Stability monitoring function for dense material transport systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dense material transport system (10) comprising a dense material pump (16) for transporting a dense material, the dense material pump (16) comprising a double-piston core pump (15) having a pump frequency, an S-shaped tube (24) switchable depending on the pump frequency, a dense material distribution mast (18) for distributing the transported dense material, a substructure (30) on which the dense material distribution mast (18) and the dense material pump (16) are arranged, a sensor unit (11) for sequentially detecting at least one operating information at at least one first and second point in time, and a processing unit (12) designed to determine a stability parameter of the dense material transport system (10) based on the at least one operating information detected at the first point in time, the at least one operating information detected at the second point in time, and the pump frequency.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates, inter alia, to a dense materials transport system having a dense materials pump, a dense materials distribution mast, an undercarriage, a sensor unit, and a processing unit, and a method for operating a dense materials transport system.

[0002] Typical dense or slurry transport systems are known from the prior art. For the latter, various operating parameters are monitored for stability monitoring, so that if a critical value of such an operating parameter is exceeded, the dense transport system can be operated in a defined manner accordingly, typically by adjusting the operation of the dense transport system according to a regulation. The operating parameters considered for this purpose, such as the load torque, the position of the overall center of gravity, the cylinder force of the mast arm, or the leg force of the support leg, are influenced by the operation of the dense pump of the dense transport system. The operation of the dense pump causes periodic fluctuations of the operating parameters. However, the problem here is that, under ambient conditions and at the upper stability limits of the operating parameters, the operation of the dense pump results in undesirable recurrences of exceeding or falling below the upper stability limits of the dense transport system, as well as constant switching off and on.

[0003] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, with the above-mentioned problems as a background, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved dense materials transport system and an improved method for operating a dense materials transport system.

[0004] The achievement according to the invention is characterized in the independent claims. Advantageous refinements are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0005] According to the present invention, a thick material transport system is disclosed, comprising: a thick material pump for transporting a thick material, the thick material pump comprising a double piston core pump having a pump frequency and an S-shaped tube switchable at the pump frequency; a thick material distribution mast for distributing the transported thick material, the thick material distribution mast having at least two mast arms; a substructure on which the thick material distribution mast and the thick material pump are arranged, the substructure comprising a support for supporting the substructure by at least one support leg displaceable horizontally and / or vertically; a sensor unit for sequentially acquiring at least one item of operating information at at least a first time point and a second time point; and a processing unit configured to determine a stability parameter of the thick material transport system depending on the at least one item of operating information acquired at the first time point, the at least one item of operating information acquired at the second time point, and the pump frequency.

[0006] The dense materials conveying system according to the present invention is, for example, a truck-mounted concrete pump.

[0007] The present invention is a particularly advantageous design embodiment of a dense material transport system in which, in order to determine stability by a stability parameter, not only the items of operational information acquired by the sensor unit are taken into account, but also specific operational parameters of the dense material pump are taken into account, thereby making it possible to determine the influence of the operation of the dense material pump on the items of operational information acquired as a result. Thus, the stability parameter of the dense material transport system can be determined largely independently of the operation of the dense material pump.

[0008] The present invention recognizes that for this purpose, it is particularly appropriate to consider the pumping frequency of the core pump, which corresponds to the switching frequency of the S-tube. The pumping period should be understood to mean the duration before the pumping process is repeated. This corresponds to the reciprocal of the pumping frequency. Due to this definable operating parameter of the dense material pump, which is preferably captured by the sensor unit as well as the considered operating information item, the effect on each operating information item as a result of the operation of the dense material pump can be determined particularly reliably and accurately. Complex and time-consuming filtering can be omitted. This allows for a reliable determination of stability with particularly low time delay and is therefore particularly efficient. It also provides better smoothing compared to filter algorithms that do not consider the pumping frequency. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a shutdown of the dense material transport system that would not impair stability, thereby enabling controlled operation of the dense material transport system in ambient conditions.

[0009] First, some terminology will be explained below.

[0010] Dense materials are a general term for media that are difficult to transport. Dense materials can be, for example, materials with coarse grain components, materials with corrosive components, etc. Dense materials can also be bulk materials. In one embodiment, the dense material is ready-mix concrete. Ready-mix concrete can contain particles up to 30 mm in size, which bind together and form deposits in voids, making it difficult to transport. Examples of dense materials include 800 kg / m 3 to 2300 kg / m 3 Concrete with a density up to 2300 kg / m 3 This includes heavy concrete having a density greater than

[0011] The thick material pump can include a core pump with two, or more precisely, two, conveying cylinders. In this case, the first conveying cylinder alternates with the second conveying cylinder, and vice versa. An S-shaped pipe can be periodically switched between the conveying cylinders. Additionally, an auxiliary cylinder can be configured to bridge each transition.

[0012] The S-bend is a movable section of pipe by which the delivery cylinder is alternately connected to the outlet of the dense materials pump. The pipe section and the auxiliary cylinder may be elements of an assembly releasably connected to the dense materials pump, which allows for easy maintenance and cleaning of the dense materials pump.

[0013] The dense materials distribution mast comprises at least two mast arms, but may comprise three, four, or five. Typically, the mast assembly comprises three to seven mast arms. A mast arm may be connected at its proximal end to the swivel gear of the dense materials distribution mast and at its distal end to the proximal end of an adjacent mast arm. The other mast arm(s) are in series and are each connected at their proximal end to the distal end of an adjacent mast arm. The distal end of the last mast arm in the series has no further connections at its distal end and defines a load attachment point.

[0014] The mast arms are connected to each other via mast joints such that they can move at least in one dimension independently of the other mast arms, e.g., each mast arm being assigned a mast joint at its proximal end.

[0015] The connection of one mast arm to the swivel gear can be designed so that when the swivel gear rotates about its axis, this mast arm or all of the mast arms also rotate about this axis. For example, a mast arm is fastened to the swivel gear such that the mast arm can move, for example, only vertically, independently of the swivel gear and can be rotated, for example, by its mast joint. It is also conceivable that the mast arm has a telescopic function and can be telescopically continuously extended or retracted along its longitudinal axis. For example, the mast arm is adjustable so that at least the distal end of the mast arm can move in at least one of three spatial directions (x, y, and z directions).

[0016] Alternatively or additionally, the mast arm may be rotatable about its longitudinal axis. For example, the mast arm for the mast joint may comprise at least one actuator, such as a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder, an electromechanical actuator, or a combination of several different types of actuators, by which the mast arm may change its position relative to at least another mast arm, in particular the mast arm connected at the proximal end. The actuator may, for example, be configured to rotationally rotate the mast arm about a horizontal axis, and the mast arm may, for example, extend through the mast arm joint and / or may be configured to translationally move the mast arm in one, two, or all spatial directions.

[0017] Alternatively or additionally, the mast arm may have further actuators by means of which the mast arm can be extended, retracted or rotated, for example telescopically.

[0018] The undercarriage is a basic structure, such as a chassis, on which the thick materials distribution mast and the thick materials pump are arranged. For example, the thick materials distribution mast and / or the thick materials pump are fastened to the undercarriage. The undercarriage can be configured as a fixed (e.g., platform) or mobile (e.g., vehicle). As a result of the thick materials distribution mast and the thick materials pump being arranged on the undercarriage, the entire thick materials conveying system can be configured as a particularly compact unit, for example in the form of a truck-mounted concrete pump.

[0019] The undercarriage comprises a support structure for supporting the undercarriage by means of at least one support leg displaceable in the horizontal and / or vertical direction. The support legs of the dense material transport system represent components of the support structure that serve to increase the stability of the dense material transport system. The influence of the support structure on the stability depends, inter alia, on the individual arrangement and setup of the support legs. For this purpose, the support legs may be supported on a surface by a support plate. Four support legs are usually provided for the support structure.

[0020] The dense material transport system comprises means for carrying out or controlling the method according to the invention. These means in particular comprise a sensor unit and a processing unit, but may also comprise a control unit of the dense material transport system, and may be configured as separate hardware and / or software components or as integrated hardware and / or software components in various combinations. The means may for example comprise at least one memory with program instructions of a computer program and at least one processor configured to execute the program instructions from the at least one memory.

[0021] The sensor unit is configured to record at least one item of operational information automatically and independently of user input. The capture of the at least one item of operational information should be performed sequentially, i.e., repeatedly at determined time intervals. The item of operational information is considered to have been captured repeatedly at configured time intervals. Furthermore, the item of operational information is scheduled to be captured at least at first and second time points. In this way, for example, there are at least two items of operational information of the same type captured consecutively by the same sensor of the sensor unit.

[0022] For example, capturing an item of operational information can be performed by measuring a measurement variable that is characteristic of this item of operational information. For this purpose, the sensor unit can include one or more sensors of the same or different types. Exemplary sensors include force and pressure sensors (e.g., for capturing the cylinder force of the mast joint, the force acting on the actuator of the mast arm, or the leg force of the support leg), position sensors (e.g., sensors of satellite-based positioning systems such as GPS, GLONASS, or Galileo), position sensors (e.g., spirit level or tilt sensors for capturing the tilt angle of the mast arm), electrical sensors (e.g., inductive sensors), optical sensors (e.g., light barriers, laser sensors, or 2D scanners), or acoustic sensors (e.g., ultrasonic sensors) as vibration sensors for capturing pump frequencies. Similarly, an item of operational information can also be captured by the interaction of multiple sensors of the sensor unit. For example, the captured item of operational information can be ascertained particularly accurately by combining the measurements of vibration sensors and pressure sensors.

[0023] Alternatively or additionally, the sensor unit may also be equipped with one or more (e.g. wireless) communication means, whereby items of operational information captured (e.g. externally) and provided by a user via user input at a user terminal may be received at the sensor unit, for example in a manner known to those skilled in the art.

[0024] The processing unit is understood to be configured to determine a stability parameter of the dense material transport system. This is done in a manner that depends on at least one, in particular all, items of operational information captured at a first time point, at least one, in particular all, items of operational information captured at a second time point, and the pump frequency. For this purpose, the processing unit can, for example, access items of information captured by the sensor unit. Determining the stability parameter is also understood to include the stability parameter being calculated by reference to defined characteristics of the components of the dense material transport system that are assumed to be constant, such as, for example, their mass or their spatial extent. For this purpose, the processing unit can also take into account the evolution of the pump frequency over time.

[0025] The stability of the dense material transport system increases with increasing distance from the inclined edges of the contact surface of the line of action, which takes into account all forces acting on the dense material transport system. However, a reliable statement of stability can already be made based on the line of action, which takes into account at least the weight forces acting on the dense material transport system. The more forces actually acting on the line of action are taken into account, the more accurate this statement can be. Therefore, the stability of the dense material transport system can be particularly advantageously characterized by a stability parameter representing the distance of the line of action from the inclined edges of the contact surface. The stability parameter lies within a defined or dynamically determinable stability range, within which the distance of the line of action from each of the inclined edges is equal to or greater than zero, and here, a safety margin is preferably also taken into account. Stability of the dense material transport system is provided within the stability range. The upper limit of the stability range is defined by a maximum stability parameter. The maximum stability parameter exists when the distance of the line of action from one of the inclined edges is zero. Therefore, the distance of the line of action from at least one of the inclined edges decreases as the stability parameter increases. Above the upper limit, the stability parameter is less than zero, and stability of the dense material transport system is no longer provided. It is conceivable that the stability range for each operating situation of the dense material transport system is defined or determinable, for example, taking into account the characteristics of the considered components of the dense material transport system, which are assumed to be constant. For example, for each possible arrangement of the support structure, a contact surface can be defined or determined for this purpose, for example, by a determined set-up of the support legs.

[0026] The distance of the line of action from one of the inclined edges and the orientation of the line of action in each case depend at least on the gravity force of the dense material transport system and can be calculated, for example, by a processing unit. The orientation of the line of action may have a vertical component and a horizontal component and may depend on the direction of action and / or the values of several forces. For example, the force or forces taken into account may be defined by the user (e.g., via a suitable user interface) or may be selectable. For example, if only the gravity force of the dense material transport system is taken into account, the line of action corresponds to a vertical line passing through the overall center of gravity. The orientation of the line of action in this case is identical to the position of the vertical line. If the orientation of the line of action further depends on a force with a horizontal component, such as wind force acting on the side of the dense material transport system, the orientation of the line of action also includes at least one horizontal component, and its position is not equal to the position of the vertical line. It is conceivable that the orientation of the line of action depends on one or more additional forces, so that the processing unit can gradually adapt its position in each case by a defined amount in a defined direction, preferably only upon the occurrence of one or more specific conditions, for example above wind forces prevailing in the operation of the dense material transport system. It is also conceivable that the orientation of the line of action depends on one or more, preferably all, items of operating information indicating the direction of action and / or the force captured by the sensor unit.

[0027] An item of operational information indicates one of many possible characteristics or operational parameters of the dense material transport system or an individual component of the dense material transport system and represents that characteristic or that operational parameter. It should therefore be possible to assign an item of operational information to a component. Such a characteristic or such an operational parameter can be characterized, for example, by a measurement variable. These can be characteristics and operational parameters that become apparent as early as before the start of the transport process or only after the start.

[0028] Preferably, the sensor unit has one or more sensors for capturing the pump frequency, and the processing unit is configured to determine a stability parameter of the dense material transport system according to the captured operating information and the captured pump frequency.

[0029] For example, the sensor unit can include one or more optical vibration sensors for capturing the pump frequency. In this way, the processing unit can take into account the current value of the pump frequency. Therefore, potentially error-prone pump frequency predictions can be omitted. As a result, even small variations in the pump frequency from the setpoint can be included in the determination of the stability parameter, significantly improving the accuracy of the determination.

[0030] In another embodiment, the time interval between the first and second time points depends on the pump frequency. For example, the interval at a high pump frequency may be smaller than the interval at a low pump frequency. Preferably, the second time point is delayed by half the duration of the pumping period compared to the first time point.

[0031] In this way, the influence of the operation of the concentrated substance pump on the items of acquired operating information can be particularly effectively reduced based on the items of operating information acquired at the first and second points in time, taking into account the pump frequency, for example by averaging and / or convolution.

[0032] Optionally, the item of motion information captured at the first time is the most recently captured item of motion information.

[0033] This allows stability determination to be based ideally on the most recent item of operating information, thus minimizing the risk that the determined stability parameters may not be entirely accurate in the current situation due to the use of outdated information.

[0034] In one embodiment, the processing unit is configured to determine the stability parameter as a function of the result of averaging, the averaging being performed as a function of the captured items of operating information.

[0035] This represents a particularly simple method by which the influence of the operation of the concentrated substance pump on the items of operational information captured as a result of the operation of the concentrated substance pump can be ascertained without the need to resort to computationally intensive procedures such as the use of filter algorithms, and thus stability parameters can be determined with little complexity.

[0036] For example, the processing unit is configured to determine the stability parameter in response to items of operational information captured at a plurality of first time points and a plurality of second time points, each of the plurality of second time points being delayed by half the duration of the pumping period compared to a corresponding time point of the plurality of first time points.

[0037] Thus, the time points at which two corresponding items of operational information are captured are separated in each case by half the duration of the pumping period. The items of operational information captured at the multiple first time points may be the most recently captured item of operational information, or may be items of operational information captured sequentially by the same sensor at two time points immediately preceding the most recently captured item of operational information. In this case, the items of operational information captured at the multiple second time points may be items of operational information captured by the same sensor half a pumping period before the most recently captured item of operational information, or may be two items of operational information similarly captured sequentially by the same sensor half a pumping period before the two sequentially captured items of operational information.

[0038] Thus, in this example, a total of six items of operational information captured by the same sensor are included in the determination of the stability parameter. Of these, the first item of operational information is the most recently captured item of operational information, the second and third items of operational information are each captured sequentially at different points in the past, the fourth item of operational information is captured half a pumping period before the most recently captured item of operational information, the fifth item is captured half a pumping period before the second item of operational information, and the sixth item is captured half a pumping period before the third item of operational information. Thus, six items of operational information are obtained, each captured in pairs separated by half a pumping period. Therefore, in this example, the first and fourth, second and fifth, and third and sixth items of operational information should all be understood to correspond to one another, respectively.

[0039] Such a design embodiment of the processing unit allows a particularly simple and fast determination of the stability parameters, thus resulting in a shorter time delay compared to time-consuming determination by filtering using complex filter algorithms, so that tolerances that must essentially be included in the calculations during operation in ambient conditions and that, as is usual in industry, must be kept small.

[0040] Preferably, the processing unit is configured to at least temporarily store a plurality of items of motion information captured at times prior to the first time point.

[0041] In this way, the processing unit may, for example, be configured to store multiple items of operational information and have a corresponding memory of sufficient size. If the processing unit has access to historical items of operational information, it may be able to use a wide range of statistical tools to determine the stability parameters, which further improves the accuracy of the determination.

[0042] Additionally, the processing unit may be configured to store the captured items of operational information that are captured at a time point that is at most one pumping period after the first time point.

[0043] This allows storage size and storage duration requirements to be kept low, allowing for cost-effective storage solutions with small size and little complexity to be utilized.

[0044] Preferably, the sensor unit is configured to record items of motion information captured sequentially by the same sensor at at least first and second points in time.

[0045] Indeed, it is conceivable that the captured items of operational information are captured by different sensors of the same type, for example, so that for technical reasons an erroneous sensor capture can be noticed, but only if the same sensors are used can the highest possible signal fidelity and correspondingly high accuracy be achieved when determining the stability parameters.

[0046] In one embodiment of the dense material transport system, the sensor unit is configured to sequentially record items of operational information indicative of the joint torque of a mast arm of the dense material transport system, the tilt angle of at least one mast arm, the actuator force of at least one actuator of the mast arm, the operating speed of at least one actuator of the mast arm, the load weight at the load attachment point of the dense material transport system, the rotational speed of the slewing gear, the tilt angle of the dense material transport system, and / or the horizontal or vertical leg force of at least one support leg of the dense material transport system.

[0047] The joint torque of a mast arm is the moment acting on its mast joint. It represents a moment that depends, among other things, on the total weight of the mast assembly, the wind load, the weight of the currently transported thick material, or the weight acting on the distal end of the first mast arm of the mast assembly, corresponding to the mast peak load. A conclusion regarding the joint torque can be drawn by measuring the cylinder force or cylinder pressure acting on the mast arm actuator, in conjunction with one or more other measurements, such as the measurement of the respective joint angle. For example, the mast arm joint torque can be calculated by a transfer function from the cylinder force and joint angle of the mast joint of each mast arm. The tilt angle of a mast arm can be either an absolute tilt angle, i.e., an angle that determines the position of the mast arm relative to the vertical, or a relative tilt angle, i.e., the angular difference between the tilt angles of two, particularly adjacent, mast arms. In the latter case, the angular difference corresponds to the opening angle of the distal mast arm. The load weight in this case corresponds to the weight force acting at the load attachment point. The tilt angle is the angle of the dense material transport system, e.g., its substructure, relative to the vertical direction. For example, the tilt angle of the dense material transport system corresponds to the angle between the rotation axis of the slewing gear and the vertical direction. Horizontal or vertical leg force should be understood to mean the horizontal or vertical force acting on the support leg.

[0048] Further exemplary items of operational information indicate the weight of all mast arms with filled and / or unfilled conveyor lines, the location of the center of gravity of all mast arms, the weight of the additional load, the location of the additional weight attachment point, the wind force acting on the mast arms, the location of the wind center of gravity of all mast arms, the weight of the undercarriage, the location of the center of gravity of the undercarriage, and the location of the contact surfaces of the support legs in the stowed and / or extended positions.

[0049] The stability parameters of the dense mass transport system can be reliably determined by these characteristics, which in turn allows reliable statements to be made about the stability of the dense mass transport system.

[0050] Furthermore, the processing unit may be configured to calculate a load torque based on the captured items of motion information indicative of joint torques of all the mast arms, and determine a stability parameter in response to the calculated load torque.

[0051] In this way, the processing unit can carry out a particularly accurate determination of the stability parameters in real time, taking into account, for example, the cylinder pressures and tilt angles of each mast arm. The sensor unit in this case must therefore be configured to record items of operational information indicative of the cylinder forces and tilt angles of all mast arms and may, for example, comprise a number of suitable sensors for this purpose.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the processing unit is configured to calculate a current position of the global center of gravity of the dense material transport system from a plurality of, in particular different types of, captured items of operational information, and determine a stability parameter in response to the calculated current position of the global center of gravity. For example, the processing unit can be configured to calculate the respective distances of the lines of action of at least one force acting on the dense material transport system from the inclined edge of the contact surface, and determine the stability parameter in response to the calculated distances, wherein the at least one force acting on the dense material transport system includes a gravity force of the dense material transport system acting on the current position of the global center of gravity of the dense material transport system.

[0053] By way of example, the sensor unit in this case is configured to record an item of operational information indicative of the position of the slewing gear, an item of operational information indicative of the position of at least one of the mast arms, an item of operational information indicative of the position of the support legs, an item of operational information indicative of the tilt angle of the dense material transport system, and an item of operational information indicative of the extension of the dense material transport system. The processing unit will in fact require access to a number of characteristics of the dense material transport system, such as, for example, the masses and centers of gravity of one, several or all of the components. Nevertheless, a particularly reliable determination of the stability parameters can be made in this way.

[0054] Preferably, the dense material transport system comprises a control unit which transmits a first control signal if the determined stability parameter of the dense material transport system is greater than a maximum stability parameter of the dense material transport system and which transmits a second control signal if the determined stability parameter of the dense material transport system is less than or equal to the maximum stability parameter of the dense material transport system. Alternatively or additionally, the transmission of a further control signal may be caused by the control unit if, for example, a predetermined minimum distance between the determined stability parameter and the maximum stability parameter is not reached.

[0055] The control unit includes corresponding means for transmitting control signals, such as wired or wireless signal output. As a result of outputting the control signals in the above-described manner, the control unit can control at least one component of the dense materials transport system and affect the operating parameters of the component. It is conceivable that transmitting a second control signal will continue the rule-compliant operation, while transmitting a first control signal will cause the rule-compliant operation of the dense materials transport system to be interrupted. Transmitting a further control signal can, for example, cause the operation of one or more components of the dense materials transport system to be slowed down compared to the rule-compliant operation.

[0056] For example, the control unit may be configured to limit the operating range of the dense material distribution mast to a currently permitted operating range if the determined stability parameter of the dense material transport system is greater than the maximum stability parameter, and for that purpose the control unit comprises corresponding means.

[0057] Limiting the operating range of one or more components of a dense material transport system is understood to mean limiting the operating parameters of the respective components and operating the components according to the limited operating parameters. This means that the respective operating parameters can be limited to a still-permissible operating range or still-permissible operating strength of the component depending on the determined stability parameters. In particular, operation of the component outside the permissible operating range is prevented. The limiting operating range or operating strength is, in principle, less than the maximum operating range and, in principle, the maximum operating strength provided to the component during, for example, compliant operation. For example, the control unit of the operating range of the dense material distribution mast can determine the currently permissible upper limit and can operate the dense material transport system so that the dense material distribution mast is only deflected below the specified upper limit. Thus, for example, the opening angle or actuator force of the mast arm of the dense material distribution mast can be prevented from exceeding a correspondingly determined limit. For this purpose, each actuator can receive an appropriate control signal, for example, transmitted by the control unit. Thus, for example, the control unit can limit the deflection of the mast arm by the actuator. Furthermore, limiting the range of motion of the thick materials distribution mast is additionally or alternatively understood as limiting the range of rotation angles of the slewing gear of the thick materials distribution mast.

[0058] Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a method for operating a dense material transport system comprising: a dense material pump for transporting a dense material, the dense material pump comprising a double-piston core pump having a pumping frequency and an S-shaped pipe switchable at the pumping frequency; a dense material distribution mast for distributing the transported dense material, the dense material distribution mast having at least two mast arms; and a substructure on which the dense material distribution mast and the dense material pump are arranged, the substructure comprising a support structure for supporting the substructure by at least one horizontally and / or vertically displaceable support leg; the method comprising: a sensor unit (11) for sequentially acquiring at least one item of operational information at at least first and second time points by the sensor unit; and a step of determining, by the processing unit, a stability parameter of the dense material transport system depending on the at least one item of operational information acquired at the first time point, the at least one item of operational information acquired at the second time point, and the pump frequency.

[0059] In one embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of: transmitting a first control signal by a control unit of the dense material handling system when the determined stability parameter of the dense material handling system is greater than a maximum stability parameter of the dense material handling system; and transmitting a second control signal by the control unit when the determined stability parameter of the dense material handling system is less than or equal to the maximum stability parameter of the dense material handling system.

[0060] Additionally, transmitting the first control signal may include limiting the operating range of the dense materials dispensing mast to a currently allowed operating range.

[0061] For a further explanation of further advantageous refinements of the present method, reference is made to the above-mentioned refinements of the dense materials transport system.

[0062] The invention also encompasses a computer program having program instructions for causing a processor to perform and / or control the method according to the invention when the computer program is run on the processor. The computer program according to the invention is, for example, stored on a computer-readable data carrier.

[0063] The above-described embodiments and design examples should be understood as examples only and are not intended to limit the present invention in any way.

[0064] The invention is explained in more detail below by way of example with reference to advantageous embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0065] [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a dense materials transport system according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a dense materials pump of a dense materials conveying system according to the present invention; [Figure 3] 10 shows a diagram illustrating the effect of operation of a concentrate pump on the items of operational information captured. [Figure 4] 1 shows a schematic flow chart of an embodiment of a method according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0066] 1 shows a dense material conveying system 10 including a dense material pump 16 for conveying a dense material and a dense material distribution mast 18 for distributing the conveyed dense material, the dense material distribution mast 18 having a pivot gear 19 rotatable about a vertical axis and a plurality of mast arms 41. Also shown is a conveying line 17 extending across the mast arms 41 and connected to the dense material pump 16.

[0067] The dense materials conveying system 10 further includes an undercarriage 30 on which the dense materials distribution mast 18 and the dense materials pump 16 are disposed. The undercarriage 30 includes a support structure 31 having four support legs 32 for supporting the undercarriage 30. The undercarriage 30 is shown as being disposed on a vehicle 33, by way of example.

[0068] Further provided is a sensor unit 11 and a processing unit 12. The sensor unit 11 is configured to sequentially record at least one item of operational information at least at first and second time points, e.g., it can access for this purpose operational information repeatedly captured by one or more sensors, respectively, via wired or wireless signal lines.

[0069] Optionally, the sensor unit 11 may also be configured to capture the pumping frequency of the core pump 15 or S-tube 24 and may, for example, comprise one or more suitable vibration sensors.

[0070] The processing unit 12 is configured to determine a stability parameter of the dense material transport system 10 depending on the item of operational information acquired at the first time point, the item of operational information acquired at the second time point, and the pump frequency. The stability parameter characterizes the current stability of the support structure 31 and thus of the dense material transport system 10. The processing unit 12 can therefore access the items of operational information acquired sequentially at least at the first and second time points, as well as the pump frequency of the core pump 15. For this purpose, the dense material transport system 10 is provided with corresponding design embodiments of the sensor unit 11 and the processing unit 12, including the necessary hardware and / or software components. In this way, the processing unit 12 can, for example, access data stored in memory, as needed, items of information regarding the respective masses and / or respective spatial extents of all components of the dense material transport system 10, in particular the pump frequency. The operating parameter pump frequency can be defined by the sensor unit 11 or similarly acquired and then made accessible to the processing unit 12 and stored, for example, in a corresponding memory.

[0071] 2 shows a thick materials pump 16 for conveying thick materials. The thick materials pump 16 comprises a double-piston core pump 15 and a switchable S-shaped tube 24. The core pump 15 here has a pumping frequency that corresponds to the switching frequency of the S-shaped tube 24, whereby one end of the S-shaped tube 24 is switched back and forth between the two pistons of the core pump. The other end of the S-shaped tube 24 is connected at an output 28 of the thick materials pump 16 to the conveying line 17 of the thick materials distribution mast.

[0072] The processing unit 12 of an exemplary design embodiment is explained in more detail by FIG. 3, which depicts a diagram showing the influence of the operation of the thick materials pump 16 on the captured operational information item. Here, the observed operational information 8 values have a component that oscillates at the pumping frequency of the core pump 15. An example of such an operational information 8 item is the operational information item indicating the cylinder force of the mast arm 41 connected to the slewing gear 19. In the diagram of FIG. 3, the captured values of the operational information item S are plotted over time T. Time T=0 represents the present, T=-x represents the xth time in the past when the operational information S was captured, and the operational information captured at time T=-1 represents the most recently captured operational information. Thus, the processing unit 12 is configured to store operational information captured at at least 26 historical points in time. The pumping period in this case covers the period from T=-x to T=x-25, and therefore the pump frequency is the reciprocal value over this period. T_U indicates the time of switching of the S-tube 24 and therefore also provides information about the pump frequency.

[0073] The processing unit 12 is configured to determine a stability parameter in response to an item of operational information captured at a first time point and an item of operational information captured at a second time point. The second time point is delayed by the duration of half a pumping period compared to the first time point. The average value is formed from the most recent item of operational information S captured at time T=-1 (T=-1) and the item of operational information S captured half the preceding pumping period, i.e., at time T=-14 (T=-14). The result represents an item of operational information modified by smoothing S_mod(T=-1), in which the influence of the pump operation on the captured item of operational information is reduced.

[0074] Further, the processing unit 12 can be configured to determine the stability parameter in response to the items of operational information captured at a plurality of first time points and a plurality of second time points, each of the plurality of second time points being delayed by half the duration of the pumping period compared to a corresponding time point of the plurality of first time points.

[0075] This process can look at further or even all of the items of operational information captured by the sensors of the sensor unit 11 and accessible to the processing unit 12. In addition to the above-mentioned corrected item of operational information S_mod (T=-1), further corrected items of operational information S_mod (T=-x) can be calculated. These further corrected items of operational information can then represent an average value from the item of operational information captured at a first time point T=-x and the item of operational information captured at a second time point T=-x-13, and thus represent half of the previous pumping period. To further improve accuracy, an average value of S_falt can also be formed from all corrected items of operational information, which then corresponds to a deconvolution of the most recently captured first item of operational information.

[0076]

number

[0077] The stability parameter can then be determined using the corrected operational information item or average value depending on the pump frequency. For example, the current position of the global center of gravity of the dense material transport system 10 can be calculated for this purpose from a number of suitable corrected operational information items of different types, taking into account the mass and spatial extent of the relevant components of the dense material transport system, such as the mast arm. The smaller the distance from the inclined edge of the contact surface to the line of action, which takes into account at least the weight forces of the dense material transport system acting on the global center of gravity, the lower the stability and the higher the stability parameter is determined.

[0078] Furthermore, in this example, the optional control unit 13 of the dense materials transport system 10 is further configured to operate one or more components of the dense materials transport system 10 by control signals depending on the stability parameter determined by the processing unit 12. Accordingly, the control unit 13 is configured to send a first control signal if the stability parameter determined by the processing unit 12 is greater than a maximum stability parameter of the dense materials transport system 10. In this case, the control unit 13 then limits the operating range of the dense materials distribution mast 18 to a currently allowed operating range. Furthermore, the control unit 13 is additionally configured to send a second control signal if the determined stability parameter is less than or equal to the maximum stability parameter.

[0079] FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of an exemplary embodiment of a method 100 according to the present invention.

[0080] In step 101a, the sensor unit 11 records an item of operational information of the dense material transport system 10. Then, in the following step 101b, the sensor unit 11 records an item of operational information again. According to the convention applied here, the time of capture in step 101a is the second time point, and the time of capture in step 101b is the first time point. By way of example, step 101a is here delayed by half the duration of the pumping period compared to step 101b. The item of operational information captured in step 101b is the most recently captured item of operational information. In steps 102 and 103, the pump frequency may also have been captured by the sensor unit 11.

[0081] Depending on the items of operational information acquired by the sensor unit 11 successively in steps 101b and 101a at the first and second time points and depending on the pump frequency, in step 104 a stability parameter of the dense material transport system 10 is determined by the processing unit 12. As already explained in the context of FIG. 3, an average value is formed here from the items of operational information acquired in step 101b and from the items of operational information acquired in step 101a. As a result, a corrected item of operational information is obtained in which the influence of the pump operation on the acquired items of operational information is reduced. Based on this, the processing unit 12 then determines the stability parameter, for example by calculating the current position of the global center of gravity of the dense material transport system 10, taking into account the mass and spatial extent of all mast arms 41.

[0082] This is then optionally followed by one of steps 105 and 106 .

[0083] If the stability parameter of the dense materials transport system 10 determined by the processing unit 12 is greater than the maximum stability parameter of the dense materials transport system 10, then in step 105 the control unit of the dense materials transport system 10 sends a first control signal. By means of such control signal the control unit activates at least one component of the dense materials transport system 10, thus influencing the operating parameters of the component. This may include a further step 107, for example in the form of limiting the operating range of the dense materials distribution mast 18 to a currently allowed operating range.

[0084] In the opposite case, i.e., if the processing unit 12 determines that the stability parameter of the dense materials transport system 10 is less than or equal to the maximum stability parameter of the dense materials transport system 10, the control unit may send a second control signal in step 106. For example, the control unit may in this manner drive the dense materials pump 16 such that the pumping frequency is increased or decreased.

[0085] The embodiments of the invention described herein, and any features and characteristics recited therein, are also to be understood as being disclosed in all combinations with one another. In particular, the description of a feature included by an embodiment should not be construed as indicating that the feature is critical or essential to the functioning of the embodiment, unless expressly stated to the contrary.

Claims

1. A dense materials delivery system (10), comprising: a dense material pump (16) for conveying a dense material, the dense material pump (16) comprising a double piston core pump (15) having a pumping frequency and an S-tube (24) switchable at said pumping frequency; a thick material distribution mast (18) for distributing the conveyed thick material, the thick material distribution mast (18) having at least two mast arms (41); a substructure (30) on which the dense materials distribution mast (18) and the dense materials pump (16) are arranged, the substructure (30) comprising a support structure (31) for supporting the substructure (30) by means of at least one support leg (32) displaceable in the horizontal and / or vertical direction; a sensor unit (11) for sequentially capturing at least one item of motion information at least at first and second time points; a processing unit (12) configured to determine a stability parameter of the dense material transport system (10) in response to the at least one item of operational information captured at the first time point, the at least one item of operational information captured at the second time point, and the pump frequency; A dense material delivery system (10) comprising:

2. The dense material transport system (10) of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit (11) has one or more sensors for capturing the pump frequency, and the processing unit (12) is further designed to determine the stability parameter of the dense material transport system (10) according to the captured items of operating information and the captured pump frequency.

3. 3. The dense materials transport system (10) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the time interval between the first time point and the second time point is dependent on the pump frequency.

4. 4. The dense materials transport system (10) of claim 3, wherein the second point in time is shifted or delayed by a duration of half a pumping period compared to the first point in time.

5. A dense materials transport system (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the item of operational information captured at the first point in time is the most recently captured item of operational information.

6. A dense material transport system (10) as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processing unit (12) is further configured to determine the stability parameter depending on the result of averaging, and the averaging is performed depending on the plurality of items of operational information acquired.

7. 7. The dense material transport system (10) of claim 1, wherein the processing unit (12) is further configured to determine the stability parameter in response to items of operational information captured at a plurality of first time points and a plurality of second time points, each of the plurality of second time points being delayed by a duration of half the pumping period relative to a corresponding one of the plurality of first time points.

8. A dense material transport system (10) as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the processing unit (12) is further configured to at least temporarily store a plurality of items of operational information captured at a time point prior to the first time point.

9. 9. The dense material transport system (10) of claim 8, wherein the processing unit (12) is further configured to store a plurality of items of operational information captured at a time delayed from the first time by a duration of at most one pumping period.

10. A dense material transport system (10) as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the sensor unit (11) is configured to record the items of operational information captured sequentially at least at first and second points in time by the same sensor.

11. The sensor unit (11) a joint torque of at least one of the mast arms (41); a cylinder force of at least one of said mast arms (41); the tilt angle of at least one mast arm (41); an actuator force of at least one actuator of the mast arm (41); an operating speed of at least one actuator of the mast arm (41); a load weight at a load attachment point of the dense materials distribution mast (18); the rotation speed of the swivel gear (19); the inclination angle of the dense materials conveying system (10); a horizontal leg force of the at least one support leg (32); A dense material transport system (10) as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, configured to sequentially record items of operational information indicative of one of the following characteristics:

12. 12. The dense material transport system (10) of claim 11, wherein the processing unit (12) is further configured to calculate a load torque based on the captured items of operation information indicating the joint torques of all mast arms (41), and to determine the stability parameter in response to the calculated load torque.

13. A dense material transport system (10) as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the processing unit (12) is further configured to calculate a current position of the overall center of gravity of the dense material transport system (10) from a plurality of captured operational information items, particularly of different types, and to determine the stability parameter depending on the calculated current position of the overall center of gravity.

14. A dense material transport system (10) as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a control unit (13) that transmits a first control signal when the determined stability parameter of the dense material transport system (10) is greater than a maximum stability parameter of the dense material transport system (10), and transmits a second control signal when the determined stability parameter of the dense material transport system (10) is less than or equal to the maximum stability parameter of the dense material transport system (10).

15. The dense material transport system (10) of claim 14, wherein the control unit (13) is configured to limit the operating range of the dense material distribution mast (18) to a currently allowed operating range if the determined stability parameter of the dense material transport system (10) is greater than the maximum stability parameter.

16. Dense materials transport system (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the undercarriage (30) is arranged on a vehicle (33).

17. A method (100) for operating a dense material transport system (10), the dense material transport system (10) comprising: a dense material pump (16) for transporting a dense material; a dense material distribution mast (18) for distributing the transported dense material by means of at least two mast arms (41); a substructure (30) on which the dense material distribution mast (18) and the dense material pump (16) are arranged; a sensor unit (11) for sequentially capturing at least one item of operating information; and a processing unit (12), wherein the dense material pump (16) comprises a double-piston core pump (15) having a pump frequency and an S-tube (24) switchable with the pump frequency; and the substructure (30) comprises a support structure (31) for supporting the substructure (30) by means of at least one support leg (32) displaceable in a horizontal and / or vertical direction, the method comprising: sequentially capturing at least one item of motion information at least at a first time point (101b) and a second time point (101a) by said sensor unit (11); determining (104) by the processing unit (12) a stability parameter of the dense material transport system (10) in response to the item of operational information acquired at the first time point, the item of operational information acquired at the second time point, and the pump frequency; A method (100) comprising:

18. sending (105) a first control signal by a control unit (13) of the dense material transport system (10) if the determined stability parameter of the dense material transport system (10) is greater than a maximum stability parameter of the dense material transport system (10); sending (106) a second control signal by the control unit (13) if the determined stability parameter of the dense materials transport system (10) is less than or equal to the maximum stability parameter of the dense materials transport system (10); 20. The method (100) of claim 17, further comprising:

19. The step of transmitting the first control signal (107) comprises:

20. The method (100) of claim 18, including the step (107) of limiting the range of motion of the dense materials distribution mast (18) to a currently allowed range of motion.

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