Method for operating a soil compaction roller and soil compaction roller

Abstract

A method for operating a soil compaction roller and a soil compaction roller itself. The soil compaction roller comprises at least one roller drum and a vibration excitation device for applying vibrations to the roller drum, wherein the vibration excitation device has at least four unbalance exciters, each of which comprises an unbalance mass rotatable about an exciter rotation axis and an electric motor individually driving the rotational movement of the respective unbalance mass, wherein a control unit is further provided for controlling the drive of the electric motors, and wherein the vibration excitation device can be operated in several different operating modes. The method relates to the operation of such a soil compaction roller.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating a soil compaction roller and to a soil compaction roller.

[0002] Soil compaction rollers are used for subsoil compaction, for example in road and path construction and / or generally for compacting the subsoil, and travel across the soil surface to be compacted. Such a soil compaction machine can have one or more roller drums, which constitute the ground contact elements of the compaction roller. The one or more roller drums of the soil compaction roller can roll along the subsoil, rotating around a drum axis relative to the machine frame and thereby compacting the soil. During this process, static compaction effects can occur, in which soil compaction is achieved due to the weight of the compaction roller itself.A dynamic compaction effect beyond static soil compaction can be achieved using a vibration excitation device that imparts vibrations to the roller drum. For this purpose, the vibration excitation device can, for example, have one or more unbalanced exciters, each of which rotates around an excitation axis during compaction. Depending on the number of unbalanced exciters per roller drum, the vibration excitation device can implement various operating modes with different resulting total vibrations. Such operating modes can include, for example, circular excitation operation, directional vibrator operation, or oscillatory vibrator operation. In circular excitation operation, at least one unbalanced mass rotates around its respective excitation axis.In directional oscillator operation, several unbalanced masses rotate synchronously and in phase with each other around their respective excitation axes, thus producing a constant resulting overall unbalance. In directional oscillator operation, however, two or more unbalanced masses rotate in opposite directions around their respective excitation axes, thereby generating a directed resulting overall vibration. In oscillatory oscillator operation, at least two unbalanced masses rotate synchronously and in the same direction around at least two unbalanced waves, but 180° out of phase with each other, causing the bandage to perform an alternating forward-backward rotational movement.

[0003] To drive the rotational movement of the individual unbalanced masses, it is known to use one or more hydraulic motors and / or mechanical positive couplings, as is common in directional vibratory bandages or oscillating bandages. Such mechanical positive couplings can be, for example, toothed belts and / or gear drives or similar devices.

[0004] Even though the vibration excitation systems used in conventional rollers have proven their worth, there is a growing demand from customers to further increase the potential versatility of the vibration excitation system(s) in soil compaction rollers. This allows for better adaptation to individual operating conditions, as vibration excitation systems with mechanically coupled unbalanced exciters are often limited to one or only a few operating modes. Ideally, it should not only be possible to select between circular exciter operation, directional vibrator operation, and oscillatory vibrator operation simultaneously, but also to vary the respective operating parameters within each of these modes, particularly the resulting vibration amplitude and / or frequency.At the same time, it is desirable to provide a way to switch from a first operating mode to a second operating mode while the vibration excitation device is in operation, in order to enable a smooth working process.

[0005] Starting from this, the object of the invention is to provide a way to improve the operation of a soil compaction roller with a vibration excitation device.

[0006] The problem is solved by a method for operating a soil compaction roller and by a soil compaction roller according to the independent claims. Preferred embodiments are specified in the dependent claims.

[0007] In a first aspect, the invention relates to a method for operating a soil compaction roller with at least one roller drum and a vibration excitation device that applies vibrations to the roller drum. In a further aspect, the invention relates to a soil compaction roller, in particular designed for carrying out the method according to the invention.

[0008] The soil compaction roller according to the invention itself and / or the soil compaction roller used to carry out the method according to the invention can have various preferred features, which are first explained in an introductory manner for the method according to the invention as well as for the soil compaction roller according to the invention.

[0009] Such a soil compaction roller can, for example, have a machine frame as its main supporting structure. The machine frame can be a single piece or multi-piece, for example comprising a front frame and a rear frame connected by an articulated joint.

[0010] The soil compaction roller can have one or more drive wheels in addition to a roller drum, in particular at least one pair of wheels. The soil compaction roller can also additionally or alternatively comprise more than one roller drum, especially a front and a rear roller drum. The drive mechanism of the soil compaction roller can consist exclusively of roller drums, as is the case, for example, with so-called tandem rollers. The roller drum can comprise a continuous drum sleeve across its entire width or be designed as a so-called split roller drum, in which the roller drum comprises two coaxially arranged partial roller drums that may share a common roller drum rotation axis.The drum casing, which is particularly hollow cylindrical or polygonal in shape, can have a smooth outer surface on its rolling surface on the subsoil to be compacted, or it can have three-dimensional trim elements that project outwards in a radial direction to the drum rotation axis, such as sheep's foot trim and / or crusher spikes. The drum casing can be rotatably connected to or mounted on the machine frame about a drum rotation axis, which in particular runs horizontally and transversely to a forward direction of travel.

[0011] Preferably, the soil compaction roller has a primary drive unit that provides the drive energy required for the travel drive and the drive of the vibration excitation device. The soil compaction roller can thus be designed, in particular, as a self-propelled soil compaction roller. The primary drive unit can be an internal combustion engine that provides the drive energy required for the travel and operation of the soil compaction roller directly or indirectly. Preferably, however, the primary drive unit is either a hybrid system, for example, comprising an internal combustion engine and an electric motor primary drive train, or, most preferably, a fully electric drive system.In a partially or fully electric driven soil compaction roller, it is particularly possible that it has one or more electrical energy storage devices, especially in the form of rechargeable batteries or accumulators, and one or more electric motors. In particular, both the drive system and the drive system for one or more vibration excitation devices can be powered by electric motors, especially those individually assigned to the drive system and the drive system for individual vibratory exciters of the vibration excitation device. It is therefore particularly preferred if the soil compaction machine has a plurality of individually and independently operated electric motors, especially independently operable electric motors for the drive system and for driving the individual vibratory exciters of the vibration excitation device.

[0012] The soil compaction roller can be designed as a so-called roller train. For this purpose, the machine frame can be designed, for example, as an articulated frame. In this case, the roller drum can be arranged on the front frame, which may be designed, for example, as a bearing fork. The rear frame, on the other hand, can have, for example, a pair of rubber wheels.

[0013] Alternatively, the soil compaction roller can also be designed as a tandem roller. A tandem roller can have two or more roller drums, in particular at least one drum at the front and one at the rear in the forward direction of travel. The tandem roller can include articulated steering or turntable steering.

[0014] The soil compaction roller can include a driver's platform, for example in the form of a cab or a platform at least partially open to the outside environment, from which an operator riding with the soil compaction roller can operate it, particularly with regard to its driving and working functions. Additionally or alternatively, the soil compaction roller can be manually guided, remotely controlled, semi-autonomously, and / or fully autonomously, especially for driving only, in which the vibration excitation device is deactivated, as well as for working in which at least one of the vibration exciters of the vibration device is operated simultaneously with driving.

[0015] The soil compaction roller may also include one or more assistance systems. Such systems can monitor the compaction process and, for example, directly or indirectly record the compaction progress, track and record the travel path, etc. These systems can also be used for supplementary or alternative environmental monitoring and / or analysis, such as collision avoidance, path finding, etc.

[0016] According to the invention, the vibration excitation device comprises at least four unbalance exciters. Each of the at least four unbalance exciters can have one or more unbalance masses rotatable about an exciter axis of rotation and / or arranged on an exciter shaft. Viewed axially from the exciter axis of rotation, the respective exciter shaft can be supported in front of and / or behind the respective unbalance mass on a support structure, for example, one or more discs, or only on one side. Ideally, the unbalance masses can be designed as fixed unbalance mass elements, in particular as integrally formed with the exciter shaft, and thus exhibit the same eccentricity in both directions of rotation about the respective exciter axis of rotation. It may therefore be preferred if the unbalance mass elements of the respective unbalance exciters do not have any counterweights.For the rotational drive of the respective unbalance exciters, it can be provided that each of the at least four unbalance exciters has its own drive motor. The at least four unbalance exciters are thus individually driveable and controllable and are free from mechanical couplings to one another. The drive motor is particularly preferably an electric motor, so that the vibration excitation device in this case particularly preferably comprises one electric motor per unbalance exciter, and in particular exactly one. The at least four unbalance exciters, each with its own unbalance mass rotatable about its own excitation rotation axis, thus preferably comprise at least four electric motors, wherein each of the at least four electric motors drives at least one of the unbalance masses, and in particular, each of the unbalance masses is thus assigned exactly and exclusively one electric motor for its drive. The rotational movement of the respective unbalance masses or...The unbalanced mass of an unbalance exciter is thus preferably driven individually by an electric motor, independently of the other unbalanced masses of the other unbalance exciters. The electric motor can drive the rotational movement of the respective unbalanced mass indirectly, for example, via a suitable gearbox. However, it is preferred if the electric motor directly drives the respective unbalanced mass or its excitation shaft. A shaft coupling may be provided between an output shaft of the electric motor and the excitation shaft. Alternatively, the excitation shaft may be formed in one piece and, in addition to a section in which the unbalanced mass is arranged, includes a section that forms the rotor of the respective electric motor.

[0017] It is possible for the soil compaction roller to have only a single vibration excitation device for a single roller drum. This can be the case, for example, with roller trains. Alternatively, the soil compaction roller may have multiple vibration excitation devices, such as two roller drums, each with its own vibration excitation device. Furthermore, or alternatively, it is also possible for two or more vibration excitation devices to be arranged within a single roller drum. If the soil compaction roller has two or more vibration excitation devices, these can be controlled independently of each other, for example, by each having its own control unit and / or a shared control unit.However, even if the respective vibration excitation devices are fundamentally controllable independently of each other, it is possible that in the case of simultaneous operation of two or more vibration excitation devices of a soil compaction roller, their respective operation is coordinated to each other by one or more control units.

[0018] The soil compaction machine can also include a control unit that controls the drive of the electric motors of the at least four unbalanced exciters of the vibration excitation device, particularly in the manner described in more detail below. Ideally, the control unit is designed such that the vibration excitation device can be operated in several different operating modes. For this purpose, the control unit can be designed as a computer system with a suitable computer program for operating the control unit and for controlling and / or regulating the processes controlled by the control unit. Furthermore, one or more control signal transmission links can be provided through which control commands can be transmitted from the control unit to all of the electric motors of the four unbalanced exciters. These links can be wired and / or wireless.The control signal transmission links can, for example, be part of a BUS system of the soil compaction roller.

[0019] For the inventive method for operating a soil compaction roller, in particular a soil compaction roller as described above, it can therefore be provided that the roller comprises at least one drum. Furthermore, a vibration excitation device that applies vibrations to the drum can be provided, wherein the vibration excitation device has at least four unbalance exciters. The four unbalance exciters can each have an unbalance mass rotatable about an exciter rotation axis and an electric motor that individually drives the rotational movement of the respective unbalance mass. Furthermore, a control unit can be provided that individually and independently controls the drive of the electric motors, i.e., all of the electric motors comprised of the vibration excitation device. It can be provided that the vibration excitation device can be operated in several different operating modes.is operated. For this purpose, in one step a) the vibration excitation device can be operated in a first operating mode. This can be done, for example, by the operator of the soil compaction roller selecting the first operating mode from a plurality of possible operating modes. Alternatively, it is also possible that the first operating mode is a predefined operating mode that is always selected at the beginning of commissioning the vibration excitation device. The control unit can be designed to control the at least four electric motors of the at least four unbalance exciters and can be connected to each of the at least four electric motors directly or indirectly, for example, via suitable wired and / or wireless control signal transmission links. The control signals generated by the control unit can be control signals for controlling and / or regulating a speed or...The control signals can be the rotational frequency of the respective unbalance mass of each of the at least four unbalance exciters around its respective excitation rotation axis. Additionally or alternatively, the control signals generated by the control unit can specify the direction of rotation of the respective unbalance mass of each of the at least four unbalance exciters around its respective excitation rotation axis. Additionally or alternatively, the control signals generated by the control unit can, for example, also affect or control the phase relationship of at least two unbalance masses of two unbalance exciters, and in particular, of all unbalance masses of all unbalance exciters relative to each other.If the soil compaction roller has two or more vibration excitation devices, each with at least four unbalanced exciters, the control signals generated by the control unit can also affect the rotational speed and / or direction of rotation and / or phase of at least one, and in particular all, unbalanced exciters of each of the two or more vibration excitation devices, especially relative to each other. It can therefore be provided, in particular, that the control unit controls the operation of each unbalanced exciter of a vibration excitation device, and in particular all unbalanced exciters of all vibration excitation devices of the soil compaction roller, individually and independently of one another with regard to their rotational speed, direction of rotation and / or phase. Independent control in this context is to be understood, in particular, as meaning that the control unit can control at least the direction of rotation and / or the rotational speed.The control unit specifies, controls, and / or regulates the rotational speed of each unbalance exciter. However, this does not preclude the inclusion of current operating parameters of one or more additional unbalance exciters, particularly for control purposes, for example, to set and / or maintain the relative phase positions of two or more unbalance exciters, and in particular at least all unbalance exciters, relative to each other. In the first operating mode, the control unit controls all of the unbalance exciters such that at least one of the unbalance exciters rotates around its axis of rotation. In particular, the first operating mode can be an operating mode in which at least two, and in particular all, of the unbalance exciters of the vibration excitation device rotate around their axis of rotation.

[0020] Starting with the vibration excitation device operating in the first operating mode, step b) allows the control unit to switch the operation of the vibration excitation device to a second operating mode, with the switch occurring while the vibration excitation device is running. This means that the change of operating mode does not necessarily involve temporarily deactivating the vibration excitation device and / or completely and / or simultaneously stopping all the vibratory exciters of the vibration excitation device, but rather the switch occurs during the ongoing operation, or "on the fly." In particular, the switch is performed in such a way that at least one of the vibratory exciters continues to rotate continuously around its axis of rotation during the switch and / or that not all vibratory exciters are at a standstill simultaneously at any point during the switch.Provided that the transition from the first operating mode to the second operating mode does not require a reversal of the direction of rotation of one or more of the unbalance exciters of the vibration excitation device, the currently rotating, preferably all, unbalance exciters of the vibration excitation device continue to rotate about their respective axes of rotation, with at least a transitional adjustment and / or change of rotational speed alone, until the second operating mode is reached. For this adjustment, it may be provided, in particular, that the rotational speed of one or more of the unbalance exciters in the first operating mode is accelerated and / or decelerated, at least transitionally, simultaneously or with a time offset from one another.

[0021] If one or more reversals of the current direction of rotation of one or more of the individual unbalance exciters of the vibration excitation device are required in the first operating mode and then in the second operating mode, this is preferably carried out in a staggered manner. Such a changeover is therefore particularly preferably performed in such a way that at no point during the changeover from the first operating mode to the second operating mode are all unbalance masses stationary, or at least one unbalance exciter is always in a state of rotation.

[0022] If not all of the unbalance exciters rotate around their respective excitation rotation axis in the first operating mode, and if reversing the direction of rotation of an unbalance exciter rotating in the first operating mode would be necessary to enter the second operating mode, it may be preferable to preferably stop the unbalance exciter rotating in one direction in the first operating mode and accelerate or start up the unbalance exciter that is not rotating in the first operating mode from its rest position in the desired direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation. In this case, the transition from the first to the second operating mode does not involve reversing the direction of rotation of a specific unbalance exciter, but rather a change or...A switch from an unbalanced exciter rotating in the first operating mode to an unbalanced exciter rotating in the opposite direction in the second operating mode. This allows, for example, a reduction in the time required for the transition from the first to the second operating mode and / or an optimized transition in terms of energy consumption.

[0023] Due to the presence of at least four unbalance exciters and the fact that these at least four exciters can be individually and independently controlled and / or regulated by the control unit with regard to their direction of rotation and / or speed, the vibration excitation device can selectively and alternately represent numerous different operating modes. In this context, the term "first operating mode" should therefore not be understood as a specific operating mode, but rather as the initial operating mode available for the described change of the current operating mode. Similarly, the "second operating mode" is not a specific operating mode, but rather the operating mode to which the system is to switch.The first operating mode differs from the second operating mode in at least one of the operating parameters: rotational speed, direction of rotation and / or phase position, and with reference to at least one of the at least four unbalance exciters.

[0024] For example, the vibration excitation device can be operated in a "rotating excitation mode." Rotating excitation mode is characterized by the fact that the vibration excitation device as a whole performs a vibration amplitude rotating around a central axis, in particular around a rotational axis of the rolling drum. The vibratory exciter(s) rotating in rotating excitation mode thus rotate, for example, at the same speed and in the same direction of rotation, and in the case of multiple rotating vibratory exciters, with the same rotational speed and direction of rotation. Due to the at least four individual vibratory exciters comprised of the vibration excitation device, it can be provided that the rolling drum can perform at least four different rotating excitation amplitudes and, accordingly, four different rotating excitation modes at the same rotational speed and direction of rotation.The smallest circular excitation amplitude can be achieved by rotating only one of the at least four unbalance exciters while the remaining unbalance exciters are deactivated or not rotating. Alternatively, two, three, or four unbalance exciters can rotate simultaneously, particularly in the same phase, with the same direction of rotation and the same speed around their respective excitation axes, thus adding the circular excitation amplitudes of several unbalance exciters together. If the unbalance exciters of the vibration excitation device only have static unbalance weights or masses, or are free of any counterweights, the achievable eccentricities during rotation are independent of the direction of rotation.Accordingly, it can also be provided, for example, that a change in the direction of travel of the soil compaction roller reverses the direction of rotation of the unbalanced exciters while maintaining the overall eccentricity generated by the vibration excitation device. If one or more of the at least four unbalanced exciters comprise one or more counterweights, it is possible to further increase the number of representable circular exciter operating modes depending on the direction of rotation.

[0025] Alternatively, the vibration excitation device with the setup described above can also be operated in a "directional vibrator mode" or can switch to this mode, in which at least two of the rotating unbalanced exciters rotate in opposite directions. In this way, a directed vibration vector can be generated. By adjusting the rotational position of the at least two counter-rotating unbalanced exciters, the direction of the vibration vector of the resulting overall directional vibration can also be varied practically seamlessly between a horizontal and a vertical vibration.Accordingly, the design and operation of the vibration excitation device described above allows, for example, the setting of a direction vector inclined in a virtual projection plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, with a vertical component and a horizontal component, as well as directional oscillator operation with a direction vector oscillating exclusively vertically or horizontally, without any structural adjustments or other modifications.The amplitude of the resulting overall directional vibration in directional vibrator operation can also be varied by either rotating only two of the at least four unbalance exciters in opposite directions around their respective excitation rotation axes, or by rotating two pairs of the at least four unbalance exciters, wherein the two unbalance exciters of each pair preferably rotate at the same speed, in the same direction of rotation, and in the same relative phase to each other, while the two unbalance exciters of the other pair rotate at the same speed but in the opposite direction of rotation. The achievable overall directional vibration, or the maximum amplitude of the resulting vibration of the rolling drum, can thus be varied, particularly while maintaining the individual directions of rotation of the individual unbalance exciters.In this way, for example, one or more handling weights can be dispensed with to achieve different eccentricities.

[0026] Another operating mode can be, additionally or alternatively, an "oscillation exciter operation" in which at least two of the rotating unbalanced exciters have the same direction of rotation and the same speed with a defined phase shift, in particular a phase shift of 180°. Here, too, it is possible to use either just two rotating unbalanced exciters or two pairs of rotating unbalanced exciters to vary the oscillation eccentricity, without having to provide, for example, counterweights. In the latter case, a total of four unbalanced exciters rotate around their respective axes of rotation with the same direction of rotation and the same speed, with two of the four unbalanced exciters being phase-shifted by 180° relative to the other two.

[0027] Another operating mode can be a "superimposed oscillation excitation operation," in which two primary unbalance exciters rotate with the same direction of rotation and the same speed, but with a phase shift of 180° relative to each other, thus corresponding to the "oscillation excitation operation" described above. Additionally, within the framework of the "superimposed oscillation excitation operation," it can be provided that one or more further unbalance exciters also rotate with the same direction of rotation and speed as the two primary unbalance exciters, in phase with one of the two primary unbalance exciters, or, in particular, out of phase with both of the primary unbalance exciters. Most specifically, it can be provided that two additional unbalance exciters rotate in addition to the two primary unbalance exciters, whereby these two additional unbalance exciters are also out of phase with each other, in particular by 180°.Overall, for "superimposed oscillation exciter operation," it is particularly advantageous if a total of four unbalance exciters rotate simultaneously in the same direction and at the same speed, but each with a 90° phase shift relative to the others. In a snapshot, these four unbalance exciters thus occupy positions at 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°. In other words, in "superimposed oscillation exciter operation," two pairs of unbalance exciters, each rotating in an oscillation exciter mode, can be superimposed, especially with a 90° phase shift.

[0028] Additionally or alternatively, an operating mode can be a "zero-vibration mode," in which the, and in particular all, unbalanced exciters of the vibration excitation device rotate, but simultaneously no resulting total vibration is transmitted from the vibration excitation device to the roller drum and thus to the ground. The individual vibrations generated by the individual rotating unbalanced exciters thus cancel each other out. Such a zero-vibration mode can be achieved, for example, by operating a total of four unbalanced exciters at the same rotational speed, with the first of the four unbalanced exciters rotating clockwise and a second unbalanced exciter also rotating clockwise, but 180° out of phase with the first unbalanced exciter. The first and second unbalanced exciters are thus operated in "oscillation excitation mode."Simultaneously, a third and a fourth unbalanced exciter are rotated counterclockwise at the same speed as the first and second, with a phase shift of 180° relative to each other. They are thus also operated in "oscillation exciter mode," but in a direction of rotation opposite to that of the first pair of unbalanced exciters. In this "zero vibration mode," two pairs of unbalanced exciters, each operating in oscillation exciter mode, rotate at the same overall speed but in opposite directions. This operating mode can be advantageous, for example, for turning maneuvers, when passing through vibration-sensitive areas in compaction terrain, and / or in the context of FDVK applications (FDVK = "area-wide dynamic compaction control"), as explained in more detail below in the context of preferred further developments.

[0029] Another operating mode could be, for example, a "pulsating circular exciter operation," in which all rotating unbalanced exciters have the same direction of rotation but at different speeds. Specifically, one of the unbalanced exciters could rotate at a defined speed, while simultaneously another unbalanced exciter rotates in the same direction at an integer multiple of that defined speed. Alternatively, two or three unbalanced exciters could rotate at the defined speed and in the same direction, while one or more of the remaining unbalanced exciters rotate in the same direction at an integer multiple of that defined speed.

[0030] The method according to the invention allows, as a further operating mode, either additionally or alternatively, a "pulsating directional vibrator operation" in which at least two pairs of rotating unbalance exciters have opposite directions of rotation and in which at least two unbalance exciters of at least one pair with the same direction of rotation rotate at different speeds, ideally an integer multiple of the speed of one unbalance exciter of this pair. Specifically, this can mean, for example, that each pair of unbalance exciters in which the unbalance exciters rotate in the same direction comprises one unbalance exciter with a relatively low speed and one unbalance exciter with a relatively high speed, the relatively high speed preferably being an integer multiple of the relatively low speed.Ideally, each of the two pairs comprises one unbalance exciter with the relatively high rotational speed and one unbalance exciter with the relatively low rotational speed, wherein the two unbalance exciters with the relatively high rotational speed and the two unbalance exciters with the relatively low rotational speed preferably have opposite directions of rotation.

[0031] Another possible operating mode is a "pulsating oscillation excitation mode" in which at least three of the rotating unbalanced exciters have the same direction of rotation with a defined phase shift. Preferably, however, two pairs of unbalanced exciters can also be included, wherein all of the active unbalanced exciters, or the unbalanced exciters of the two pairs, have the same direction of rotation. Furthermore, two of the unbalanced exciters can be present that rotate at the same defined speed but with a phase shift, in particular of 180°, relative to each other. In addition, two further unbalanced exciters can be present that rotate at an integer multiple of the defined speed but also have, for example, a phase shift of 180° relative to each other.

[0032] Another operating mode can be a "chaotic excitation mode," in which, for example, the rotational speeds and / or directions of rotation and / or phase shifts of at least one of the unbalanced exciters, and in particular of at least two of the unbalanced exciters, and especially of the at least four unbalanced exciters of the vibration excitation device, are varied randomly, intermittently, or continuously. This operating mode can serve, in particular, as a starting point for finding an optimal operating mode for the respective subsoil and its current compaction state, especially with regard to compaction performance and / or energy consumption.

[0033] Another operating mode can be a "complex excitation mode." In this mode, the individual operating parameters are adjusted with respect to their current speed and direction of rotation in such a way that, for example, at least partially, there is no constant phase shift. The resulting vibration amplitude, as the sum of the individual amplitudes, can thus vary considerably during operation and exhibit alternating components of, for example, circular excitation, directional vibratory excitation, oscillation excitation, etc. This operating mode can also serve as a starting point for determining an optimal operating mode for the respective subsoil and its current compaction state, particularly with regard to compaction performance and / or energy consumption.

[0034] It is also possible for the vibration excitation system of the soil compaction roller to be controlled by the control unit in a "manual excitation mode." In this operating mode, the operator has the option of adjusting at least one, and in particular all, of the at least four unbalanced exciters of the vibration excitation system with regard to their speed and / or direction of rotation and / or their phase offset. This can be helpful, for example, if the occurrence of local resonance phenomena within the soil compaction roller, especially in the area of ​​the operator's platform, is to be avoided.

[0035] It is possible that during the operation of the vibration excitation device in an operating mode, particularly in one of the operating modes described above, the rotational speed of exactly two or exactly four unbalanced exciters of the vibration excitation device may change, especially simultaneously and / or sequentially, particularly when transitioning from the first operating mode to the second operating mode or when changing the current operating mode. However, it may also be provided that one or at least two of the unbalanced exciters continue to operate unchanged with regard to their operating state in the first operating mode during the transition to the second operating mode, particularly with regard to their current rotational speed, direction of rotation, and relative phase position to each other.

[0036] Regarding the specific procedure for switching from the first to the second operating mode, several alternative approaches exist. For example, the switch can be made directly from the first to the second operating mode. Alternatively, in step b), a third operating mode can be traversed before transitioning from the first to the second. This can be advantageous, for instance, if the resulting transition is more efficient in terms of time and / or energy consumption compared to a direct switch, and / or if it reduces or eliminates the occurrence of resonances during the transition. To this end, the control unit can be configured not only to manage the switchover itself, but also to monitor (and adjust accordingly) the stability of the third operating mode, at least during the transition.

[0037] To change the operating mode, i.e., to switch to the second operating mode from the first, it is possible to accelerate and / or decelerate one or more of the unbalance exciters, at least temporarily. Deceleration, in particular, can be active, for example, by active braking; regenerative, for example, by switching the electric motor of the respective unbalance exciter from a drive mode to a generator mode; or passive, for example, simply by interrupting the supply of electrical drive energy to the respective electric motor. The acceleration and / or deceleration is carried out, provided that the desired change to the second operating mode for the respective unbalance exciter allows it, in particular in such a way that the rotational movement of the unbalance mass is prevented from coming to a standstill or is kept in rotation.

[0038] It can be advantageous if the control unit manages the transition or changeover from the first operating mode to the second, particularly in a time-dependent and / or energy-dependent manner. Time-dependent control can, in particular, refer to the fastest possible transition from the first to the second operating mode. This can, for example, also include actively braking one or more of the unbalance exciters.An energy-dependent control system can, in particular, include controlling the transition from the first to the second operating mode in the most energy-efficient way possible, for example by avoiding active braking processes of one or more of the unbalance exciters and / or by incorporating regenerative braking processes of one or more of the unbalance exciters and / or comparatively slow acceleration processes and / or time-staggered active braking and / or acceleration processes of one or more of the unbalance exciters.

[0039] To assess the extent to which one of several possible procedures for switching from the first to the second operating mode is advantageous in terms of time and / or energy consumption, the control unit can, for example, store a library of different switching alternatives in a memory device. Each of these alternatives includes, for example, a time factor and / or an energy consumption factor. Additionally or alternatively, the control unit can also determine these factors during the operation of the soil compaction roller using a learning function or learning mode, store them in the memory device, and thus create such a library based on the soil compaction roller's performance over a single or multiple practical application.For the method according to the invention, it is therefore preferable if it includes a learning mode in which one or more switching or changeover alternatives between the first and the second operating mode are recorded with regard to their actual consumption of electrical energy and / or the time required for the switchover and documented in a storage device. It is then possible and also preferred if, among known, particularly in this step, different possibilities for switching from the first operating mode to the second operating mode, the control unit selects based on lower consumption of electrical energy and / or a shorter time period. The criteria according to which the control unit makes a selection are not specified.Whether the control unit prioritizes selection based on time and / or energy consumption can be manually specified by an operator, for example, by specifying that the soil compaction roller should operate in a relatively energy-saving mode (= energy-dependent) or in a mode that switches relatively quickly between operating modes (= time-dependent). A time-dependent selection can be useful, for example, when a particularly precise and time-sensitive switchover is required. An energy-dependent selection can be useful when the overall energy consumption of the soil compaction roller should be kept as low as possible, for example, to maximize its operating time.

[0040] The learning mode can also be extended beyond a single soil compaction roller to one or more additional construction machines, particularly soil compaction rollers. For this purpose, it can be provided that the single soil compaction roller and the additional construction machine, in particular the additional soil compaction roller, exchange the time and energy consumption factors recorded or learned above for switching from a first operating mode to a second operating mode directly or indirectly via suitable communication means, thereby generating a library based on the time and energy consumption factors of several soil compaction rollers or construction machines during ongoing operation. This allows, for example, the creation of a particularly precise compaction operation and / or plan tailored to the individual conditions of a work area for one or more of the soil compaction rollers.

[0041] It is possible that when changing the operating mode of the vibration excitation device from the first to the second operating mode, the change(s) to the operating parameters of the respective unbalance exciters being adjusted may occur simultaneously or sequentially. For example, by simultaneously changing one or more of the operating parameters of several unbalance exciters, the overall time window required for the changeover can be kept comparatively short. Conversely, by successively or sequentially changing one or more of the operating parameters of several unbalance exciters, the occurrence of a power peak required for the overall changeover process can be reduced.Furthermore, this avoids a sudden change from the first operating mode to the second operating mode, thus achieving a smooth transition from the first operating mode to the second operating mode.

[0042] It is possible for the control unit to specify the changes required for switching the vibration excitation device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode solely by means of one or more control commands. However, it is preferred that a sensor device directly and / or indirectly detects at least one of the operating parameters—speed, direction of rotation, and / or phase shift—and / or a parameter directly or indirectly correlated therewith, of each of the vibration exciters. The sensor data acquired by the sensor device can be transmitted to the control unit, which can then use this data to control the transition from the first to the second operating mode. Each of the vibration exciters can include a speed sensor to detect the respective speeds.To detect the direction of rotation, each of the unbalance exciters can be equipped with a rotation direction sensor. To detect a phase shift, each unbalance exciter can be provided with a position sensor. This position sensor can be configured to detect the presence of one or more defined rotational positions of the respective unbalance mass of the respective unbalance exciter, or to detect the current rotational position of the respective unbalance mass in a manner that rotates around the exciter's axis of rotation. The individual sensors can be connected to the control unit via one or more suitable wireless and / or wired sensor signal transmission links, through which they transmit the individual sensor signals to the control unit.The specific acquisition of one or more of these operating parameters of the respective unbalance exciter can be carried out, for example, on a shaft of the unbalance exciter, incorporating the unbalance mass of the respective unbalance exciter, or on the electric motor of the respective unbalance exciter that drives the respective unbalance mass, particularly in the case of a direct drive of the respective unbalance shaft by the respective electric motor. For switching the vibration excitation device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode, it may also be possible to acquire sensor values ​​of one or more of these operating parameters from one or more unbalance exciters of the vibration excitation device and to transmit these sensor values ​​to the control unit.

[0043] Additionally or alternatively, it is also possible that a sensor device is provided for the direct and / or indirect determination of the current consumption of electrical energy and / or a parameter directly or indirectly correlated therewith of one or more of the unbalance exciters of the vibration excitation device, and that during operation of the vibration excitation device and / or when switching the operation of the vibration excitation device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode, a direct and / or indirect detection of the current consumption of electrical energy and / or a parameter directly or indirectly correlated therewith of the vibration excitation device and / or individual electric motors of individual unbalance exciters or all electric motors of the unbalance exciters takes place.To switch the vibration excitation device from the first operating mode to the second, it may be necessary to acquire sensor values ​​for one or more of these operating parameters from one or more unbalanced exciters of the vibration excitation device and transmit these sensor values ​​to the control unit. A sensor for detecting the current consumption of electrical energy could, for example, be a current sensor, particularly combined with a timer or time recording device. Specifically, a voltage and a current or current intensity, or their curves over time, can be detected. The current consumption of electrical energy can be determined at the respective electric motor of the respective unbalanced exciter.Alternatively or additionally, the soil compaction roller may also include power electronics for converting electricity with one or more power converters as part of an electric drive system. In this case, in particular, the current electrical energy consumption can also be determined at the power electronics, either additionally or alternatively.

[0044] In addition to or as an alternative to a time-dependent and / or energy-dependent selection of the switching process from the first operating mode to the second, it is also possible to acquire a value that correlates with the compaction progress and / or soil stiffness and / or the degree of soil compaction, and to select an operating mode depending on a change in the compaction progress and / or soil stiffness and / or the degree of soil compaction. Various methods for determining the compaction progress and / or soil stiffness and / or the degree of soil compaction are known in the prior art, as disclosed, for example, in DE102022213393A1 and EP1103658A2.For example, acceleration values ​​can be determined using one or more acceleration sensors on one or more roller drums and / or the equipment supporting them, and / or sound pressure levels can be measured using a microphone or similar device and monitored throughout the compaction process. Using the methods described in the prior art, it is often possible to monitor the compaction process during the operation of the soil compaction roller to determine whether compaction progress is currently being achieved and, if so, how much compaction progress has been achieved.For the method according to the invention, it can be provided that, in an optimization mode selectable, for example, by an operator, a value correlated with a compaction progress and / or a soil stiffness and / or a soil compaction degree is detected, and that the rotational speed and / or the direction of rotation and / or the phase shift of one or more of the unbalanced exciters is varied within an operating mode depending on a change in the compaction progress and / or a change in compaction. Additionally or alternatively, it can be provided that, in the optimization mode, several different operating modes are initially cycled through by the control unit in order to determine the optimal, for example, the most effective, operating mode for the current compaction task.It is possible for this optimal operating mode to be automatically selected by the control unit or displayed to an operator, who can then select it manually. This optimization mode may be executed only at the beginning of a compaction task, or at regular intervals and / or after defined distances.

[0045] It can be advantageous if the control unit selects the direction of rotation of at least one of the vibratory exciters, and especially of all vibratory exciters of the vibration excitation device, depending on the current travel direction of the soil compaction roller. This can be particularly advantageous if the effect of the vibration excitation device of the currently selected operating mode on the driving behavior of the soil compaction roller and / or the soil compaction process depends on the current travel direction. By switching or reversing the current direction of rotation of all vibratory exciters activated for the current operating mode, while maintaining the other operating parameters "phase offset" and "speed," it can be ensured that the driving and / or compaction behavior of the soil compaction roller is uniform in both possible travel directions.This can be the case, for example, particularly when operating a soil compaction roller in rotary exciter mode. In this case, the soil compaction roller may be equipped with a direction-of-travel sensor to determine its current direction of travel. This sensor is used to determine the current direction of travel and / or any changes in direction, and to transmit this information to the control unit. The control unit then regulates the operation of the vibration excitation device, preferably also depending on the current direction of travel of the soil compaction roller.

[0046] It may be the case that an operator is provided with a soil compaction roller whose control unit only allows a limited selection of certain operating modes, in extreme cases initially perhaps only the execution of one operating mode. In this case, the operator may wish to use or have access to one or more additional operating modes, at least temporarily or permanently in the future. It can therefore be advantageous if the operator has the option of unlocking further operating modes. For this purpose, the soil compaction machine can include a suitable interface and / or communication device, for example, for communication with a mobile device and / or an external server station and / or for entering and / or reading an authorization code, etc.As part of this preferential training, it is now possible for the selection and / or activation of at least one of the operating modes to require prior authorization by the control unit. Such authorization can include, for example, verification of an unlock code provided to the control unit and / or similar verification. This can be achieved, for instance, through input by the operator directly on the soil compaction roller and / or transmission to the soil compaction roller from an external source, such as a remote server, a smart device, or similar.

[0047] The method according to the invention can thus comprise selective control of the vibration excitation device by the control unit in at least a first and a second operating mode, preferably in three or more operating modes. Changes in the rotational speed of all individual unbalanced exciters that occur within an operating mode and are equal to each other do not, in particular, constitute a change of operating mode within the meaning of the present invention. Operating modes that can be implemented with this control unit can include, in particular, circular excitation operation, directional vibrator operation, oscillatory excitation operation, zero-vibration operation, pulsating circular excitation operation, pulsating directional vibrator operation, pulsating oscillatory excitation operation, chaotic excitation operation, complex excitation operation, and / or manual excitation operation.

[0048] Another aspect of the invention relates to a soil compaction roller, in particular a soil compaction roller designed for carrying out a method according to the invention. With regard to possible design features of a soil compaction roller according to the invention, particular reference is made to the device features described in the preceding description of the method according to the invention. In particular, the soil compaction roller may include a control unit designed for selectively controlling the individual unbalanced exciters of the vibration excitation device in two or more of the operating modes described above.

[0049] In particular, the soil compaction roller according to the invention comprises at least one roller drum and a vibration excitation device for applying vibrations to the roller drum, especially as described above. The vibration excitation device therefore comprises at least four unbalance exciters, each of which has an unbalance mass rotatable about an excitation rotation axis and an electric motor that individually drives the rotational movement of the respective unbalance mass. Thus, the vibration excitation device of a roller drum has a total of at least four unbalance exciters that are driven separately and independently of one another and are each controlled and / or regulated separately and independently of one another by a control unit.Part of the soil compaction roller according to the invention is also the control unit, which controls the drive of the at least four electric motors individually and independently of one another, but ideally in a coordinated manner. Unlike previously known vibration excitation devices for a roller drum, the coordination of the drive of the multiple, in this case at least four, unbalanced exciters is thus not achieved mechanically and / or hydraulically, but rather exclusively electronically by the control unit, which controls the operation of all the electric motors of the unbalanced exciters. This arrangement enables, in particular, the functionality of the vibration excitation device of the roller drum described above, and ensures that these different operating modes can actually be adopted by the vibration excitation device.

[0050] The at least four, and in particular exactly four, unbalance exciters of the vibration excitation device are preferably mounted on a drum sleeve of the roller via one or more support devices. It can be advantageous if the soil compaction roller includes a disc that couples the at least four unbalance exciters to a drum sleeve of the roller, wherein the disc has at least four bearing recesses, each of which supports at least one of the four unbalance exciters. The bearing recesses can be designed as through-holes. The disc is thus a support device, preferably disc-shaped, within the drum sleeve of the roller, via which the vibrations generated by the individual unbalance exciters are transmitted, preferably jointly, to the drum sleeve.It is therefore preferred if the at least four unbalance exciters are arranged simultaneously on a common, in particular one-piece, bearing and support structure opposite the bandage casing. Alternatively, it is also possible to connect the four unbalance exciters individually and / or in pairs to the bandage casing, for example, by attaching them directly to the inner surface of the roller bandage casing.

[0051] The at least four unbalance exciters can preferably run at least partially parallel to each other and / or parallel to a rolling band rotation axis of the rolling band with respect to their excitation rotation axes. Additionally or alternatively, it can be advantageous if none of the excitation rotation axes of the unbalance exciters of the vibration excitation device is coaxial with the rolling band rotation axis. However, one or more of the excitation rotation axes of a vibration excitation device can be coaxial with each other. It is preferred, however, if none of the excitation rotation axes of a vibration excitation device is coaxial with any of the other excitation rotation axes and all of the excitation rotation axes are parallel to each other. The excitation rotation axes of the unbalance exciters can additionally or alternatively be uniformly or radially symmetrically in a plane perpendicular to the rolling band rotation axis.They must be arranged with an equal radial spacing and / or with a uniform angular offset or angular spacing in the direction of rotation around the roller drum rotation axis, for example at 90° intervals.

[0052] In principle, it is preferable if the unbalance masses of the individual unbalance exciters have similar eccentricities relative to their respective exciter rotation axes. However, one or more unbalance exciters can also have different eccentricities relative to each other, either additionally or alternatively. Furthermore, one or more of the unbalance exciters in the vibration excitation device can each have a counterweight and / or a centrifugal weight to allow for an even greater increase in the range of variation.

[0053] The vibration excitation device may include one or more sensor devices for determining the rotational speed, position, direction of rotation, and / or phase of one or more unbalanced exciters, and / or the electrical energy consumption of one or more, and in particular all, unbalanced exciters of the vibration excitation device of the roller drum, and / or a direction sensor for detecting the current direction of travel and / or a change in direction of travel of the soil compaction roller. For further details regarding the possible design of the one or more sensor devices, please refer to the preceding information.

[0054] It may also be provided, additionally or alternatively, that the soil compaction roller includes power electronics for converting electricity with one or more power converters as part of an electric drive system. In this case, in particular, the current electrical energy consumption can also be determined at the power electronics.

[0055] The soil compaction roller can be, in particular, a roller train or a tandem roller.

[0056] With regard to further possible preferred device features of a soil compaction roller according to the invention, further reference is made, either additionally or alternatively, to the preceding information, in particular also to the method according to the invention.

[0057] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the figures. The figures schematically show: Fig. 1 A soil compaction roller of the type articulated tandem roller in a side view; Fig. 2 A soil compaction roller of the type articulated tandem roller in a side view; Fig. 3 A soil compaction roller of the type compact articulated tandem roller in a side view; Fig. 4 A soil compaction roller of the type roller train in a side view; Fig. 5 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a roller drum and other components; Fig. 6 A side view of an embodiment of a roller drum; Fig. 7 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a split roller drum; Fig. 8 A schematic view of various transition routes from a first operating mode to a second operating mode; Fig. 9 Energy consumption profiles during a change from a first operating mode to a second operating mode; Fig.10 Energy consumption curves during the start-up of a vibration excitation device and a transitional zero-oscillation operation; Fig. 11 an illustration of circular excitation operation with a very small amplitude; Fig. 12 an illustration of circular excitation operation with a small amplitude; Fig. 13 an illustration of circular excitation operation with a very large amplitude; Fig. 14 a curve diagram of circular excitation operation with a very small amplitude; Fig. 15 a curve diagram of circular excitation operation with a small amplitude; Fig. 16 a curve diagram of circular excitation operation with a large amplitude; Fig. 17 a curve diagram of circular excitation operation with a very large amplitude; Fig. 18 a displacement diagram for circular excitation operation with the amplitudes according to the . Figures 14 to 17Fig. 19: An illustration of a directional oscillator operation with a small amplitude; Fig. 20: An illustration of a directional oscillator operation with a large amplitude; Fig. 21: A curve diagram of the directional oscillator operation; Fig. 22: A displacement diagram for the directional oscillator operation with the amplitudes according to the Figures 19 and 20 Fig. 23 illustrates oscillation excitation operation with a small amplitude; Fig. 24 illustrates oscillation excitation operation with a large amplitude; Fig. 25 illustrates the start-up process from unbalanced exciters to pulsating oscillation excitation operation; Fig. 26 shows a curve diagram of pulsating oscillation excitation operation according to Fig. 25 Fig. 27 illustrates zero-vibration operation; Fig. 28 shows a curve diagram of zero-vibration operation according to Fig. 27Fig. 29: An illustration of a transition from circular excitation operation to pulsating oscillation excitation operation; Fig. 30: A curve diagram of the transition from circular excitation operation to pulsating oscillation excitation operation; Fig. 31: A curve diagram of a complex superposition operation; Fig. 32: An illustration of an optimization operation; Fig. 33: An illustration of a transition from oscillation excitation operation to circular excitation operation; Fig. 34: An illustration of a transition from directional oscillator operation to zero-oscillation operation; Fig. 35: An illustration of directional oscillator operation with reduced amplitude; Fig. 36: A curve diagram of Fig. 35 ; and Fig. 37 a flowchart of a method for operating a soil compaction roller.

[0058] Identical or similarly functioning components are designated with the same reference numerals in the figures. Repeating components are not necessarily designated separately in each figure.

[0059] For comparison purposes, the figures sometimes show a vertical direction x, a horizontal direction Z running along, in particular, a rotation axis of unbalance exciters and / or a roller band, and a horizontal direction Y running in the forward direction A of a roller band.

[0060] The Figures 1 to 4Figure 1 shows various types of soil compaction rollers 1, each in a side view. The soil compaction rollers 1 each comprise at least one roller drum 2, a machine frame 3, a driver's platform 4, and, associated with each of the roller drums 2, a vibration excitation device 5. Part of the soil compaction rollers 1 may also include a drive system, in particular at least partially electric and especially fully electric (in the Figures 1 to 4 (not shown) for the drive system and / or drive of the vibration excitation device 5, for example comprising a storage device 6 for electrical energy, such as one or more accumulators, one or more electric motors (in the Figures 1 to 4(not shown) etc. The soil compaction rollers therefore preferably have a fully electric drive system or are free of one or more combustion engines. However, it may be provided that one or more electro-hydraulic drive components are included, for example for adjusting an optional edge-cutting device.

[0061] The machine frame 3 can be designed as an articulated machine frame 3 with a front carriage and a rear carriage which can be connected to each other via an articulated joint, as is the case, for example, with the articulated tandem rollers of the Figures 1 and 3 and the articulated roller train according to the Fig. 4 This is the case. Alternatively, the machine frame 3 can also be formed in one piece, as for example in the turntable-steered tandem roller according to the Fig. 2 .

[0062] The soil compaction roller 1 is operated, for example, from a driver's platform 4. Additionally or alternatively, the soil compaction roller 1 can be designed as a semi-autonomous or autonomously operating soil compaction roller 1, or it can be remotely controlled by means of a remote control and has a suitable control unit and actuators controlled by it.

[0063] In the Figures 1 to 3The soil compaction rollers 1 shown are each tandem rollers, in which, viewed in a forward direction A, two roller bands 2 (a front roller band and a rear roller band) are arranged one after the other. Each of these roller bands 2 can be assigned a vibration excitation device 5, so that these soil compaction rollers 1 can comprise several roller bands 2, each with a vibration excitation device 5. It is also possible that only one of the two roller bands has a vibration excitation device 5 as further described below. Alternatively, it can also be provided that, in addition to at least one roller band 2, the soil compaction roller 1 includes additional wheels 7 as driving devices, as is the case, for example, with the roller train of the Fig. 4 that is the case.

[0064] With the aid of the vibration excitation device 5, it is possible to subject the respective roller drum 2 to vibrations during the ongoing compaction operation of the soil compaction roller 1, thereby achieving a dynamic soil compaction effect in addition to the purely static compaction effect caused solely by the dead weight of the soil compaction roller 1. A possible design and possible functions and modes of operation of such a vibration excitation device 5 are explained in more detail in the following figures.

[0065] Fig. 5This illustrates further details of the possible construction of a vibration excitation device 5 arranged in a rolling drum 2. The vibration excitation device 5 can therefore comprise at least, and in particular exactly, four unbalance exciters 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D, which can be arranged together within the rolling drum 2. For the sake of clarity, the at least four unbalance exciters 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D are shown in the Figure 5 arranged one above the other. However, it is noted that the four unbalance exciters 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D do not necessarily all have to be positioned one above the other, but can, for example, also be positioned at least partially next to each other or in a different manner, as shown in more detail in the figures below. Each of the at least four unbalance exciters 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D comprises an unbalance mass 9 (in the Figure 5in association with the individual unbalance exciters 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D with the unbalance masses 9A, 9B, 9C and 9D) and each its own electric motor 10 (in the Figure 5 (in association with the individual unbalance exciters 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D with the electric motors 10A, 10B, 10C and 10D). The electric motors 10 drive the respective unbalance mass 9 to a rotational movement around an exciter rotation axis 11 (in the Figure 5 in association with the individual imbalance pathogens 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D with the pathogen rotation axes 11A, 11B, 11C and 11D).

[0066] The unbalance exciters 8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D can be coupled to a drum sleeve 13 of the roller drum 2, particularly to its inner surface, via one or more bearing arrangements, for example, in the form of one or more of the disc discs 12A, 12B, or 12C. For this purpose, a disc disc 12A can be provided, for example, which carries the electric motors 10A to 10D. It can additionally or alternatively be provided that one or both of the disc discs 12B and 12C carry the unbalance masses 9A to 9D, for example, via one or more suitable rotary bearings and / or housing / cage mounts of the housings / cages enclosing the unbalance masses 9A to 9D. It is also possible that only a single bearing arrangement, for example, a disc disc, is provided, which carries the housings / cages of the unbalance exciters 8A to 8D.The unbalance exciters 8A to 8D can also be connected to the bandage sheath 13 individually or in pairs via separate storage devices or be attached directly to it.

[0067] The rolling band 2 is rotatable as a whole about a rolling band rotation axis 14. In the axial direction of this rolling band rotation axis 14, it is preferred that the unbalance exciters 8A to 8D are arranged at the same height relative to each other, at least with respect to their unbalance masses 9A to 9D. The individual exciter rotation axes 11A to 11D can run parallel to each other and / or parallel to the rolling band rotation axis 14.

[0068] One or more of the unbalance exciters 8A to 8D can each be assigned a sensor device 15A to 15D, wherein each of the sensor devices 15A to 15D can comprise one or more of the sensors of the type "speed sensor" 16A to 16D, "direction of rotation sensor" 17A to 17D and "phase offset sensor" 18A to 18D. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the unbalance exciters 8A to 8D can each be assigned a consumption sensor 19A to 19D, which determines the current consumption of electrical energy of the respective unbalance exciter 8A to 8D (and / or a central consumption sensor, not shown in detail in the figures, which determines the current total consumption of electrical energy of the vibration excitation device 5). The soil compaction roller 1 can also include a direction sensor 48, which is designed to determine the current direction of travel and / or a change of direction of travel of the soil compaction roller 1.The sensors 16A to 19D and 48, or the sensor devices 15, can be connected to a control unit 21 of the soil compaction roller 1 via sensor signal transmission links 20. The control unit 21 can control and regulate the operation of the electric motors 10A to 10D with regard to their current speed and direction of rotation, and thus the operation of the individual unbalance exciters 8A to 8D and / or their phase relationship to each other, via control signal transmission links 22.

[0069] A display and / or control unit 23 may be provided, which is designed to display one or more operating parameters of the vibration excitation device 5 and / or to input preset values ​​for one or more operating parameters and / or operating modes of the vibration excitation device 5. The display and / or control unit 23 may be integrated into a base unit of the soil compaction roller 1 or be designed separately from this base unit, for example, in the form of a mobile device such as a remote control and / or a smart device such as a smartphone or a tablet. For communication, in particular bidirectional communication, between the display and / or control unit 23, one or more signal transmission connections 25, in particular wireless and / or wired connections, may be provided.

[0070] The display and / or operating unit 23 can, for example, also be used to grant an operator authorization to use and / or activate one or more operating modes. The control unit 21 can also, for example, verify the authorization entered.

[0071] A storage device 24 can be part of the control unit 21 (or connected to it as a separate device). This storage device can be configured to store data, in particular time and / or energy factors or data, which can be taken into account by the control unit 21 for switching the vibration excitation device 5 from a first operating mode to a second operating mode. A time factor indicates how long this switchover takes under given switchover conditions. An energy factor indicates how much energy, in particular electrical energy, is consumed by the vibration excitation device 5 for the switchover under given switchover conditions. The control unit 21 can include a suitable timer to determine the time factor.To determine the energy factor, in particular in addition to a time factor, one or more of the aforementioned consumption sensors 19, for example in the form of a current sensor, can be used.

[0072] The storage device 24 can also include and store data from a procedure for determining and monitoring compaction progress. For this purpose, one or more measured values ​​directly or indirectly correlated with compaction progress and / or changes in soil stiffness and / or degree of compaction, such as acceleration measurements or similar, and / or compaction values ​​determined by a device 26 for determining compaction progress, can be stored in the storage device 24 and, for example, as described in more detail below, used by the control unit 21 to set an operating mode of the vibration excitation device.

[0073] The storage device 24 can also store the data described above in conjunction with position data. For this purpose, the soil compaction roller 1 can have a positioning device, for example a GNSS receiver.

[0074] Fig. 6 Figure 1 illustrates in a side view an example of a relative arrangement of four unbalance exciters 8A to 8D in the axial direction of the roller drum rotation axis 14. Fig. 6This illustrates that the unbalance exciters 8A to 8D can be arranged such that their excitation rotation axes 11A to 11D are parallel to each other and parallel to the rolling band rotation axis 14, and are not coaxial with each other. The unbalance exciters 8A to 8D can further be arranged around the rolling band rotation axis 14 such that their excitation rotation axes 11A to 11D have the same radial distance to the rolling band rotation axis 14. Additionally or alternatively, the unbalance exciters 8A to 8D can be arranged around the rolling band rotation axis 14 such that the excitation rotation axes adjacent to each other in and against a direction of rotation 28 with respect to an excitation rotation axis have the same angular distance 27 around the rolling band rotation axis 14 in a plane perpendicular to this rolling band rotation axis 14.

[0075] From the Fig. 6It is further evident that the disc 12 can comprise one or more bearing recesses 29, each designed to receive an unbalance exciter 8. The bearing recesses 29 can be designed as through-openings penetrating the disc 12 in the axial direction of the roller drum rotation axis 14, so that the disc 12 in the present embodiment has, for example, a total of 4 such through-openings.

[0076] The roller bandage 2 can have a bandage cover 13 formed entirely in one piece. However, it is also possible, as for example in the Fig. 7The roller drum 2 is shown to be designed with a split drum shell 2, comprising two coaxial drum shell segments 2A and 2B with identical outer diameters. In particular, it can also be provided that each of the two drum shell segments 2A and 2B is assigned a vibration excitation device 5A and 5B. These can each have a structure as described above and be controlled separately and independently of each other by the control unit 21. Additionally or alternatively, it is possible for the control unit 21 to control the vibration excitation devices 5A and 5B synchronously with each other. For this purpose, control signal transmission connections 22A and 22B and sensor signal transmission connections 20A and 20B can be provided.This also allows, in particular, for asynchronous control during, for example, steered cornering, in order to take into account the different curve radii of the split bandages or the bandage mantle segments 2A and 2B.

[0077] Fig. 8Figure 5 illustrates in a schematic view various transition routes from a first operating mode 30 of a vibration excitation device 5, for example as described above, to a second operating mode 31. The first operating mode 30 and the second operating mode 31 differ with respect to the rotational speed and / or direction of rotation and / or phase angle of one, several, or all of the unbalanced exciters 8 of the vibration excitation device 5. For example, but not limited to, the first operating mode 31 can be an oscillation excitation operation and the second operating mode a circular excitation operation of the vibration excitation device 5. To switch orWhen switching the operation of the vibration excitation device 5 from the first operating mode 30 to the second operating mode 31, there are now various possibilities for the control unit 21 to control the operating parameters speed, direction of rotation and / or phase position of the unbalance exciters 8 of the vibration excitation device 5.

[0078] On the one hand, a direct conversion can be performed, as indicated, for example, by path 32. This conversion is possible during the ongoing operation of the vibration excitation device 5, for example, when no reversal of the direction of rotation of one or more of the unbalance exciters 8 is required, as is the case, for instance, when switching from oscillation excitation operation to reciprocating excitation operation, since only the phase angle is adjusted here. Thus, only individual and / or all unbalance exciters need to be briefly accelerated and / or decelerated with respect to their current rotational speed.

[0079] It is also possible to switch from the first operating mode 30 to the second operating mode 31 via a third operating mode 33, as described in path 34 in the Fig. 8 This is illustrated. For example, starting again from a small-amplitude oscillation excitation operation to achieve a large-amplitude circular excitation operation, the control unit 21 can first set a small-amplitude circular excitation operation or a zero-oscillation operation and only then the large-amplitude circular excitation operation, for example by successively activating unbalance exciters that were not previously rotating in the oscillation excitation operation. More than one third operating mode 33 can also be cycled through, as shown in the Fig. 8 indicated by the dashed lines for the other operating modes.

[0080] Alternatively, deceleration 35 to a standstill and subsequent acceleration 36 to the desired target parameters of the respective imbalance exciters 8 can also be carried out, as described in the Fig. 8 with the path 37 which runs via a deceleration 35 to a stop and an acceleration 36 of the imbalance exciter 8 is illustrated.

[0081] The criteria used to select from a multitude of possible paths 32, 34, or 37 can vary. On the one hand, this can be specified manually by an operator. On the other hand, the control unit 21 can also make a selection, particularly according to predefined criteria, either additionally or alternatively. Such criteria can, for example, be time-dependent and / or energy-consumption-dependent. This is described in the Fig. 9 This is illustrated in more detail using an example. The one in Fig. 9The graph shown illustrates an example of the consumption of electrical energy E as a function of time t during the operation of a vibration excitation device 5, in particular as described above, in operating phases I, II, III and IV.

[0082] In operating phase I, the vibration excitation device 5 is operated, for example, in a closed-loop excitation operation with a small amplitude.

[0083] In operating phase III, the vibration excitation device 5 operates in a closed-loop excitation mode with a large amplitude. Therefore, in transition phase II, the maximum electrical energy consumption of the vibration excitation device 5 increases, since one or more additional unbalanced exciters 8 must be accelerated, for example, from a rest position.

[0084] In operating phase IV, it may be necessary to stop the rotation of the rotating unbalanced exciters, for example, by reversing the direction of rotation. This can be done in various ways. Firstly, the power supply to the individual electric motors 10 of the vibration excitation device 5 can be interrupted. In this case, the rotation of the unbalanced masses 9 of the unbalanced exciters 8 slows down relatively slowly over the period Δt3 until it comes to a standstill. Simultaneously, no electrical energy is consumed in this case, so the time factor of this approach is relatively large, while the energy consumption factor is relatively small. Alternatively, it is possible to actively decelerate the rotating unbalanced masses mechanically and / or by selectively applying power to the respective electric motors.This occurs during the period Δt1, which is correspondingly very short until the rotating unbalances come to a standstill. However, this approach requires a comparatively high input of electrical energy. Therefore, the time factor of this approach is relatively small, while the energy consumption factor is comparatively high. Another alternative is to decelerate the rotating unbalances regeneratively, for example, by switching one or more of the electric motors 10 into generator mode, so that electrical energy can even be recovered in this way. This process extends over the period Δt2 until the rotating unbalances come to a standstill. This variant thus has a particularly efficient energy consumption factor, since electrical energy can be recuperated, and a moderate time factor compared to the two previous variants.

[0085] Particularly during operating phase II, it may be necessary to perform potentially required acceleration processes on several unbalanced exciters sequentially and in a time-staggered manner in order to minimize the occurrence of power peaks when adjusting the rotational operation of the unbalanced exciters. Alternatively, it may also be possible for the start-up phase of the vibration excitation device to accelerate the individual unbalanced exciters sequentially from their respective rest states.

[0086] Fig. 9This illustrates, in particular, that different routes can be taken to achieve one and the same change in a state of motion, each differing in terms of its duration and energy requirements for changing from an initial state of motion to a target state of motion. This applies to almost all acceleration and deceleration processes of the individual unbalanced masses 9A to 9D of the at least four unbalanced exciters 8A to 8D of the vibration excitation device 5. It can be provided that the control unit 21 prioritizes the transition from a first operating state 30 of the vibration excitation device 5 to a second operating state 31 in order to achieve the shortest possible time factor, the most favorable or efficient energy consumption factor, or a favorable compromise between the time factor and the energy consumption factor.

[0087] For example, control unit 21 may have different conversion procedures stored for switching from a first operating mode to a second operating mode. Control unit 21 may then select and execute a conversion variant with a comparatively favorable time factor (e.g., for a particularly fast switchover) or with a comparatively favorable energy consumption factor (e.g., for a particularly energy-efficient switchover), based on an operator setting. This can, of course, also apply to switching between other first and / or second operating modes.It may also be provided that the control unit 21 determines the time factors and / or energy consumption factors itself based on adjustments made manually by an operator and / or learns them automatically during operation based on predefined variation algorithms and / or patterns and stores them for future control selections and settings. For this purpose, it may be provided in particular that the control unit 21 is operated in a learning mode in which it determines and assigns relevant operating parameters for determining the time factors and / or energy consumption factors, for example, using the sensors mentioned above.

[0088] Fig. 10This illustrates the curves of total energy consumption during the start-up of a vibration excitation device and a transitional zero-vibration operation. Curve K1 represents the curve of a conventional vibration excitation device in which all, and in particular at least two, unbalance exciters 8 are driven together. Curve K2, on the other hand, represents the curve of a vibration excitation device according to the invention in which at least, and in particular exactly four, individual unbalance exciters 8 are each driven by an electric motor in the manner described above.

[0089] In operating phase I, the individual unbalance exciters are initially rotated from their resting position. With a conventional vibration excitation device, all the unbalance exciters are accelerated together from their resting position. This can require a comparatively large power peak 49 or energy demand peak, because all unbalance exciters 8 must be accelerated simultaneously from their resting position. The situation is different, however, with the individually and separately driven unbalance exciters 8A to 8D, as described above. These can, as in the Fig. 10As shown, the individual unbalance exciters 8A to 8D are put into operation successively at staggered intervals, so that each of them initially has to experience a power surge. However, this surge is smaller for each individual unbalance exciter and can also be distributed across the individual unbalance exciters 8A to 8D over time. This results in an overall stepped energy consumption profile, the maximum power surge of which is lower than that of the conventional drive train.

[0090] In operating phase II, the vibration excitation device is in an operating mode, for example in directional vibrator mode. The total energy requirement can be approximately the same between the conventional drive train described above and a drive train according to the invention.

[0091] Operating phases III to V describe, by way of example, the turning maneuver of a soil compaction roller equipped with a vibration excitation device. To initiate the change of direction, operating phase III, in a conventional operating mode, may involve temporarily stopping the vibration excitation device, ideally in conjunction with braking the soil compaction roller. The vibratory exciters 8 of the vibration excitation device can be braked to a standstill to prevent an excessive local input of compaction energy into the subsoil. In operating phase IV, when the soil compaction machine accelerates from its temporary standstill back in the opposite direction, the vibratory exciters of the vibration excitation device must also be accelerated again, resulting in a renewed occurrence of the power peak 49.The vibration excitation device according to the invention enables, in a zero-vibration operation described in more detail below, the individual rotating unbalance exciters to be adjusted such that, although they rotate, the roller drum as a whole does not transmit any resulting vibration amplitude to the ground. In this way, the individual unbalance exciters do not need to be stopped during a turning operation, but can remain in a rotating state and only their phase relationship to each other can be adjusted. This can be considerably more energy-efficient overall compared to conventional vibration excitation devices.

[0092] The following figures illustrate, in particular by way of example, various operating modes that can be set with a vibration excitation device, in particular with a vibration excitation device 5 as described above, or in which the vibration excitation device 5 can be operated. The control unit can thus be designed, in particular, to control the operation of the unbalance exciters 8A to 8D in several and, in particular, all of the aforementioned operating modes. Because the at least four unbalance exciters 8A to 8D of the vibration excitation device 5 are free from any mechanical coupling to each other, or...Since the vibration exciters are interconnected and can be individually and independently controlled by the control unit 21 (although coordinated with each other) with regard to their current speed, direction of rotation, and phase (in relation to at least one of the other unbalanced exciters), not only can numerous different operating modes of the vibration excitation device 5 be set without additional modifications and / or expansions, but it is also possible to switch operating modes practically seamlessly or even during operation of the vibration excitation device 5. In particular, all of the operating modes described in more detail below can be implemented with one and the same vibration excitation device 5. Furthermore, these are merely examples of embodiments. The list of possible operating modes given below is therefore not exhaustive.

[0093] In the Figures 11 to 13 , 19 , 20 , 23 to 25 ,27, 29 and 33 to 35 Each roller bandage 2 is shown in a side view, comparable to the Fig. 6 The figures illustrate, starting from (a) on the left and proceeding alphabetically to the right, the rotational behavior of the individual imbalance exciters 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D, whereby for the sake of clarity these are only shown in the Fig. 11 (a) The figures must be marked with reference symbols. Arrow 38 indicates the current direction of rotation of the respective unbalance mass 9 of the respective unbalance exciter 8A, 8B, 8C and / or 8D. All of the temporal sequences described in these figures can also be executed in reverse order by the control unit 21. The position of the respective unbalance mass 9 or its eccentricity is indicated by a dot.

[0094] The Figures 11 to 13 Each concerns an operating mode "circular excitation operation", whereby the Fig. 11 a closed-loop excitation system with a small amplitude, Fig. 12a circular excitation system with a medium amplitude and Fig. 13 This shows a circular exciter operation with a large amplitude. The display is shown in 45° increments. In the Fig. 11 Only the unbalance exciter 8D is in rotational operation, while the other three unbalance exciters 8A, 8B, and 8C are stationary. The resulting force vector 39 of the roller band 2 is indicated by the arrow above the respective illustration. In contrast to the one in the Fig. 11 The circular exciter operation shown rotates in operating mode according to the Fig. 12 Now the two unbalance exciters 8B and 8D rotate in the same direction, at the same speed, and in phase. Accordingly, the resulting force vector of the roller band 2 is also somewhat larger. In the Fig. 13Finally, all four of the unbalance exciters 8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D rotate simultaneously with the same direction of rotation, the same speed, and in phase, so that the resulting force vector of the roller band 2 is at its maximum in this case. Operation of only three of the unbalance exciters 8A to 8D is also possible.

[0095] The Figures 14 to 17 Building on this, illustrate the resulting vibration amplitude AP in the vertical direction y, where Fig. 14 the company in Fig. 11 , Fig. 15 the company in Fig. 12 and Fig. 17 the company in Fig. 13 corresponds. Fig. 16 This concerns an operating mode in circular exciter operation, in which three of the four unbalance exciters 8 of the roller drum rotate and one of the unbalance exciters 8 is stationary. In the Fig. 14Thus, only one of the unbalance exciters rotates. The single vibration amplitude 40 generated by the one rotating unbalance exciter therefore essentially corresponds to the resulting vibration amplitude 41 of the roller band 2. In the Fig. 15 Two imbalance generators rotate in the Fig. 16 three of the imbalance pathogens and in the Fig. 17 All four of the unbalanced exciters of the vibration excitation device rotate in the same direction and at the same speed, in phase with each other. Accordingly, the magnitude of the resulting vibration amplitude 41, for example in the vertical direction y, also increases from the Fig. 14 about the Figures 15 and 16 up to Fig. 17 to. Fig. 18 To illustrate this, a vibration path diagram shows the resulting vibration profile of the rolling drum in a virtual reference plane perpendicular to the z-axis or perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rolling drum or the unbalance exciters 8A to 8D. Figures 14 to 17, where y denotes the vertical axis and x the horizontal axis. S1 corresponds to the oscillation path according to the Fig. 14 , S2 corresponds to the oscillation path according to the Fig. 15 , S3 corresponds to the oscillation path according to the Fig. 16 and S4 corresponds to the oscillation path according to the Fig. 17 The more unbalance exciters 8A to 8D are operated simultaneously in the circular exciter operating state, the larger the radius of the resulting vibration path of the vibration excitation device or the corresponding roller bandage becomes.

[0096] The transition between the individual circular exciter operations of the vibration excitation device 5, as described in the Figures 14 to 17As shown, this is possible during operation and, in particular, even without reversing the direction of rotation of one or more of the individual unbalance exciters 8A to 8D. Thus, for the circular exciter operation alone in the present embodiment, a total of four circular exciter operations with four different resulting amplitudes are available at the same rotational speed of the individual unbalance exciters. Furthermore, if the unbalance exciters have only one or more unbalance masses that are statically oriented relative to each other, the four resulting amplitudes can be achieved practically identically for both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the unbalance exciters.

[0097] Alternatively, the range of amplitudes accessible in rotary exciter operation can be further varied by incorporating so-called reversing weights into one or more of the unbalance exciters. Reversing weights are characterized by the fact that the resulting total eccentricity of all unbalance masses of an unbalance exciter varies depending on the direction of rotation.

[0098] The Figures 19 and 20 Illustrating different operating modes in a directional oscillator operation. This is characterized by the fact that the vibration excitation device 5 generates a directional resultant vibration 41 overall, in the present embodiment a pulsating vibration in the vertical direction y. In the Fig. 19 For this purpose, only two of the four unbalance exciters 8A to 8D are operated in rotational mode. These rotate in opposite directions to each other at the same speed. Fig. 19This concerns a directional oscillator operation with a small oscillation amplitude.

[0099] In contrast, in the exemplary embodiment according to the Fig. 20 Two pairs of unbalance exciters rotate in opposite directions at the same speed, with the unbalance exciters of each pair rotating in the same direction and in phase to achieve maximum vibration amplitude. In the present embodiment, the unbalance exciters 8 of one pair are positioned obliquely offset from each other. This means that, viewed in one direction of rotation of the rolling band 2 around the rolling band's axis of rotation, one unbalance exciter of one pair is adjacent to the two unbalance exciters of the other pair. This can, however, be varied.

[0100] For the transition from, for example, directional oscillator operation according to Fig. 19 for directional oscillator operation according to the Fig. 20 Is it possible that the two are in Fig. 19 resting and in Fig. 20 Additionally, the rotating unbalanced exciter is accelerated simultaneously in order to quickly establish the operating mode in a comparatively short time factor. Fig. 20 to achieve a specific speed, or to accelerate sequentially, for example to minimize a power surge or peak in electrical energy consumption occurring during the acceleration process. Additionally or alternatively, the acceleration level can also be varied by the control unit 21. The higher the desired acceleration of the respective unbalanced mass of the respective unbalanced exciter, the greater the adjustment required to set the operating state according to the control unit 21. Fig. 20 required energy expenditure and thus consumption of electrical energy. For the reverse process, it may be provided that two of the in Fig. 20 A total of four rotating unbalance exciters are actively slowed down, regeneratively slowed down, or simply no longer driven.

[0101] The Figures 19 and 20 They further illustrate that, for example, a smooth transition from directional vibrator operation to circular exciter operation, or vice versa, is also possible. For this purpose, it may be provided, for instance, that starting from the operating state of the Fig. 20 All counterbalance exciters rotating in the same direction within one pair are switched off and / or slowed down, so that only the counterbalance exciters of the other pair, rotating in the same direction and at the same speed, continue to rotate, as is the case, for example, with the Fig. 12 as has already been explained. Based on the operating state according to the Fig. 19 One of the two unbalance exciters can be switched off, thereby changing the operating state according to Fig. 11 will be received.

[0102] Fig. 21 illustrates the amplitude profile of the two imbalance exciters according to Fig. 19In the horizontal direction X, the amplitudes cancel each other out, so no resultant horizontal oscillation occurs. In the vertical direction Y, however, the amplitudes add up (the curve in the Y direction would thus be comparable to the curve of Fig. 15 Overall, a directional oscillation pulsating in the vertical direction is thus obtained, as shown in the corresponding oscillation path diagram according to Fig. 22 shown in more detail. The comparatively small amplitude according to the Fig. 19 provides a oscillation path S5 and the comparatively large amplitude according to the Fig. 20provides a vibration path S6. The orientation of the vibration path in the horizontal direction X and / or in the vertical direction Y can be variable and can be achieved, for example, by a phase-matched and direction-matched rotation of the respective imbalances relative to each other, so that, for example, it is practically possible to switch seamlessly from the resulting vertical vibration paths according to S5 and S6 to resulting horizontal vibration paths S5' and S6' and vice versa during the ongoing operation of the vibration excitation device.

[0103] The Figures 23 and 24 This illustrates the movement behavior of the unbalance exciters in operating modes where the unbalance exciters rotate in an oscillation excitation mode. In these operating modes, the unbalance masses rotate synchronously in pairs and in the same direction, but with a 180° phase shift relative to each other, enabling the roller band 2 to perform an alternating forward-backward rotational movement. In the Fig. 23Two of the four imbalance controllers rotate for this purpose, and in the Fig. 24 Two pairs of the four unbalance exciters are used in each case. The alternating forward-backward rotation desired in oscillation exciter operation is thus achieved in operating mode according to the... Fig. 24 compared to the operating mode according to the Fig. 23 stronger.

[0104] To switch between operating modes in the Figures 23 and 24 This results in the activation or deactivation of a pair of imbalance exciters. As already explained for the other operating modes, acceleration and / or deceleration can be controlled in various ways by the control unit 21, which differ from each other in terms of their respective time factor and / or energy consumption factor.

[0105] Fig. 25Illustrates a possible start-up process of the vibration excitation device 5 starting from a state in which all of the unbalance exciters of the vibration excitation device 5 are at rest, towards a pulsating oscillation excitation operation in which all of the unbalance exciters 8 of the vibration excitation device 5 rotate at the same speed and in the same direction of rotation, but the individual unbalances rotate offset from each other by 90° with respect to their phase position.

[0106] First, the rotational operation of, for example, only one unbalance exciter 8D is initiated. The vibration excitation device 5 thus temporarily assumes a circular excitation operation, as for example in the Fig. 11described. In a next step, another unbalance exciter 8B with the same direction of rotation and the same speed can be added, but in such a way that the two unbalance exciters 8B and 8D have a phase shift of 180° to each other. This temporarily results in, for example, oscillation excitation operation, as described above. Fig. 23 already described. The next unbalance exciter 8C can now be set into rotational operation such that it rotates with a 90° phase shift but in the same direction and at the same speed relative to both the rotating unbalance exciter 8B and the rotating unbalance exciter 8D ( Fig. 25 (g)In this case, an operating mode is obtained in which an oscillating excitation operation is superimposed on a circular excitation operation, which can be described, for example, as "pulsating oscillating excitation operation." In the final phase of this start-up process, the fourth unbalanced exciter 8A can be switched on such that it rotates in the same direction and at the same speed, with a phase shift of 90° relative to the two unbalanced exciters 8B and 8D and a phase shift of 180° relative to the unbalanced exciter 8C. All of the unbalanced exciters—in this case, for example, exactly four in total—8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D are thus operated uniformly, in this case in 90° increments, with a phase shift relative to each other. This, too, can be described as "pulsating oscillating excitation operation."

[0107] Fig. 26 a curve diagram illustrates the Fig. 25 achieved "pulsating oscillation excitation operation" (according to the Fig. 25 (i) ), as an example with respect to a vertical direction, whereby the curve profile is also similarly represented in the horizontal direction, albeit with a corresponding phase shift. The individual vibration components generated by the individual unbalance exciters 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D are specified as 40A, 40B, 40C and 40D. Due to the fact that all of the unbalance exciters 8 rotate in the same direction, torque is generated on the rolling drum during operation.

[0108] Fig. 27This illustrates zero-vibration operation, in which the vibration components of the individual unbalance exciters 8A to 8D cancel each other out at any given time during operation, so that the resulting vibration amplitude of the roller band 2 is zero. Unbalance exciters 8A and 8C rotate in the same direction relative to each other and 180° out of phase with each other, while unbalance exciters 8B and 8D rotate in opposite directions and 180° out of phase with each other. Therefore, in zero-vibration operation, two pairs of unbalance exciters 8 are operated in oscillatory mode, with the two pairs rotating in opposite directions relative to each other. Furthermore, all of the unbalance exciters rotate at the same speed. Fig. 28This is illustrated in a curve diagram, showing the course of the individual amplitudes in the vertical direction and, correspondingly with a phase shift, also in the horizontal direction. In this operating state, the vibration amplitudes and also the torques generated by the individual unbalance exciters cancel each other out at every point in rotation, so that, despite the rotating unbalance exciters 8, no outwardly effective compaction effects beyond static compaction effects are generated on the rolling drum.

[0109] Fig. 29 This illustrates two successive changes in the operating mode. The vibration device 5 is initially operated in a closed-loop excitation mode ( Fig. 23 (a) and (b) ) operated, as he for example contributed to the Fig. 13 as already described. The 8D imbalance generator also rotates over the entire area within the Fig. 29 Illustrated process with constant rotational speed and constant direction of rotation. From Fig. 29 (b)The rotational movement of the remaining unbalance exciters 8A, 8B, and 8C is now delayed, with unbalance exciter 8A experiencing the greatest delay per unit of time and unbalance exciter 8C the least. Due to these individual delays, the phase positions of all four unbalance exciters 8A to 8D shift simultaneously relative to each other. This process continues until, for example, the Fig. 25 The previously explained pulsating oscillation excitation operation ceases, which in Fig. 29 (f) This is the case. This process up to the Fig. 29 (f) is also in the curve diagram in the Fig. 30 , which exemplifies the amplitude profile in the x-direction.

[0110] Based on the pulsating oscillation excitation operation according to the Fig. 29 (f) For example, a further transition to oscillation excitation operation can now take place, starting from the Fig. 29 (f)The two unbalance exciters 8B and 8D, which are 180° out of phase with each other, continue to rotate in the same direction at a constant speed. The two unbalance exciters 8A and 8C, on the other hand, which also already have a 180° phase shift with each other, are temporarily slowed down with respect to their current speed, in particular in the same way or at different times, so that they are each overtaken by the two unbalance exciters 8B and 8D in such a way that finally the two unbalance exciters 8A and 8B rotate as one pair and the two unbalance exciters 8C and 8D as another pair, whereby all unbalance exciters 8 rotate in the same direction and at the same speed relative to each other, the unbalance exciters of one pair (here 8A and 8B or 8C and 8D) each have no phase shift with each other, and the unbalance exciters of different pairs have a phase shift of 180°. This therefore corresponds to the Fig. 24 described operating mode.

[0111] The ability to control each of the at least four unbalance exciters 8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D independently of the other unbalance exciters 8 by the control unit 21 with regard to its individual speed and direction of rotation, and thus also with regard to a phase shift relative to one or more other unbalance exciters 8, allows for a high degree of variation in the resulting overall vibration behavior of the rolling drum 2. This is, for example, Fig. 31This is illustrated in more detail below. In this example, all the unbalance exciters rotate in the same direction. Unbalance exciters 8B and 8C also rotate at the same speed, but with a phase shift of, for example, 90° to each other. This results in the individual vibration amplitudes 40B and 40C. Vibration exciter 40D rotates at a comparatively higher speed, and vibration exciter 8A at an even higher speed. Overall, this can result in a pulsating vibration amplitude 41, in which phases of comparatively large amplitudes alternate with phases of comparatively small amplitudes. This operating mode can be described, for example, as complex excitation operation and can be used, for example, for learning and / or optimization purposes.

[0112] In addition or alternatively, it is also possible that during the operation of the vibration excitation device 5, one or more operating parameters of one or more of the unbalance exciters 8 are systematically and / or randomly varied. This can result in an overall chaotic vibration behavior of the rolling drum 2. This operating mode can therefore also be referred to, for example, as chaotic excitation operation.

[0113] Especially the one in Fig. 31 The complex operating mode shown, or even the chaotic operating mode, can be used to carry out an ongoing optimization process to empirically determine a currently optimal operating mode for the vibration excitation device 5, for example by starting from the one described in the Fig. 31In the depicted vibration operation, the rotational speed and / or direction of rotation and / or phase shift of one or more of the individual unbalance exciters can be varied, particularly systematically, and this is compared, for example, with the current compaction progress. It may also be provided that one or more operating parameters, in particular the direction of rotation, the speed and / or the phase shift, of one or more of the unbalance exciters 8 can be adjusted automatically or manually by an operator.

[0114] An example of how a procedure for finding a currently optimal operating mode can work is, for example, in the Fig. 32The current degree of compaction is displayed there as a percentage, depending on time. Specifically, for example, the control unit 21 successively sets different operating modes I, II, III, and IV on the unbalanced exciters 8 of the vibration excitation device 21 and determines the current compaction success in each case. This can be done, for example, with a suitable device 26 for determining compaction progress, such as by determining and monitoring acceleration values ​​at the roller drum as part of a FDVK determination. Ideally, as already explained above, the individual operating modes can be set during operation, so that neither the vibration excitation device 5 has to be completely stopped nor does the soil compaction roller 1 have to cease its operation.Of the alternative operating modes I to IV shown in the exemplary embodiment, operating mode II provides the highest compaction performance, so that it is selected by the control unit 21 and specified for the further compaction work.

[0115] Fig. 33 illustrates a transition from oscillation excitation operation of the vibration excitation device to circular excitation operation (in the direction of the Figures 33(a) to 33(h) ) and / or vice versa (in the direction of figures 33(h) to 33(a)). In the Figures 33(a) to 33(c) An oscillation excitation operation is running, as previously described ( Fig. 24 ). To switch to a closed-loop system, as previously described ( Fig. 13It may be provided that one pair of synchronously and in-phase unbalance exciters, for example unbalance exciters 8A and 8B, continue their rotation unchanged. For the other pair of unbalance exciters, 8C and 8D, which also rotate synchronously with each other but with a 180° phase shift relative to the other pair, 8A and 8B, it may be provided that these, either together or separately, are temporarily accelerated and / or decelerated to compensate for the 180° phase shift until they rotate in phase with unbalance exciters 8A and 8B. For this purpose, it is possible that both unbalance exciters 8C and 8D are temporarily decelerated or accelerated, or, as in the Fig. 33 in the area of Figures 33 (d) to 33 (g)It is shown that they are temporarily accelerated, like the unbalance exciter 8D (which thus practically catches up with the two unbalance exciters 8A and 8B), and temporarily decelerated, like the unbalance exciter 8C (which thus practically catches up with the two unbalance exciters 8A and 8B).

[0116] Soil compaction rollers 1 of the present type are frequently used in a reversing operation, in which the operation of the soil compaction roller 1 is repeatedly switched between forward and reverse travel. The vibration excitation device 5, controlled by the control unit 21, offers considerable advantages in this regard as well. For the reversing process itself, it can be advantageous if, during the time window in which the soil compaction roller decelerates to a standstill, briefly remains stationary, and then accelerates again in the opposite direction, no vibrations acting on the ground are generated by the vibration excitation device 5. Conventionally, it is therefore common practice to temporarily switch off the vibration excitation device 5 for the reversing process. This is no longer necessary with the present vibration excitation device 5.For example, it is possible to switch from rotary operation to directional oscillator operation without interrupting the rotary operation (e.g., according to the . Fig. 20 ) into zero-vibration operation according to Fig. 27 to transition and vice versa. This is, for example, in the Fig. 34 This is illustrated in more detail. The starting point is, for example, a directional vibrator operation in which all four unbalanced exciters rotate at the same speed relative to each other ( Fig. 34 (a) to Fig. 34 (c) ), wherein one pair of imbalance generators 8A and 8C rotates counterclockwise and the other pair of imbalance generators 8B and 8D rotates clockwise. The phase offset of the two imbalance generators 8 of a pair is, in particular, 0°. From Fig. 34 (c) The two imbalance exciters 8A and 8C of a pair are now temporarily slowed down and used for Fig. 34 (i) accelerated again to the original rotational speed, which corresponds in magnitude to the rotational speed of the other pair of unbalance exciters 8B and 8D, so that in total in Fig. 34 (i) Zero vibration operation is achieved. This switchover can be sensibly coordinated with the braking of the rolling drum or a ground roller encompassing such a rolling drum, for example during a turning maneuver or a temporary stop of the machine, in such a way that no resulting vibrations from the rolling drum are transmitted to the ground when stationary. Conversely, zero vibration operation can also be achieved accordingly. Fig. 34 (i) the directional oscillator operation according to Fig. 34 (a) This can be assumed. Instead of during a turning process, this temporary assumption of zero vibration operation can also be useful when the rolling drum passes over vibration-sensitive areas, such as bridges or similar structures.

[0117] Fig. 35This illustrates another setting option for varying the resulting vibration amplitude of a roller drum comprising a vibration excitation device of the described type in a directional vibrator operation. The special feature of this directional vibrator operation, which can also be referred to as "directional vibrator operation with reduced overall amplitude," is that two pairs 8A and 8C as well as 8B and 8D of unbalance exciters 8 are present. These all rotate at the same speed, but in opposite directions of rotation, with the two unbalance exciters of each pair 8A and 8C as well as 8B and 8D rotating in the same direction. However, the two unbalance exciters of each pair rotate with a defined phase shift relative to each other, specifically, for example, 90°. Unbalance exciter 8A rotates, for example, 90° out of phase with unbalance exciter 8C, and unbalance exciter 8B rotates 90° out of phase with unbalance exciter 8D.

[0118] Fig. 36 This is illustrated in a curve diagram, by way of example, the course C1 and C2 of the individual amplitudes AP (C1 for the unbalance exciters 8A and 8C, and C2 for the unbalance exciters 8B and 8D) as well as the course C3 of the resulting total amplitude AP of all unbalance exciters 8 in the vertical direction x. In this way, it is therefore also possible, for example, to provide total amplitudes that lie between the two in the Figures 19 and 20 The directional oscillator facilities shown are located there.

[0119] The fact that the adjustment processes, particularly those described above by way of example, can also be carried out in reverse applies in principle to all adjustment processes of the vibration excitation device 5 controlled by the control unit 21. In addition or alternatively, it is also possible in particular that the control unit 21 is designed to set and maintain several and in particular all of the described operating modes of the vibration excitation device.

[0120] Fig. 36 Finally, the following is illustrated, in particular with reference to the preceding information, steps of a possible method 42 for operating a soil compaction roller, in particular a soil compaction roller 1, as described above.

[0121] In step 43, the vibration excitation device 5 is initially operated in a first operating mode 30. From this, a transition 44, controlled by the control unit 21, of the operation of the vibration excitation device 5 to a second operating mode 31 is provided, whereby the transition 44 takes place while the vibration excitation device 5 is in operation. This can mean, in particular, that at no point during the transition are all of the unbalance exciters 8 of the vibration excitation device 5 simultaneously at rest. To carry out this transition 44, it can be provided that, while the vibration excitation device 5 is in operation in one operating mode or starting from this first operating mode, the rotational speed of exactly two or exactly four unbalance exciters 8 of the vibration excitation device 5 is changed. This can mean, in particular, that the remaining two unbalance exciters 8 continue to operate unchanged.

[0122] It may be provided that, starting from the first operating mode 30 and moving to the second operating mode 31, a third operating mode 33 is first passed through 45.

[0123] It is possible that when switching on 44 and / or operating 43 the vibration excitation device 5, a current consumption of electrical energy of the vibration excitation device 5 and / or individual electric motors 10 individual unbalance exciters 8 or all electric motors 10 of all unbalance exciters 8 is detected 46.

[0124] Additionally or alternatively, a sensor device can be used to detect at least one of the operating parameters 47: speed, direction of rotation and / or phase shift of each of the unbalance exciters 8 of the vibration excitation device 5. These detected operating parameters can be transmitted to the control unit 21, which uses these detected operating parameters to control and / or regulate the operation of the unbalance exciters 8 of the vibration excitation device 5.

[0125] The method therefore includes, in particular, the operation of the vibration excitation device, controlled by the control unit, optionally in two or more of the operating modes described above. REFERENCE MARK LIST

[0126] 1 Soil compaction roller 2 Roller drum 3 Machine frame 4 Operator's platform 5 Vibration excitation device 6 Storage device 7 Wheels 8 A,B,C,D Balancing exciter 9 A,B,C,D Balancing mass 10 A,B,C,D Electric motor 11 A,B,C,D Exciter rotation shaft 12 A,B,C Disc 13 Drum casing 14 Roller drum rotation shaft 15 Sensor device 16 Speed ​​sensor 17 Direction of rotation sensor 18 Phase offset sensor 19 Consumption sensor 20 Sensor signal transmission connection 21 Control unit 22 Control signal transmission connection 23 Display / operating device 24 Storage device 25 Signal transmission connection 26 Device for determining compaction progress 27 Angular distance 28 Direction of rotation 29 Bearing recess 30 First operating mode 31 Second operating mode 32 Direct conversion 33 Third operating mode 34 Conversion via a third operating mode 35 Deceleration 36 Acceleration 37 Conversion via stopping 38 Direction of rotation 39 Force vector 40 Individual oscillation amplitude 41 Resultant oscillation amplitude 42 Method 43 Operation44 Skip 45 Pass through 46 Detect 47 Detect 48 Direction sensor 49 Power peak A Forward direction E Electrical energy t Time AP Vibration amplitude C Curve shape K1 Curve with conventional vibration excitation device K2 Curve with vibration excitation device according to the invention S Vibration path

Claims

1. Method (42) for operating a soil compaction roller (1) with at least one roller drum (2) and a vibration excitation device (5) that applies vibrations to the roller drum (2), wherein the vibration excitation device (5) has at least four unbalance exciters (8), each of which comprises an unbalance mass (9) rotatable about an exciter rotation axis (11) and an electric motor (10) that individually drives the rotational movement of the respective unbalance mass (9), wherein a control unit (21) is provided that controls the drive of the electric motors (10), and wherein the vibration excitation device (5) can be operated in several different operating modes (30, 31, 33).the method (42) comprising a) operating (43) the vibration excitation device (5) in a first operating mode (30) and b) transitioning (44) of the operation (43) of the vibration excitation device (5) to a second operating mode (31) controlled by the control unit (21), wherein the transition (44) takes place during the ongoing operation of the vibration excitation device (5).

2. Method (42) according to claim 1, characterized by thatThe first (30) and / or the second (31) operating mode of the vibration excitation device (5) shall comprise at least two of the following operating modes: - circular excitation operation in which all rotating unbalanced exciters (8) have the same direction of rotation; - directional vibrator operation in which at least two of the rotating unbalanced exciters (8) have opposite directions of rotation; - oscillatory excitation operation in which at least two of the rotating unbalanced exciters (8) have the same direction of rotation with a defined phase offset; and / or - zero vibration operation in which unbalanced exciters (8) rotate, but no resulting total vibration is transmitted to the rolling drum (2); - pulsating circular excitation operation in which all rotating unbalanced exciters (8) have the same direction of rotation, but with partially different rotational speeds;- Pulsating directional oscillator operation in which at least two pairs of rotating unbalance exciters (8) have opposite directions of rotation and wherein at least two unbalance exciters (8) of at least one pair rotate with the same direction of rotation but at different speeds; - Pulsating oscillatory excitation operation in which at least three of the rotating unbalance exciters (8) have the same direction of rotation with a defined phase offset; - Chaotic excitation operation in which the speeds and / or directions of rotation and / or phase offsets of at least, and in particular of, the at least four unbalance exciters (8) are varied randomly, intermittently, or continuously; - Manual excitation operation in which the speed and / or direction of rotation and / or phase offset are individually and manually specified.

3. Method (42) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by thatDuring the ongoing operation of the vibration excitation device (5) in an operating mode, a change in the rotational speed of exactly two or exactly four unbalance exciters (8) of the vibration excitation device (5) takes place.

4. Method (42) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that In step b) starting from the first operating mode (30) to the second operating mode (31), a third operating mode (33) is first traversed.

5. Method (42) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that To change the operating mode, at least a temporary acceleration and / or deceleration of one or more of the unbalance exciters (8) takes place.

6. Method (42) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that The control of a transition from the first operating mode (30) to the second operating mode (31) by the control unit (21) is carried out - depending on time and / or - depending on energy.

7. Method (42) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that When the operating mode of the vibration excitation device (5) is changed from the first operating mode (30) to the second operating mode (31), the adjustment of the operating parameters to be adapted of the respective unbalance exciter (8) for the change of the operating mode of the vibration excitation device (5) from the first operating mode (30) to the second operating mode (31) takes place simultaneously or sequentially.

8. Method (42) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that By means of a sensor device (15) at least one of the operating parameters speed, direction of rotation and / or phase offset of each of the unbalance exciters (8) of the vibration excitation device (5) is detected.

9. Method (42) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by thata sensor device (15) is provided for determining the current consumption of electrical energy of each unbalance exciter (8), and that when changing an operating mode and / or operating (43) the vibration excitation device (5) a current consumption of electrical energy of the vibration excitation device (5) and / or individual electric motors (10) of individual unbalance exciters (8) or of all electric motors (10) of the unbalance exciters (8) is detected (46).

10. Method (42) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by thata) comprises a learning mode in which one or more changes between at least the first (30) and the second (31) operating mode are recorded with regard to the actual consumption of electrical energy and / or the time required for the change and are documented in a storage device (24) and b) in the case of known different possibilities for switching from the first operating mode (30) to the second operating mode (31) recorded in step a), a selection is made by the control unit (21) based on a lower consumption of electrical energy or on a shorter time period.

11. Method (42) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a recording (47) of a value correlated with a compaction progress takes place, and that a selection of an operating mode takes place depending on a change in the compaction progress.

12. Method (42) according to claim 11, characterized by that In an optimization mode, a value correlated with a compression progress is recorded, and the speed and / or direction of rotation and / or phase shift is varied within an operating mode depending on a change in the compression progress.

13. Method (42) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the selection of the direction of rotation of at least one of the unbalance exciters (8) and in particular of all unbalance exciters (8) of the vibration excitation device (5) depending on a current direction of travel of the soil compaction roller (1) is carried out.

14. Method (42) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that The use of at least one of the operating modes is only possible after a prior authorization check by the control unit (21).

15. Soil compaction roller (1), in particular designed for carrying out a method (42) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one roller drum (2) and a vibration excitation device (5) for applying vibrations to the roller drum (2), characterized by that the vibration excitation device (5) comprises at least four unbalance exciters (8), each of the four unbalance exciters (8) comprising an unbalance mass (9) rotatable about an excitation rotation axis (11) and an electric motor (10) individually driving the rotational movement of the respective unbalance mass (9), and that a control unit (21) is provided which controls the drive of the at least four electric motors (10) in a coordinated manner.

16. Soil compaction roller (1) according to claim 15, characterized by thata disc (12) is provided which couples the at least four unbalance exciters (8) to a bandage sleeve (13) of the roller bandage (2), wherein the disc (12) has at least four bearing recesses (29), wherein each of the bearing recesses (29) supports at least one of the four unbalance exciters (8).

17. Soil compaction roller (1) according to one of claim 15 or 16, characterized by that the four unbalance exciters (8) run parallel to a roller drum rotation axis (14) with respect to their exciter rotation axes (11), and that the exciter rotation axis (11) of the unbalance exciters (8) are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the roller drum rotation axis (14) in a radial direction uniformly and with a uniform angular offset to each other.

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