Drying machine control method and excavator

Abstract

The invention discloses a dryer control method, an excavator and a pneumatic system applied to a mechanical excavator. The pneumatic system comprises a controller. The air compressor, the front valve, the drying machine, the rear valve and the air storage tank are sequentially connected through a pipeline; one end of the bypass valve is connected in parallel with the inlet end of the front valve through a pipeline, and the other end is connected in parallel with the outlet end of the rear valve; the controller judges whether the dryer is in a correct access / non-access state or not according to an environment temperature signal and opening and closing state signals of the front valve, the rear valve and the bypass valve; if the drying machine is in the correct access state, the controller judges whether the drying machine is in the correct operation state or not according to the operation state signal of the drying machine and the operation state signal of the air compressor; and if the dryer is not in the correct access / non-access state and the running state, the controller generates state abnormity prompt information. According to the invention, real-time monitoring of the working state of the dryer system is realized, and the passive situation that only operation is carried out and monitoring is not carried out in the prior art is changed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of engineering machinery technology, and in particular to a dryer control method and an excavator. Background Technology

[0002] Mechanical excavators are key equipment in large open-pit mines, and their pneumatic systems are responsible for providing power to various control and actuator components such as brakes and clutches. For example... Figure 1 As shown, a typical pneumatic system includes an air compressor, a dryer, an air tank, and corresponding control valves (such as pre-valve, post-valve, and bypass valves) and air-consuming components. The compressed gas output by the air compressor contains moisture. When the ambient temperature is below 0°C, this moisture will freeze in the pipelines and downstream components, causing system failure. The dryer's function is to remove moisture from the compressed gas, ensuring the system can operate normally in low-temperature environments.

[0003] During hot seasons or when the dryer needs maintenance, it is usually shut down by closing the pre- and post-valve valves and simultaneously opening the bypass valve, thus bypassing the dryer from the pneumatic system pipeline. During cold seasons, the dryer is connected to the system by opening the pre- and post-valve valves and closing the bypass valve. Furthermore, the dryer consumes some of the drying gas in the storage tank for regeneration during operation; therefore, its operation is usually linked to the air compressor: the dryer runs when the air compressor is loaded (supplying air), and stops when the air compressor is unloaded (stopping air supply).

[0004] However, existing technologies can only perform simple "connect / bypass" and "run / pause" operations on the dryer, but cannot effectively monitor the actual status of the dryer after these operations. Whether the dryer is correctly connected to the system, whether it is running when it should be running, and whether it is paused when it should be paused—these critical states are unknown. In practical applications, due to operator misjudgment, valve malfunction, signal transmission interruption, etc., the dryer can easily be placed in an incorrect operating state. For example, in a low-temperature environment, the dryer should be connected but is actually bypassed, or the dryer should be running when the air compressor is loaded but is paused. These anomalies can allow humid gas to enter the system, ultimately causing icing in pipelines or components, seriously affecting the reliability and operational safety of the mechanical excavator.

[0005] Therefore, existing technologies have the technical problem of being unable to monitor the working status of the dryer system in real time and effectively, thus failing to ensure that the pneumatic system can operate reliably under various working conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides a dryer control method that can realize real-time monitoring and logical judgment of the working status of the dryer and its associated valves, and promptly alarm when the status is abnormal, thereby ensuring that the pneumatic system is always in a correct and reliable working state.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0008] A dryer control method is applied to the pneumatic system of a mechanical excavator. The pneumatic system includes a controller; an air compressor, a pre-valve, a dryer, a post-valve, and an air tank connected sequentially via pipelines; and a bypass valve connected in parallel at one end to the inlet of the pre-valve and in parallel at the outlet of the post-valve via a pipeline. The control method includes: the controller receiving operating status signals from the air compressor, the dryer, the opening / closing status signals of the pre-valve, the post-valve, and the bypass valve, and an ambient temperature signal from an ambient temperature sensor; the controller determining whether the dryer is in the correct connected / disconnected state based on the ambient temperature signal and the opening / closing status signals of the pre-valve, post-valve, and bypass valve; if the dryer is in the correct connected state, the controller determining whether the dryer is in the correct operating state based on the operating status signals of the dryer and the air compressor; if the dryer is not in the correct connected / disconnected state or operating state, the controller generating an abnormal status prompt message.

[0009] Preferably, determining whether the dryer is in the correct connected / disconnected state includes: when the ambient temperature is lower than a preset temperature threshold, if both the pre-valve and the post-valve are open and the bypass valve is closed, then the dryer is determined to be in the correct connected state; otherwise, the dryer is determined to be in the incorrect connected state. When the ambient temperature is higher than or equal to the preset temperature threshold, if both the pre-valve and the post-valve are closed and the bypass valve is open, then the dryer is determined to be in the correct disconnected state; otherwise, the dryer is determined to be in the correct disconnected state.

[0010] Preferably, the operating status signals of the dryer include running, not running, and paused, and the operating status signals of the air compressor include loading and unloading.

[0011] Preferably, determining whether the dryer is in the correct operating state includes: if the air compressor is in the loading state and the dryer is in the running state, or if neither the air compressor nor the dryer is running, then the dryer is determined to be in the correct operating state; otherwise, the dryer is determined not to be in the correct operating state.

[0012] Preferably, determining whether the dryer is in the correct operating state further includes determining whether the dryer is in the correct pause state: if the air compressor is in the unloading state and the dryer is in the pause state, then the dryer is determined to be in the correct pause state; otherwise, the dryer is determined not to be in the correct pause state.

[0013] Preferably, the operating status signals of the air compressor, the operating status signals of the dryer, the opening and closing status signals of the pre-valve, the post-valve, and the post-valve, as well as the ambient temperature signal, are transmitted to the controller via a controller area network bus, Ethernet, or hardwired connection.

[0014] Preferably, the abnormal status prompt information includes abnormal mode information and status signal information corresponding to the abnormal mode; the abnormal mode information includes: the dryer is not in the correct connected / disconnected state, the dryer is not in the correct operating state, and the dryer is not in the correct paused state; the status signal information corresponding to the abnormal mode includes: ambient temperature signal, the operating status signal of the dryer, the operating status signal of the air compressor, and the opening / closing status signal information of the pre-valve, post-valve, and bypass valve.

[0015] Preferably, after generating the status abnormality prompt information, the control method further includes: the controller controlling the human-machine interaction device of the mechanical excavator to output the status abnormality prompt information.

[0016] Preferably, the human-machine interaction device includes at least one of an instrument panel, a display screen, and / or an audible and visual alarm.

[0017] The present invention also proposes an excavator, comprising: a pneumatic system and a controller used in the dryer control method described in any of the above embodiments, wherein the controller is configured to execute the dryer control method.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the invention are:

[0019] 1. This application enables real-time, multi-dimensional monitoring of the working status of the dryer system (dryer body and associated valves), fundamentally changing the passive situation of existing technologies that "only run, do not monitor".

[0020] 2. This application introduces ambient temperature and air compressor status as inputs to the judgment logic, making the status judgment more in line with actual working conditions and achieving a high degree of intelligence.

[0021] 3. Once the system detects an abnormal status (such as the dryer being bypassed at low temperature or not running when it is supposed to), it can immediately generate and output clear prompts to guide operators or maintenance personnel to quickly locate and handle the fault, greatly shortening the troubleshooting time and effectively avoiding serious problems such as pipeline icing and system failure caused by failure to detect abnormal status in time, thus significantly improving the overall reliability and safety of the machine.

[0022] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic system of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of real-time communication interaction in this invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a control flowchart of the dryer control method of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0027] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0028] The following is for reference. Figures 1 to 3 The dryer control method in the embodiments of the present invention is described.

[0029] This application discloses a dryer control method applied to the pneumatic system of a mechanical excavator. The pneumatic system includes a controller; an air compressor, a pre-valve, a dryer, a post-valve, and an air tank connected sequentially via pipelines; and a bypass valve connected in parallel at one end to the inlet of the pre-valve and in parallel at the outlet of the post-valve via a pipeline. The control method includes: the controller receiving operating status signals from the air compressor, the dryer, the pre-valve, the post-valve, and the bypass valve, and an ambient temperature signal from an ambient temperature sensor; the controller determining whether the dryer is in the correct connected / disconnected state based on the ambient temperature signal and the opening / closing state signals of the pre-valve, post-valve, and bypass valve; if the dryer is in the correct connected state, the controller determining whether the dryer is in the correct operating state based on the dryer's operating status signal and the air compressor's operating status signal; if the dryer is not in the correct connected / disconnected state or operating state, the controller generating an abnormal status prompt message.

[0030] The controller is connected to the ambient temperature sensor, air compressor, dryer, pre-valve, post-valve and bypass valve. The controller receives the operating status signals of the air compressor, the operating status signals of the dryer, the opening and closing status signals of the pre-valve, post-valve and bypass valve, and the ambient temperature signal from the ambient temperature sensor.

[0031] Specifically, the core steps of the method include:

[0032] S1: Status Signal Acquisition. The controller continuously receives operating status signals from the air compressor (indicating whether it is loading or unloading), the dryer (indicating whether it is running, not running, or paused), the pre-valve opening / closing status signals, the post-valve opening / closing status signals, the bypass valve opening / closing status signals, and the ambient temperature signal via communication lines. These signals constitute a direct perception of the dryer system hardware status.

[0033] S2: Logical State Judgment. The controller has built-in judgment logic that, based on the six hardware status signals collected above, comprehensively analyzes whether the combination relationships between them conform to the logic expected during normal system operation. For example, it determines whether the opening and closing combinations of the three valves match the dryer's running / suspended state. If there is a logical contradiction, the dryer is determined to be "not in the correct operating state." Furthermore, based on this information, the controller's judgment dimension expands from a single "operating state" to a more comprehensive three-state judgment: correct connection state, correct operating state, and correct suspended state. This means that the system can not only determine whether the dryer itself is moving, but also whether it should be connected to the system in the current environment, and whether its running or suspending actions are synchronized with the working rhythm of the air compressor after being connected to the system.

[0034] S3: Anomaly Message. Once the result of step S2 is "No," indicating an abnormal state, the controller immediately generates an anomaly message. This message forms the basis for subsequent human-machine interaction alarms.

[0035] In this embodiment, by collecting status signals from key components and performing logical judgments, proactive monitoring of the dryer system's operating status is achieved for the first time. This changes the previous situation where only operational commands were relied upon and the actual status could not be known, providing a possibility for preventing pneumatic system failures caused by abnormal status. Incorporating ambient temperature into the judgment allows the monitoring logic to adapt to seasonal (winter / summer) changes; incorporating the air compressor status into the judgment allows the monitoring logic to synchronize with the pneumatic system's working cycle. This makes the status judgment results more closely aligned with the actual physical process and technological requirements, significantly improving the accuracy and effectiveness of monitoring.

[0036] In some embodiments, determining whether the dryer is in the correct connected / disconnected state includes: when the ambient temperature is lower than a preset temperature threshold ( Figure 3 (Right side) The dryer needs to be powered on. If both the pre-valve and post-valve are open and the bypass valve is closed, the dryer is considered to be in the correct connection state; otherwise, the dryer is considered not to be in the correct connection state. When the ambient temperature is higher than or equal to the preset temperature threshold ( Figure 3 (Left side) The dryer usually does not need to be powered on. If both the pre-valve and post-valve are closed and the bypass valve is open, the dryer is determined to be in the correct disconnected state. Otherwise, the dryer is determined not to be in the correct disconnected state.

[0037] Specifically, this embodiment elaborates on the logic of "determining the correct access status". A preset temperature threshold, such as 0°C, is used. The determination logic is divided into two cases:

[0038] Low-temperature operation: When the ambient temperature is below 0℃, the dryer must be connected to the system for dehumidification. In this case, the correct valve state combination should be: pre-valve open, post-valve open, bypass valve closed. If the detected state combination does not match this, it is determined that the dryer is "not in the correct connection state".

[0039] High-temperature or ambient-temperature conditions: When the ambient temperature is above or equal to 0°C, the dryer can bypass to save energy and reduce wear. In this case, the correct valve state combination should be: pre-valve closed, post-valve closed, bypass valve open. If the detected state combination does not match this, it is determined as "not in the correct non-connected state" (i.e., failing to bypass correctly when it should).

[0040] This embodiment provides clear, programmable logic judgment criteria. It solves the core problem of "what pipeline state the dryer should be in under what environment". This logic can effectively identify common operational errors or valve malfunctions, such as the dryer being mistakenly bypassed in winter or the dryer being mistakenly connected in summer, and provide early warning to prevent undried humid gas or blocked gas lines from affecting the system.

[0041] The operating status signals of the dryer in this application include running, not running, and paused, and the operating status signals of the air compressor include loading and unloading.

[0042] In some embodiments, determining whether the dryer is in the correct operating state includes: if the air compressor is in a loaded state and the dryer is in a running state, or if neither the air compressor nor the dryer is running, then the dryer is determined to be in the correct operating state; otherwise, the dryer is determined not to be in the correct operating state.

[0043] Specifically, this embodiment elaborates on the logic of "determining the correct operating state." This determination is predicated on the dryer being determined to be in the "correct connection state" (i.e., connected to the system). Under this premise, the logic is: when the air compressor is in a loaded state (generating compressed gas), the dryer must operate to process the newly generated humid gas. Therefore, the controller checks whether the dryer's operating status signal indicates "operating" at this time. If not, it is determined to be "not in the correct operating state."

[0044] This embodiment solves the problem of "not running when the dryer is connected to the system". This situation may be caused by dryer malfunction, loss of control signals, etc. Monitoring this status ensures that the drying and dehumidification function starts immediately once the air compressor starts, preventing undried gas from entering the air tank and downstream pipelines, and fundamentally eliminating the risk of icing caused by dryer "idleness".

[0045] In some embodiments, determining whether the dryer is in the correct operating state further includes determining whether the dryer is in the correct pause state: if the air compressor is in the unloading state and the dryer is in the pause state, then the dryer is determined to be in the correct pause state; otherwise, the dryer is determined not to be in the correct pause state.

[0046] Specifically, this embodiment elaborates on the logic of "determining the correct pause state". When the air compressor is in the unloading state (stopping gas production), the dryer should simultaneously stop operating to save regeneration gas consumption. The controller checks whether the dryer's operating status signal indicates "pause". If not, it is determined that "it is not in the correct pause state".

[0047] This embodiment addresses the problem of the dryer failing to pause when it should. While this issue doesn't immediately lead to icing, the dryer's continued ineffective operation without airflow results in energy waste (consuming compressed air from the storage tank) and unnecessary desiccant loss. Monitoring this status helps achieve system energy savings and alerts maintenance personnel to potential faults in the dryer's control logic.

[0048] In some embodiments, the operating status signals of the air compressor, the operating status signals of the dryer, the opening and closing status signals of the pre-valve, the post-valve, and the post-valve, as well as the ambient temperature signal, are transmitted to the controller via a controller area network bus, Ethernet, or hardwired connection.

[0049] Specifically, communication feedback between the air compressor, dryer, pre-valve, post-valve, bypass valve, and controller can be achieved through various industrially mature communication or connection methods, such as: controller area network bus, industrial Ethernet, or simple hardwired connection. These methods are all conventional technical means selected by those skilled in the art based on the actual system architecture and cost.

[0050] In some embodiments, the status anomaly prompt information includes anomaly mode information and status signal information corresponding to the anomaly mode; the anomaly mode information includes: the dryer is not in the correct access / disconnection state, the dryer is not in the correct operating state, and the dryer is not in the correct pause state; the status signal information corresponding to the anomaly mode includes: ambient temperature signal, dryer operating status signal, air compressor operating status signal, and the opening / closing status signal information of the pre-valve, post-valve, and bypass valve.

[0051] In some embodiments, after generating the status anomaly alert message, the control method further includes: the controller controlling the human-machine interface device of the mechanical excavator to output the status anomaly alert message. This adds an information output step after generating the status anomaly alert message. The controller sends the generated status anomaly alert message, containing the specific type, to the human-machine interface device on the mechanical excavator, driving it to output the information. This ensures that any detected status anomaly is effectively communicated to the equipment operator, avoiding the risk of system "silent failure," and is a crucial step in ensuring the effectiveness of the entire monitoring method.

[0052] In some embodiments, the human-machine interface device includes at least one of an instrument panel, a display screen, and / or an audible and visual alarm. This embodiment provides diverse alarm presentation methods to adapt to different cab environments and operating habits, ensuring that abnormal information can be alerted to operators in the most effective and least easily overlooked way, further enhancing system safety and user experience.

[0053] The present invention also proposes an excavator, comprising: a pneumatic system and a controller used in the dryer control method described in any of the above embodiments, wherein the controller is configured to execute the dryer control method.

[0054] The dryer control method and other components and operations of the excavator according to embodiments of the present invention are known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0055] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0056] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A dryer control method, applied to the pneumatic system of a mechanical excavator, characterized in that, The pneumatic system includes: Controller; The air compressor, pre-valve, dryer, post-valve, and air tank are connected in sequence through pipelines. And a bypass valve that is connected in parallel at one end to the inlet of the pre-valve and in parallel at the outlet of the post-valve via a pipeline. The control method includes: The controller receives the operating status signal of the air compressor, the operating status signal of the dryer, the opening and closing status signals of the pre-valve, post-valve, and bypass valve, and the ambient temperature signal from the ambient temperature sensor. The controller determines whether the dryer is in the correct connected / disconnected state based on the ambient temperature signal and the opening / closing status signals of the pre-valve, post-valve, and bypass valve. If the dryer is in the correct connection state, the controller determines whether the dryer is in the correct operating state based on the operating status signal of the dryer and the operating status signal of the air compressor; If the dryer is not in the correct connected / disconnected state or operating state, the controller generates a status abnormality prompt message.

2. The dryer control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The determination of whether the dryer is in the correct connected / disconnected state includes: When the ambient temperature is lower than the preset temperature threshold, if both the pre-valve and the post-valve are open and the bypass valve is closed, the dryer is determined to be in the correct connection state; otherwise, the dryer is determined not to be in the correct connection state. When the ambient temperature is higher than or equal to the preset temperature threshold, if both the pre-valve and the post-valve are closed and the bypass valve is open, the dryer is determined to be in the correct disconnected state; otherwise, the dryer is determined not to be in the correct disconnected state.

3. The dryer control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The operating status signals of the dryer include running, not running, and paused, and the operating status signals of the air compressor include loading and unloading.

4. The dryer control method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Determining whether the dryer is in the correct operating state includes: If the air compressor is in a loaded state and the dryer is in a running state, or if neither the air compressor nor the dryer is running, then the dryer is determined to be in a correct operating state; otherwise, the dryer is determined to be in a incorrect operating state.

5. The dryer control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Determining whether the dryer is in the correct operating state also includes determining whether the dryer is in the correct paused state: If the air compressor is in an unloaded state and the dryer is in a paused state, then the dryer is determined to be in a correct paused state; otherwise, the dryer is determined not to be in a correct paused state.

6. The dryer control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The operating status signals of the air compressor, the operating status signals of the dryer, the opening and closing status signals of the pre-valve, post-valve, and post-valve, and the ambient temperature signal are transmitted to the controller via a controller area network bus, Ethernet, or hardwired connection.

7. The dryer control method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The abnormal status indication information includes abnormal mode information and status signal information corresponding to the abnormal mode; The abnormal mode information includes: the dryer is not in the correct connected / disconnected state, the dryer is not in the correct running state, and the dryer is not in the correct paused state; The status signal information corresponding to the abnormal mode includes: ambient temperature signal, operating status signal of the dryer, operating status signal of the air compressor, and opening / closing status signal information of the pre-valve, post-valve, and bypass valve.

8. The dryer control method according to claim 7, characterized in that, After generating the status anomaly message, the control method further includes: The controller controls the human-machine interface of the mechanical excavator to output the status abnormality prompt information.

9. The dryer control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The human-computer interaction device includes at least one of an instrument panel, a display screen, and / or an audible and visual alarm.

10. An excavator, characterized in that, include: The pneumatic system and controller used in the dryer control method as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the controller is configured to perform the dryer control method.

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