as to indicate the exposure or non-immersion of the probe within the concrete. Thus, the concrete volume may be obtained by comparing the immersed intervals in the concrete to the unimmersed intervals, or by determining the angles at which the probe enters and leaves (such as when an accelerometer is used in conjunction with the sensor probe). In a further aspect of this exemplary embodiment, the switch may be used in conjunction with a gyroscope and / or accelerometer, mounted as a modular unit on the barrel hatch door. A gyroscope and accelerometer combination for rotational speed sensing of a concrete mixer barrel is disclosed in U.S. Patent 9,952,246 to Jordan et al., owned by Verifi LLC.

[0058] In a seventh example embodiment, which may be based on any one of the first to sixth example embodiments described above, the present invention provides a method, the method further comprising: providing at least one hydraulic pressure sensor for monitoring the pressure required to rotate a concrete mixer drum at a given drum speed and obtaining an indication of the slump, slump flow or other rheological property of a current concrete load in the mixer drum; and employing at least one sensor probe to generate entry and exit data of the current concrete load contained in the mixer drum to calculate a volume value for a given drum speed, and comparing the indication of the slump, slump flow or other rheological property of the current concrete load with historical signal data based on the hydraulic pressure and drum speed, wherein the entry and exit data is stored in association with the calculated slump, slump flow or other rheological property (preferably calculated at various drum speeds).

[0059] In an eighth example embodiment that may be based on any of the first to seventh example embodiments described above, the present invention provides a method wherein the at least one sensor probe includes a force probe and a contact switch, both of which are mounted on a mixer drum hatch door. In the first aspect of this example embodiment, the use of both the force probe and the contact switch can provide entry and exit signal data to the same processor and can be compared to determine whether the force probe may have inaccuracies due to variations in the length of the force probe and the actual position on the concrete surface that the force probe enters and exits.

[0060] In a ninth example embodiment, which may be based on any of the first to eighth example embodiments described above, the present invention provides a method in which entry and exit probe signal data obtained from a current concrete load contained in a rotating mixer drum is used by a processor only after (i) a predetermined amount of mixer drum rotations (e.g., 5, 20, or possibly 40 rotations) have occurred, or (ii) an automatic slump monitoring system has confirmed that the concrete load has reached homogeneity or uniformity. In a first aspect of this example, the current entry and exit sensor probe signal data obtained from the current concrete load is then matched by the processor, if for option (i), the signal data is compared with historical entry and exit sensor probe signal data stored in a processor-accessible memory only after (i) a predetermined amount of mixer drum rotations (e.g., 5, 20, or possibly 40 rotations) have occurred; and if for option (ii), the signal data from the sensor probe is compared with historical entry and exit sensor probe signal data stored in a processor-accessible memory only after the automatic slump monitoring system has confirmed that the concrete load has reached homogeneity or uniformity.

[0061] In a tenth example embodiment which may be based on any one of the first to ninth example embodiments described above, the present invention provides a method further comprising: obtaining entry and exit sensor probe signals comprising a data set of probe entry point, probe exit point, mixer drum rotation speed, and slump value, and further wherein the processor compares these data sets from a current concrete load in the mixer drum, and also compares historical data of past concrete loads with respect to the probe entry point, probe exit point, mixer drum rotation speed, and slump value.

[0062] In a first aspect of a tenth example embodiment, the inclination angle of the mixer drum associated with the current load and the concrete mix design number (e.g., such as a design number typically assigned by a batching plant in which the concrete mix is ​​provided) are both compared to the entry and exit probe signal data and historical entry and exit probe signal data (previously stored prior to the current delivery), the historical entry and exit probe signal data also including the historical inclination angle and mix design number, as factors for the processor to consider in determining a volume value for the concrete (or adjusting the volume value provided on a batching ticket).

[0063] In an eleventh example embodiment which may be based on any one of the first to tenth example embodiments described above, the present invention provides a method, the method further comprising: obtaining entry and exit sensor probe data signals, the signals comprising a data set including a probe entry point, a probe exit point, a mixer drum rotation speed, and a slump; wherein the processor compares these data sets obtained from a current concrete load in the mixer drum with stored data of past concrete loads, and wherein the processor further compares a mix design number and an inclination angle of the current concrete load with the stored data of past concrete loads.

[0064] In a twelfth example embodiment, which may be based on any of the first to eleventh example embodiments described above, the present invention provides a method in which a processor selects historical entry and exit sensor probe data stored in a memory based on mixer drum type. In other words, the processor is programmed to compare data generated using the same mixer drum type. This can be accomplished, for example, by storing the probe data for a given concrete delivery in a memory location or employing a retrieval tag that only allows the processor to include data derived from drums procured using the same manufacturer or even a specific model in the volume calculation when comparing current data to historical data.

[0065] In a thirteenth example embodiment which may be based on any one of the first to twelfth example embodiments described above, the present invention provides a method which, in addition to the entry and exit signal data and the mixer drum rotation speed, further comprises: the processor further monitors the slump and inclination angle of the concrete load contained in the mixer drum, and performs a calculation of the volume value calculation by accessing a database having stored values ​​of the concrete load volume associated with the entry and exit signal data previously obtained from the sensor probe, the entry and exit signal data being obtained at various drum rotation speeds, under various rheological conditions and mixer drum inclination angles, the processor being further configured to store data associated with the monitored entry and exit signal data, the mixer drum rotation speed, the slump, the inclination angle, and the calculated value of the concrete load volume into the database.

[0066] In the first aspect of the above-described thirteenth example embodiment, a stored value of a concrete load volume associated with entry and exit signal data obtained from a previous concrete delivery is obtained from a batch ticket issued in association with the concrete load component (provided that a portion of the load is not discharged from the mixer drum before the load volume value is stored in a memory location (e.g., accessible in a cloud, remote processor location, or slump monitoring processor memory)).

[0067] In a fourteenth exemplary embodiment that may be based on any one of the first to thirteenth exemplary embodiments described above, the present invention provides a method, the method further comprising: a processor monitoring, in addition to the entry and exit signal data and the mixer drum rotation speed, the slump and inclination angle of the concrete load contained in the mixer drum, and performing a calculation of a volume value by accessing a database having stored values ​​of the concrete load volume associated with entry and exit signal data previously obtained from the sensor probe, the entry and exit signal data being obtained at various drum rotation speeds, under various rheological conditions and mixer drum inclination angles, the processor being further configured to associate the monitored entry and exit signal data with the concrete load volume. Data associated with exit signal data, mixer drum rotation speed, slump, tilt angle, and calculated values ​​of concrete load volume are stored in the database; and further, wherein the drum rotation speed is in the range of 1 to 16 revolutions per minute (RPM), and more preferably 1-22 RPM; and further, wherein the slump is in the range of 0.5-10 inches, or the slump flow is in the range of 10-20 inches; and wherein when the drum (which initially has a non-vertical rotation angle) is tilted, such as by a delivery truck traveling along an upwardly inclined road or a downwardly inclined road, the tilt angle of the drum as measured is between -10 and +10 degrees of deviation.

[0068] In a fifteenth exemplary embodiment that may be based on any of the first to fourteenth exemplary embodiments described above, the present invention provides a system comprising at least one sensor probe in communication with a processor programmed to perform the method according to claim 1. For example, the one or more sensor probes are wirelessly connected to a processor located on a delivery truck (outside a blender barrel), on a blender barrel hatch door, in a truck cab, or on a truck frame; or at a remote location such as a dispatch or control center (see Figure 3 and 4 ).

[0069] In a sixteenth example embodiment that may be based on any of the first to fourteenth example embodiments, the present invention provides a method or system wherein a processor is programmed to determine a concrete load volume value after each of at least two different unloading events from the same concrete load. The inventors believe that until the present invention, there has not been an accurate way to use a sensor probe to measure volume values ​​after consecutive unloading events from the same mixer drum load. In a further aspect based on this example, the method further includes issuing a delivery ticket for each volumetric partial unloading from the original load volume in the mixer drum (which may be loaded to a maximum volume of typically 12 cubic yards).

[0070] In a seventeenth exemplary embodiment, which may be based on any of the first to sixteenth exemplary embodiments described above, the present invention provides a method and / or system comprising a processor configured to perform any of the methods described in the above exemplary embodiments, wherein the processor is wirelessly connected to at least one sensor probe selected from a force sensor, a contact-type switch, an acoustic transducer, or a combination thereof. For example, the force sensor may be of the type disclosed in any of U.S. Patent Nos. 9,199,391 (Beaupre et al.), 9,625,891 (Berman), 10,041,928 (Berman), or WO 2019 / 040562A1 (Biesak et al.). A preferred combination may include a force sensor and a contact-type switch; and more preferably, both types of sensors may be mounted on the barrel hatch or on the same frame or structure within the barrel.

[0071] Although the present invention is described herein using a limited number of example embodiments, these specific embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention as otherwise described and claimed herein. There are modifications and variations from the described embodiments. More specifically, the following examples are given as specific illustrations of the claimed embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific details set forth in the examples. Unless otherwise specified, all parts and percentages in the examples and the remainder of the specification are by percentage weight.

[0072] In addition, any numerical range recorded in the specification or claims (such as a numerical range representing a specific set of properties, units of measure, conditions, physical states, or percentages) is intended to be explicitly incorporated herein by reference or otherwise to include any number falling within such range, including any numerical subset of any range so recorded. For example, whenever a numerical range with a lower limit RL and an upper limit RU is disclosed, any number R falling within the range is specifically disclosed. In particular, the following number R within the range is specifically disclosed: R=RL+k*(RU-RL), wherein k is a variable that changes from 1% to 100% in 1% increments, for example, k is 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5% ... 50%, 51%, 52% ... 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or 100%. In addition, any numerical range represented by any two values ​​of R calculated as above is also specifically disclosed.

[0073] Example

[0074] Example 1

[0075] In order to illustrate the influence of different parameters on the concrete surface shape in the rotating drum, the present inventors constructed a simplified model based on Zik et al. (1994), in which the surface of the granular material is described by the following equation:

[0076]

[0077] Among them, for Zik et al., k represents a constant to account for the motion of granular particles in a Newtonian fluid; ρ Indicates the density of the material; g Indicates gravity; η Indicates the apparent viscosity of the flowing layer; p 0 represents the pressure exerted by the flowing layer; ω Indicates the rotation speed of the drum; dy / dx Indicates the slope of the surface; μ represents the internal friction between granular particles in the flowing layer, R represents the radius of the rotating cylinder, and x and y Represents the location of the surface in Cartesian coordinates.

[0078] The foregoing equations can be solved numerically to produce surfaces with different parameters at different fill values ​​(e.g., 50% fill). In a first example, k =1; ρ =2400kg / m 3 ; g =9.81m / s2 ; η =1.0 Pa-s; p 0 =2400 Pa; ω =1rpm; μ = 0.2, R = 1.1 m, and x = 0 is 0 (corresponding to 50% area fill). x =0 surface ( y The condition of ) = 0 provides the initial conditions for solving the differential equation. These parameters roughly approximate the concrete with low viscosity in a slowly rotating drum. Figure 5 , the surface of the concrete (solid dark line) and the dashed lines illustrate the vicinity of the inner wall of the cylinder where the sensor will detect the inlet and outlet. The error in the area measurement based on the sensed surface (as determined by the sensor) and the actual surface is calculated.

[0079] Therefore, in Figure 5 The low viscosity concrete and slowly rotating drum result in a relatively flat surface flow shape as expected (shown here rotating in a counterclockwise direction). Furthermore, since the two lines overlap, the error in the area measurement is zero.

[0080] However, as the speed of the mixer drum increases, the flow surface of the concrete becomes steeper, e.g. Figure 6 Because the viscosity of the concrete (e.g., slump) is still relatively low, the surface flow remains relatively flat, although Figure 6 The dotted line in (which represents the straight line between the entry and exit points of the probe in the concrete) is now slightly or barely visible.

[0081] As the viscosity increases, the shape starts to become nonlinear, e.g. Figure 7 As shown in Figure 5-7 In all three cases illustrated in , the error in volume measurement is negligible because the deviation from linearity is relatively uniform at both ends of the dashed line. In other words, any positive error on one side of the barrel is offset by a negative error on the other side, resulting in a negligible error.

[0082] Example 2

[0083] Theoretical consideration of the graphical results further confirms that concrete mixes can demonstrate flow behavior that is more similar to that of a granular material than to that of a Newtonian fluid (e.g., the shear stress within the fluid is linearly proportional to the strain rate). k =0.5 Solving the equation for Example 1 numerically, k= 0.5 indicates a shear thinning material. Concrete is widely considered to be a shear thinning material (e.g., viscosity decreases under increasing shear strain). Furthermore, within concrete, the internal friction of the material is not constant. In particular, in situations where the material is already moving, the internal friction decreases (i.e., static friction coefficient compared to kinetic friction coefficient). In the case of a cascade surface, the material is already moving in the lower part of the barrel ( x <0).

[0084] like Figure 8 As shown in Figure 1, the coefficient of kinetic friction remains at 0.2, while the coefficient of static friction increases to 0.9. In other words, when the concrete is not moving, it takes more effort to move it than when it is already moving. The relationship between the coefficients of friction will depend on the materials. Changes to the model show that asymmetric convex surface flow can occur, leading to substantial errors in the calculation of concrete volume based only on the entry and exit points.

[0085] Example 3

[0086] This example confirms that the highly asymmetric effects in the surface flow of concrete loads in a rotating mixer drum can be amplified when the concrete fill level does not exceed 50% of the drum capacity. To model this situation, the initial conditions of the differential equation are adjusted so that x = 0, the surface ( y ) = -0.25 (i.e., less than zero), such as Fig. 9 This demonstrates that the volume calculation of the concrete load contained in the cylinder may be incorrect by as much as ten percent (10%). In other words, for a 10 cubic yard concrete load, a system processor programmed to calculate the volume based on the probe's entry and exit points may be off by as much as 1 cubic yard of concrete.

[0087] Based on these examples, the inventors believe that many factors may affect the shape of the concrete flow surface, so that the volume of the concrete load actually contained in the rotating drum may deviate significantly from the theoretical volume (see corresponding Figure 8 ). If the error were constant, there would be nothing to worry about. However, the inventors have recognized that the error may vary in nature and extent from one mix design to another; and from truck to truck; and from one drum speed to another; and even from concrete volume to another.

[0088] The inventors further believe that if an empirical method is used to calibrate volume determination based on, for example, ten different concrete mix designs at four different rheology levels (e.g., different slumps), at four different volume levels, using three mixer trucks, and using only one concrete manufacturer; this would mean that 480 different standard measurements would have to be completed for only one concrete manufacturer (e.g., 10×4×4×3=480).

[0089] Therefore, in the exemplary methods and systems of the present invention, the inventors preferably use data collected over time to calibrate their load volume determination. In other words, this involves using a processor to collect data including: the immersion state of the sensor probe and other potentially relevant factors such as rheology (e.g., slump), concrete mix design, and the original or actual starting volume of the concrete load (as initially batched at the batching plant and poured into the ready-mix delivery truck). Preferably, this data collection is completed before removing concrete from the drum to establish an initial data set for typical drum loads.

[0090] Example 4-9

[0091] For Examples 4-9, data was collected using a ready-mixed concrete delivery truck and a force sensor mounted on the inner wall of the mixer drum, and the data was analyzed to determine the volume and the accuracy with which the volume was determined. 25 concrete loads were generated at various load size volumes (e.g., 2, 4, 7, 10 cubic yards), resulting in 97 data points. For each load, the submerged / unsubmerged ratio (i.e., the percentage of drum rotation with the sensor submerged) was recorded from the force sensor. In addition, the truck's inclination (which is the angle of the drum's axis of rotation relative to the horizontal or level ground), cement content (i.e., concrete mix design), slump of concrete, and air content of the concrete load were recorded.

[0092] The initial volume is based on the initial batching report from the concrete batching plant. The subsequent volume determination of the concrete is done by measuring the volume of concrete unloaded from the concrete mixer drum into a wheelbarrow of known volume.

[0093] Tests are performed on wheelbarrows of concrete to determine relevant parameters such as slump and air content according to their corresponding ASTM methods.

[0094] The inclination of the truck (along the axis of rotation of the mixer drum) is determined using an inclinometer on the truck, but can be determined using an accelerometer (preferably a triaxial type) attached to the rotating drum.

[0095] Example 4

[0096] like Fig.10 As shown graphically in , the relative accuracy of concrete volume determination using the submerged / unsubmerged ratio data sensed by the probe is evaluated by comparing the data to the measured volume quantities. A linear regression analysis was performed using the submerged / unsubmerged (entry and exit) ratio as the predictor variable. Only linear terms were considered (e.g., the entry and exit ratios, but not the squares of the entry and exit ratios). The measured volume quantities were obtained based on a batching plant where materials were accurately weighed. For this example, the percentage of predictions within 0.25 cubic yards of the actual volume measurement was determined to be close to 32%. Therefore, for this data set, predictions based only on approximately 68% of the entry and exit ratios would not meet the sufficient accuracy required by standards such as ASTM C1792-14. In other words, the inventors believed that the entry and exit ratios were insufficient to develop a robust model for 25 loads, and therefore the inventors considered other factors. The cross-validation score was determined using standard cross-validation using a regression method, using a "K-fold" of 5. In other words, the data set was divided into 5 groups, where each group was used as a validation set for the models created from the other 4 groups. The inventors believe that the predictions within each load size group (e.g., 2, 4, 7, 10 cubic yards) are inaccurate, which may be due to the complex flow surface in the concrete generated by several factors (e.g., slump of concrete, inclination of the concrete truck (i.e., the angle between the rotating axis of the mixer drum and the horizontal), air content, cement content, etc.). The inventors also recognized that these inaccuracies occur even at low drum speeds of 2 RPM (revolutions per minute) frequently encountered in the industry. The solid lines represent isoequivalent lines (i.e., predicted equals measured).

[0097] Example 5

[0098] In this example, the inventors consider that the center of the flowable mass (e.g., Examples 1-3) can change depending on the rheology of the material, and that the amount of cement within the concrete mix can impose nonlinear changes in the rheological behavior. Fig.11 As illustrated by the data graphically shown in , they performed a linear regression analysis for each of three different groups of cement content (e.g., 423, 611, and 752 pounds per cubic yard (pcy)) using the entry / exit data (reflected as a ratio of submerged / unsubmerged). Within each group, a linear regression analysis was performed similar to Example 4. Fig.11 The combined measured volume is shown compared to the predicted volume and their corresponding linear models. Fig.11 As shown in , the cross validation score improved by 23.5 percentage points, but the inventors believe that the model can be improved in terms of accuracy.

[0099] Example 6

[0100] In this example, the inventors performed a linear regression analysis that included the entry and exit ratio and concrete slump (measured according to ASTM C143 / 143M-15a) as predictor variables for three different cement contents. They also included an interaction term (i.e., the interaction term between slump and the entry and exit ratio). In this case, they found that the cross-validation score improved by an additional 7.1 percentage points, as Fig.12 The inventors believe that the overall accuracy can be improved even further.

[0101] Example 7

[0102] In this example, the inventors considered that the inclination of the truck (along the axis of rotation of the mixer drum) could adversely affect the volume determination. In this example, the inventors performed a linear regression that included the entry and exit ratios, slump, and inclination within each cement content group as predictor variables. The inclination was obtained using an inclinometer mounted on the truck frame (rather than the mixer drum). An interaction term was also included. For this particular data set, the inventors found that the inclination factor provided an additional 17.5 percentage point increase in the cross-validation score; and this can be verified by referring to Fig.13 Understand visually.

[0103] Example 8

[0104] In this example, the inventors applied a model using quadratic and cubic terms, including interaction terms for the same parameters used in Example 7 (e.g., entry and exit ratios, slump, slope for each cement group). The results of this cubic model are Fig.14 . Although the predicted points are closer to the line, the cross validation score has dropped by 23.4 percentage points - indicating an overfitting of the data. While this prediction is relatively good for this exact data set, it may be less accurate when new data is encountered (e.g., a new concrete load with slightly different slump, slope, etc.). The inventors saw a similar effect when performing modeling predictions that employed quadratic factors.

[0105] Example 9

[0106] The inventors used the same parameters in the following examples along with the interaction terms as predictor variables, except that they applied a random forest regression machine learning method. Random forest regression is an ensemble learning method that operates by constructing multiple decision trees (500 in this case) and outputting the average prediction of each individual tree. The decision trees were limited to a maximum depth of 3 decisions in order to reduce the chance of overfitting. The cross validation score in this case was above 95%, and Fig.16 The inventors confirmed their belief that if only the entry and exit ratios were used, the cross-validation score would drop below 89%, as shown in Fig.15 Therefore, the inventors believe that when regression analysis and related parameters (e.g., slump, slope) are included in the analytical model, it is possible to increase the accuracy of volume prediction.

[0107] Example 10

[0108] The inventor Fig.16 A histogram is provided in order to illustrate the potential usable volume calibration data that can be obtained, as illustrated by the exemplary method discussed above. Although most concrete loads are approximately 9-10 cubic yards in volume, the inventors believe that significant data can be obtained with a variety of load sizes. Over time, more data will be generated and thus available for use in a calibration method, such as used in the example described above.

[0109] The foregoing examples and embodiments are present for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for determining the volume of a concrete load, include: (A) rotating a concrete load contained within a mixer drum having an inner wall, a non-vertical rotation axis, and at least one sensor probe mounted on or along the inner wall and configured to transmit entry and exit signal data to a processor when rotated by the contained concrete load using (i) probe submerged and unsubmerged intervals or (ii) probe entry and exit angles, the processor configured to receive the entry and exit signal data and calculate a value corresponding to a volume of the concrete load; (B) the processor performs a volume value calculation by accessing a database having stored values ​​of concrete load volumes associated with entry and exit signal data previously obtained from the sensor probe; (C) based on the volume value calculation, performing at least one function selected from the group consisting of: (i) applying a dose of water or admixture to the concrete load, (ii) discharging a volume of concrete from the mixer drum, (iii) providing an indication of the dose applied, the volume of concrete discharged, or both, and (iv) any combination of the foregoing functions; and (D) monitoring at least one of: a rheology of a concrete load contained in the mixer drum, an inclination angle of the mixer drum, or both; and performing a calculation of a volume value by accessing a database having stored values ​​of the concrete load volume associated with entry and exit signal data previously obtained from a sensor probe, the entry and exit signal data being obtained at various drum rotation speeds, under various rheological conditions, and at various mixer drum inclination angles.

2. The method according to claim 1, in, In step (A), calculating the volume value of the concrete load contained in the mixer drum includes adjusting the volume value of the concrete load included in a batching ticket issued by a batching plant or included on the batching ticket.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixer drum is mounted on a ready-mix concrete delivery truck.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the slump of the current concrete load in the mixer drum is monitored by an automatic slump monitoring system, wherein the slump value is derived using a force sensor, a hydraulic pressure sensor, or a combination thereof. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor probe is a contact switch.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: include: providing at least one hydraulic pressure sensor for monitoring the pressure required to rotate the mixer drum at a given drum speed and obtaining an indication of the slump, slump flow or other rheological property of the current concrete load in the mixer drum; and employing the at least one sensor probe to generate entry and exit data for the current concrete load contained in the mixer drum to calculate a volume value for a given drum speed, and comparing the indication of the slump, slump flow or other rheological property of the current concrete load with historical signal data based on the hydraulic pressure and drum speed, wherein the entry and exit data is stored in association with the calculated slump, slump flow or other rheological property at various drum speeds.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor probe comprises a force probe and a contact switch, both mounted on a mixer drum hatch door, both capable of providing entry and exit signal data to the same processor and compared to determine if the force probe may have inaccuracies due to variations in the length of the force probe and the actual position on the concrete surface where the force probe enters and exits.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the entering and exiting probe signal data obtained from the current concrete load contained in the mixer drum is used by the processor only after (i) a predetermined amount of mixer drum rotation has occurred, or (ii) an automatic slump monitoring system has confirmed that the concrete load has reached homogeneity or uniformity.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: include: Entry and exit sensor probe signals are obtained, the signals including data sets of probe entry point, probe exit point, mixer drum rotation speed, and slump value, wherein a processor compares these data sets from current concrete load in the mixer drum and with historical data of past concrete loads.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: include: obtaining entry and exit sensor probe data signals, the signals comprising a data set including a probe entry point, a probe exit point, a mixer drum rotation speed, and a slump; wherein the processor compares the data sets obtained from the current concrete load in the mixer drum with stored data of past concrete loads, and wherein the processor compares the mix design number and the tilt angle of the current concrete load with the stored data of past concrete loads.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processor selects historical entry and exit sensor probe data stored in memory based on blender drum type.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: include: monitoring slump and inclination angle of a concrete load contained in the mixer drum and performing a calculation of a volume value calculation by accessing a database having stored values ​​of concrete load volume associated with entry and exit signal data previously obtained from a sensor probe, the entry and exit signal data being obtained at various drum rotation speeds, at various rheological conditions, and at various mixer drum inclination angles, the processor being configured to store data associated with the monitored entry and exit signal data, mixer drum rotation speed, slump, inclination angle, and calculated value of concrete load volume into the database.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: include: monitoring slump and inclination angle of a concrete load contained in the mixer drum and performing a calculation of a volume value calculation by accessing a database having stored values ​​of concrete load volume associated with entry and exit signal data previously obtained from a sensor probe, the entry and exit signal data being obtained at various drum rotation speeds, at various rheological conditions and mixer drum inclination angles, the processor being configured to store data associated with the monitored entry and exit signal data, mixer drum rotation speed, slump, inclination angle, and calculated value of concrete load volume in the database; wherein the drum rotation speed is in the range of 1 to 16 revolutions per minute; wherein the slump is in the range of 0.5-10 inches, or the slump flow is in the range of 10-20 inches; and wherein the measured inclination angle of the drum is between -10 degrees and +10 degrees deviation when the drum is tilted by a delivery truck traveling along an upwardly inclined road or a downwardly inclined road.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the drum rotation speed is 1-22 rpm.

15. A system comprising at least one sensor probe in communication with a processor programmed to perform the method of claim 1.

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