Construction machinery management system, construction machinery

Abstract

To shorten time required for replenishing energy to construction machinery.SOLUTION: The management system of construction machinery is provided, including: construction machinery having an undercarriage, an uppercarriage mounted on the undercarriage and an energy storage unit mounted on the uppercarriage in a removable manner; and a transport mobile object that transports another energy storage unit to the vicinity of the construction machinery and replaces the energy storage unit mounted on the construction machinery with the other energy storage unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a management system for construction machinery and construction machinery.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a construction machine provided with a fuel tank detachable from a vehicle body and a tank lifting device that raises and lowers the fuel tank to perform loading and unloading operations, which reduces the time required for fuel replenishment work.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above-described conventional technology, for example, in order to shorten the time required for fuel replenishment work for all construction machines working at a work site, it is necessary to attach a tank lifting device to all construction machines, which is not easy.

[0005] The disclosed technology aims to shorten the time required for energy replenishment for construction machinery.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A management system for a construction machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a lower traveling body, an upper revolving body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, and an energy storage unit detachably mounted on the upper revolving body, a construction machine having the above, and a transport moving body that transports another energy storage unit to the vicinity of the construction machine and exchanges the energy storage unit mounted on the construction machine with another energy storage unit. When the transporting mobile body receives a notification indicating that the replacement with the other energy storage unit has been completed, the connection status determination unit determines whether or not the other energy storage unit is connected, and if it is determined that the other energy storage unit is not connected, the communication control unit sends an error notification to an external device located outside the construction machine. It is a management system for a construction machine having the above.

[0007] An embodiment of the present invention comprises a lower traveling body, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, and an energy storage unit detachably mounted on the upper rotating body. Upon receiving notification that the replacement of the energy storage unit with another energy storage unit has been completed, the connection status determination unit determines whether or not the other energy storage unit is connected, and if it is determined that the other energy storage unit is not connected, the communication control unit sends an error notification to an external device located outside the unit. It is a construction machine that has [the following features]. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] This can reduce the time required to replenish energy to construction machinery. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a side view of the excavator according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a top view of the excavator according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the system configuration of a construction machinery management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a diagram illustrating the functions of the controller for the excavator in this embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the management system of the embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a top view of a shovel in another embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a top view of an excavator in yet another embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a diagram illustrating the function of a controller for an excavator in yet another embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of a management system in yet another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] (Embodiment) The construction machinery of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. In the following description of the embodiment, the shovel 100 will be described as an example of construction machinery.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a side view of an excavator. The excavator 100 has a lower traveling body 1, a slewing mechanism 2, and an upper slewing body 3. In the excavator 100, the upper slewing body 3 is mounted on the lower traveling body 1 via the slewing mechanism 2 so as to be slewed. Further, the lower traveling body 1 has a crawler belt 1a which is an endless track (crawler) rotated and driven by a traveling hydraulic motor. The crawler belt 1a has a plurality of shoe plates.

[0012] A boom 4 is attached to the upper slewing body 3. An arm 5 is attached to the tip of the boom 4, and a bucket 6 as an end attachment is attached to the tip of the arm 5.

[0013] The boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6 constitute an excavation attachment as an example of an attachment. The boom 4 is driven by a boom cylinder 7, the arm 5 is driven by an arm cylinder 8, and the bucket 6 is driven by a bucket cylinder 9. A boom angle sensor S1 is attached to the boom 4, an arm angle sensor S2 is attached to the arm 5, and a bucket angle sensor S3 is attached to the bucket 6.

[0014] [[ID=!2]]The boom angle sensor S1 is configured to detect the rotation angle of the boom 4. In the present embodiment, the boom angle sensor S1 is an acceleration sensor and can detect the rotation angle of the boom 4 with respect to the upper slewing body 3 (hereinafter referred to as "boom angle"). The boom angle becomes the minimum angle, for example, when the boom 4 is lowered most, and increases as the boom 4 is raised.

[0015] The arm angle sensor S2 is configured to detect the rotation angle of the arm 5. In the present embodiment, the arm angle sensor S2 is an acceleration sensor and can detect the rotation angle of the arm 5 with respect to the boom 4 (hereinafter referred to as "arm angle"). The arm angle becomes the minimum angle, for example, when the arm 5 is closed most, and increases as the arm 5 is opened.

[0016] The bucket angle sensor S3 is configured to detect the rotation angle of the bucket 6. In the present embodiment, the bucket angle sensor S3 is an acceleration sensor and can detect the rotation angle of the bucket 6 with respect to the arm 5 (hereinafter referred to as the “bucket angle”). The bucket angle, for example, becomes the minimum angle when the bucket 6 is closed most, and increases as the bucket 6 is opened.

[0017] The boom angle sensor S1, the arm angle sensor S2, and the bucket angle sensor S3 may each be a potentiometer using a variable resistor, a stroke sensor that detects the stroke amount of the corresponding hydraulic cylinder, a rotary encoder that detects the rotation angle around the connecting pin, a gyro sensor, or a combination of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, etc. [[ID=**6]]

[0018] A boom rod pressure sensor S7R and a boom bottom pressure sensor S7B are attached to the boom cylinder 7. An arm rod pressure sensor S8R and an arm bottom pressure sensor S8B are attached to the arm cylinder 8.

[0019] A bucket rod pressure sensor S9R and a bucket bottom pressure sensor S9B are attached to the bucket cylinder 9. The boom rod pressure sensor S7R, the boom bottom pressure sensor S7B, the arm rod pressure sensor S8R, the arm bottom pressure sensor S8B, the bucket rod pressure sensor S9R, and the bucket bottom pressure sensor S9B are collectively also referred to as “cylinder pressure sensors”.

[0020] The boom rod pressure sensor S7R detects the pressure of the rod-side oil chamber of the boom cylinder 7 (hereinafter referred to as the “boom rod pressure”), and the boom bottom pressure sensor S7B detects the pressure of the bottom-side oil chamber of the boom cylinder 7 (hereinafter referred to as the “boom bottom pressure”). The arm rod pressure sensor S8R detects the pressure of the rod-side oil chamber of the arm cylinder 8 (hereinafter referred to as the “arm rod pressure”), and the arm bottom pressure sensor S8B detects the pressure of the bottom-side oil chamber of the arm cylinder 8 (hereinafter referred to as the “arm bottom pressure”).

[0021] The bucket rod pressure sensor S9R detects the pressure in the rod-side oil chamber of the bucket cylinder 9 (hereinafter referred to as "bucket rod pressure"), and the bucket bottom pressure sensor S9B detects the pressure in the bottom-side oil chamber of the bucket cylinder 9 (hereinafter referred to as "bucket bottom pressure").

[0022] The upper rotating body 3 is equipped with a cabin 10, which serves as the driver's cab. The upper rotating body 3 is also fitted with a controller 30 (control unit), a display device 40, an input device 42, an audio output device 43, a storage device 47, a positioning device P1, an aircraft tilt sensor S4, a rotational velocity sensor S5, an imaging device S6, and a communication device T1.

[0023] The controller 30 functions as a main control unit that controls the drive of the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the controller 30 is composed of a computer including a CPU, RAM, and ROM. Various functions of the controller 30 are realized, for example, by the CPU executing a program stored in ROM. These functions may include, for example, at least one of a machine guidance function that guides the operator's manual operation of the shovel 100, and a machine control function that automatically assists the operator's manual operation of the shovel 100.

[0024] The display device 40 is configured to display various types of information. The display device 40 may be connected to the controller 30 via a communication network such as CAN, or it may be connected to the controller 30 via a dedicated line.

[0025] The input device 42 is configured to allow the operator to input various types of information to the controller 30. The input device 42 includes at least one of the following: a touch panel, a knob switch, and a membrane switch, all of which are installed inside the cabin 10.

[0026] The audio output device 43 is configured to output sound. The audio output device 43 may be, for example, an in-vehicle speaker connected to the controller 30, or an alarm device such as a buzzer. In this embodiment, the audio output device 43 is configured to output various information as sound in response to an audio output command from the controller 30.

[0027] The storage device 47 is configured to store various types of information. The storage device 47 is, for example, a non-volatile storage medium such as a semiconductor memory. The storage device 47 may store information output by various devices during the operation of the shovel 100, or it may store information acquired via various devices before the operation of the shovel 100 begins.

[0028] The storage device 47 may store data relating to the target construction surface, for example, obtained via a communication device T1. The target construction surface may be set by the operator of the shovel 100, or by the construction manager or the like.

[0029] The positioning device P1 is configured to measure the position of the upper rotating body 3. In other words, the positioning device P1 acquires the position information of the shovel 100. The positioning device P1 may also be configured to measure the orientation of the upper rotating body 3.

[0030] In this embodiment, the positioning device P1 is, for example, a GNSS compass, which detects the position and orientation of the upper rotating body 3 and outputs the detected values ​​to the controller 30. Therefore, the positioning device P1 can also function as an orientation detection device that detects the orientation of the upper rotating body 3. The positioning device P1 may also be an orientation sensor attached to the upper rotating body 3.

[0031] The machine body tilt sensor S4 is configured to detect the tilt of the upper rotating body 3. In this embodiment, the machine body tilt sensor S4 is an acceleration sensor that detects the longitudinal tilt angle of the upper rotating body 3 around the longitudinal axis and the lateral tilt angle around the lateral axis with respect to a virtual horizontal plane. The longitudinal axis and lateral axis of the upper rotating body 3 are orthogonal to each other at the shovel center point, which is a point on the rotation axis of the shovel 100.

[0032] The rotational angular velocity sensor S5 is configured to detect the rotational angular velocity of the upper rotating body 3. The rotational angular velocity sensor S5 may also be configured to detect or calculate the rotation angle of the upper rotating body 3. In this embodiment, the rotational angular velocity sensor S5 is a gyro sensor. The rotational angular velocity sensor S5 may also be a resolver, a rotary encoder, or the like.

[0033] The imaging device S6 is an example of a spatial recognition device and is configured to acquire images of the area around the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the imaging device S6 includes a front camera S6F for imaging the space in front of the shovel 100, a left camera S6L for imaging the space to the left of the shovel 100, a right camera S6R for imaging the space to the right of the shovel 100, and a rear camera S6B for imaging the space behind the shovel 100.

[0034] The imaging device S6 is, for example, a monocular camera having an image sensor such as a CCD or CMOS, and outputs the captured image to the display device 40. The imaging device S6 may also be a stereo camera, a depth image camera, etc. Furthermore, the imaging device S6 may be replaced with other spatial recognition devices such as a 3D depth image sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter-wave radar, a LiDAR or an infrared sensor, or it may be replaced with a combination of other spatial recognition devices and a camera.

[0035] The front camera S6F is mounted, for example, on the ceiling of the cabin 10, i.e., inside the cabin 10. However, the front camera S6F may also be mounted on the roof of the cabin 10, the side of the boom 4, or other external locations within the cabin 10. The left camera S6L is mounted on the upper left end of the upper surface of the upper slewing body 3, the right camera S6R is mounted on the upper right end of the upper surface of the upper slewing body 3, and the rear camera S6B is mounted on the upper rear end of the upper surface of the upper slewing body 3.

[0036] The spatial recognition device may be configured to detect objects present around the shovel 100. These objects may include, for example, terrain features (such as slopes or holes), power lines, utility poles, people, animals, vehicles, construction machinery, buildings, walls, helmets, safety vests, work clothes, or predetermined marks on helmets. The spatial recognition device 70 may be configured to identify at least one of the following: the type, location, and shape of an object. The spatial recognition device may also be configured to distinguish between people and non-human objects. The spatial recognition device may be configured to calculate the distance from the spatial recognition device or the shovel 100 to the object recognized by the spatial recognition device.

[0037] The controller 30 of this embodiment acquires driving data including values ​​output from the various sensors described above, and information output from the spatial recognition device including the positioning device P1 and the imaging device S6. The data is stored in the storage device 47. In other words, the driving data of this embodiment includes values ​​from various sensors, position information indicating the position of the shovel 100, and image data captured by the imaging device S6.

[0038] The communication device T1 is configured to control communication with external equipment located outside the excavator 100. Specifically, the communication device T1 may transmit the travel data acquired by the controller 30 to the management device 300 (see Figure 3), which will be described later. In this embodiment, the communication device T1 controls communication with external equipment via a satellite communication network, a mobile phone communication network, or the Internet network. The external equipment may be, for example, a management device 300 such as a server installed in an external facility, or a support device such as a smartphone carried by a worker around the excavator 100.

[0039] The external equipment is configured to manage construction information relating to one or more excavators 100. The construction information includes, for example, information relating to at least one of the excavators 100, such as operating time, fuel consumption, and work volume. The work volume is, for example, the amount of soil excavated and the amount of soil loaded onto the dump truck.

[0040] The shovel 100 may be configured to transmit construction information about the shovel 100 to an external device at predetermined time intervals via the communication device T1. With this configuration, workers or managers outside the shovel 100 can view various information, including construction information, through a display device such as a monitor connected to the management device 300 or support device.

[0041] The external device may be a communication device mounted on a dump truck equipped with a load weight measuring device, or it may be a communication device connected to a weighbridge that measures the weight of the dump truck. In this case, the shovel 100 can obtain the weight of the soil, etc., loaded on the dump truck's bed based on information from the dump truck or weighbridge.

[0042] Figure 2 is a top view of the shovel. As shown in Figure 2, the upper rotating body 3 of the shovel 100 is equipped with a cabin 10 which serves as the operator's cab. The upper rotating body 3 also has a power storage unit 51, an inverter 52, and a motor 53.

[0043] The energy storage unit 51 is detachable from the upper rotating body 3 and supplies power to the motor 53 via the inverter 52. In other words, the energy storage unit 51 is an example of an energy storage unit that stores the energy necessary to drive the shovel 100, and is mounted on the upper rotating body 3 in a state that allows it to be detached from the shovel 100. The energy storage unit 51 is, for example, a rechargeable and dischargeable capacitor or a lithium-ion battery.

[0044] Furthermore, the energy storage unit 51 in this embodiment is positioned behind the upper rotating body 3 (in the -X direction) and may also serve as a counterweight. If the weight of the energy storage unit 51 is insufficient, a separate weight may be mounted near the energy storage unit 51.

[0045] In this embodiment, the inverter 52 controls the voltage supplied from the energy storage unit 51 to match the rotational speed of the motor 53. The motor 53 is driven by the voltage supplied from the inverter 52, which drives the main pump 14, which acts as a hydraulic pump.

[0046] The control valve 17 is a hydraulic control device that controls the hydraulic system of the excavator. The control valve 17 is connected to hydraulic actuators such as the right-side travel hydraulic motor, the left-side travel hydraulic motor, the boom cylinder 7, the arm cylinder 8, the bucket cylinder 9, and the swing hydraulic motor. The swing hydraulic motor may also be a swing electric generator.

[0047] The main pump 14 draws hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic fluid tank 19 through the hydraulic fluid line 14a and supplies hydraulic fluid to the control valve 17 through the hydraulic fluid line 14b. The hydraulic fluid supplied to the control valve 17 is returned to the hydraulic fluid tank 19 through the hydraulic fluid line 14c, either after passing through the hydraulic actuator or without passing through the hydraulic actuator.

[0048] The pilot pump 15 draws hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic fluid tank 19 through the pilot line 15a and supplies the hydraulic fluid to the pilot port of the spool valve in the control valve 17 through the pilot line 15b. The hydraulic fluid supplied to the pilot port is returned to the hydraulic fluid tank 19 through the pilot line 15c as needed.

[0049] The hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic fluid tank 19 is supplied to an oil cooler (not shown) via the hydraulic fluid line 16a by an electric oil pump or the like. The hydraulic fluid cooled by the oil cooler is returned to the hydraulic fluid tank 19 via the hydraulic fluid line 16c.

[0050] Next, with reference to Figure 3, a construction machinery management system, including the shovel 100 described in Figures 1 and 2, will be described. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the construction machinery management system of the embodiment.

[0051] The construction machine management system SYS of this embodiment includes a shovel 100, a transport / mobile unit 200, and a management device 300. In the following description, the construction machine management system SYS may be simply referred to as the management system SYS.

[0052] In the management system SYS of this embodiment, the shovel 100 and the transport / mobile unit 200 can communicate with each other wirelessly, for example, without using a wide-area communication network. Furthermore, the shovel 100 and the transport / mobile unit 200 can each communicate with the management device 300 via a wide-area communication network.

[0053] In the management system SYS of this embodiment, for example, when the controller 30 detects that the remaining capacity of the energy storage unit 51 has fallen below a certain value, the shovel 100 may send a request to the management device 300 via the communication device T1 to replace the energy storage unit 51.

[0054] When the management device 300 receives a replacement request, it notifies the transport / mobile unit 200 of the instruction to replace the power storage unit 51 of the shovel 100, and the transport / mobile unit 200 replaces the power storage unit 51 of the shovel 100.

[0055] In this embodiment, the transporting mobile unit 200 transports the other charged energy storage unit 51 to the vicinity of the shovel 100 and exchanges the energy storage unit 51 mounted on the upper rotating body 3 with the other energy storage unit 51. The transporting mobile unit 200 in this embodiment can be anything that can remove the energy storage unit 51 mounted on the upper rotating body 3 and mount the transported other energy storage unit 51 to the upper rotating body 3. Specifically, for example, the transporting mobile unit 200 may be something like a forklift or an aerial vehicle like a drone.

[0056] Furthermore, although the management device 300 is implemented by a single information processing device in the example shown in Figure 3, it is not limited to this. The management device 300 may be implemented by multiple information processing devices. In other words, the functions implemented by the management device 300 may be implemented by multiple information processing devices.

[0057] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the functions of the controller of the excavator in this embodiment. The controller 30 of the excavator 100 in this embodiment includes a remaining capacity monitoring unit 31, a replacement detection unit 32, a communication control unit 33, an operating state control unit 34, and a connection state determination unit 35.

[0058] The remaining capacity monitoring unit 31 monitors the remaining capacity of the energy storage unit 51. The replacement detection unit 32 detects when the energy storage unit 51 needs to be replaced, based on its remaining capacity. In other words, the replacement detection unit 32 detects the timing for replacing the energy storage unit 51.

[0059] The communication control unit 33 controls communication with external devices using the communication device T1. Specifically, the communication control unit 33 controls communication between the shovel 100 and the transport / mobile unit 200, and communication between the shovel 100 and the management device 300.

[0060] The operation state control unit 34 controls the operation state of the shovel 100. Specifically, the operation state control unit 34 stops the operation of the shovel 100 or enables its operation. The connection state determination unit 35 determines the connection state after the replacement of the power storage unit 51.

[0061] Next, the operation of the SYS management system of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the management system of this embodiment.

[0062] In the management system SYS of this embodiment, the excavator 100 detects that the energy storage unit 51 needs to be replaced by the replacement detection unit 32 of the controller 30 (step S501). Specifically, the replacement detection unit 32 determines that the energy storage unit 51 needs to be replaced when the remaining capacity of the energy storage unit 51, which is monitored by the remaining capacity monitoring unit 31, falls below a predetermined threshold.

[0063] Next, the shovel 100, via the communication control unit 33, transmits a request to the management device 300 to replace the power storage unit 51 (step S502).

[0064] Next, the operation state control unit 34 disables the shovel 100 (step S503).

[0065] Specifically, the operation state control unit 34 may turn off the inverter 52, cut off the power supply to the motor 53, and stop the operation. Alternatively, the operation state control unit 34 may close the gate lock valve to stop the operation of the shovel 100.

[0066] When the control device 300 receives a replacement request from the shovel 100, it notifies the transporting mobile body 200 of a movement instruction (step S504).

[0067] Specifically, in this embodiment, the exchange request transmitted from the shovel 100 to the control device 300 may include the location information of the shovel 100, and the control device 300 may transmit a movement instruction to the transport mobile body 200 along with the location information of the shovel 100.

[0068] Upon receiving a movement instruction, the transport unit 200 moves to the vicinity of the shovel 100 while transporting the other energy storage units 51 (step S505). Subsequently, the transport unit 200 sends a notification to the shovel 100 indicating that it has arrived at a position where the energy storage unit 51 can be replaced (step S506).

[0069] When the shovel 100 receives this notification, it recognizes the transport unit 200 and sends a notification to the transport unit 200 indicating that the power storage unit 51 can be replaced (step S507).

[0070] Upon receiving this notification, the transporting mobile unit 200 replaces the power storage unit 51 attached to the shovel 100 with the other power storage unit 51 that has been transported (step S508). Specifically, the transporting mobile unit 200 removes the power storage unit 51 attached to the upper slewing body 3 and attaches the other power storage unit 51 that has been transported to the upper slewing body 3.

[0071] Next, once the replacement is complete, the transport unit 200 sends a notification to the shovel 100 indicating that the replacement is complete (step S509).

[0072] When the shovel 100 receives a notification indicating that the replacement is complete, the connection status determination unit 35 determines whether the other energy storage unit 51 and the inverter 52 are connected (step S510).

[0073] Specifically, the connection status determination unit 35 may determine whether it is possible to detect the remaining capacity of the newly installed other energy storage unit 51. If the remaining capacity cannot be detected, it is understood that the other energy storage unit 51 is not properly installed. In this case, the controller 30 may send an error notification to the transport mobile unit 200 and the management device 300 via the communication control unit 33. In addition, in this embodiment, if the error persists even after repeating the energy storage unit 51 replacement work multiple times, a message requesting the dispatch of a service technician may be sent to the management device 300.

[0074] Furthermore, the connection status determination unit 35 may determine whether the detected remaining capacity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value when a remaining capacity is detected. For example, if the remaining capacity detected here is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, it can be determined that the energy storage unit 51 has not been replaced. In this case, the controller 30 may send an error notification to the transport mobile unit 200 and the management device 300 via the communication control unit 33.

[0075] Furthermore, even if the remaining capacity is greater than a predetermined threshold, the connection status determination unit 35 may determine that the other energy storage unit 51 is not fully charged if it is below a certain value, and the communication control unit 33 may send a notification to the management device 300 indicating that it is not fully charged.

[0076] Figure 5 shows the case where the energy storage unit 51 is replaced successfully.

[0077] Once the controller 30 confirms the connection of the newly installed other power storage unit 51, the communication control unit 33 sends a return instruction to the transport mobile body 200 (step S511). In other words, the controller 30 instructs the transport mobile body 200 to move away from the shovel 100.

[0078] Upon receiving this return instruction, the transport unit 200 moves away from the shovel 100 (step S512). Specifically, the transport unit 200 may move towards, for example, a waiting area for the transport unit 200.

[0079] When the transport unit 200 has completed its return to the waiting area or the like, it sends a notification to the management device 300 indicating that it has returned (step S513).

[0080] After the transporting body 200 has moved, the operation state control unit 34 switches the state of the shovel 100 to an operational state (step S514). Specifically, the operation state control unit 34 may switch the inverter 52 to the ON state and resume the supply of power to the motor 53. Alternatively, the operation state control unit 34 may, for example, switch the gate lock valve from the closed state to the open state.

[0081] Furthermore, if the controller 30 detects that the distance between the transporting body 200 and the shovel 100 has exceeded a predetermined distance, it may switch to a state where operation is possible.

[0082] Thus, in this embodiment, when the transporting mobile body 200 approaches the vicinity of the shovel 100, the operation of the shovel 100 is stopped. Therefore, in this embodiment, safety during the replacement of the power storage unit 51 can be improved.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, there is no need to add any large devices other than making the energy storage unit 51 detachable. Also, in this embodiment, the shovel 100 does not need to be moved to replace the energy storage unit 51, so work efficiency is not reduced. Moreover, the time required to replenish energy to the shovel 100 can be shortened.

[0084] In this embodiment, the management system SYS includes the shovel 100, the transport / mobile body 200, and the management device 300, and the request to replace the power storage unit 51 is transmitted to the management device 300, but it is not limited to this.

[0085] The SYS management system does not necessarily have to include the management device 300. In that case, the operation shown in Figure 5 is realized by communication between the shovel 100 and the transporter 200. Specifically, for example, a request to replace the power storage unit 51 output from the shovel 100 may be sent directly to the transporter 200. When the transporter 200 receives this replacement request, it may start moving to approach the shovel 100. In this way, the management device 300 becomes unnecessary, and the load on communication processing can be reduced.

[0086] (Another embodiment) Another embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 6. In this other embodiment, multiple power storage units 51 are mounted on the upper rotating body 3 of the shovel 100.

[0087] Figure 6 is a top view of an excavator in another embodiment. In the excavator 100 shown in Figure 6, multiple power storage units 51a and 51b are mounted on the upper rotating body 3. Also, in the example of Figure 6, the power storage units 51a and 51b are arranged in front of the hydraulic oil tank 19 (+X direction). In other words, the multiple power storage units 51 are positioned differently from the counterweights which are located behind the upper rotating body 3 (-X direction).

[0088] As shown in Figure 6, the shovel 100 can continue working even if the power supply from either the power storage unit 51a or the power storage unit 51b is interrupted, by using the power supplied from the other power storage unit 51.

[0089] Therefore, in this embodiment, for example, even if the remaining capacity of either the energy storage unit 51a or the energy storage unit 51b falls below a predetermined threshold, work can be continued for a certain period of time without sending a replacement request to the management device 300. For this reason, work efficiency can be improved according to this embodiment.

[0090] In this embodiment, for example, if power is supplied from only one of the energy storage units 51a and 51b, the controller 30 may control the shovel 100 to prohibit operations that place a load above a certain level.

[0091] In the example shown in Figure 6, there are two energy storage units 51, but the number of energy storage units 51 is not limited to two and can be any number.

[0092] (Further embodiments) Further embodiments will be described below with reference to Figures 7 to 9. Figure 7 is a top view of an excavator of yet another embodiment.

[0093] The excavator 100A of this embodiment has an engine 11 and an engine room ER. Inside the engine room ER, a cooling fan 11c is installed on the left side (+Y side) of the engine 11. A heat exchanger unit 11d is installed to the left of the cooling fan 11c. The cooling fan 11c is driven by the engine 11. The heat exchanger unit 11d includes a radiator, oil cooler, intercooler, fuel cooler, etc.

[0094] Within the engine compartment ER, the engine 11 takes in outside air through the intake pipe 11a. Then, it discharges exhaust gas through the exhaust pipe 11b towards the exhaust gas treatment device 11e.

[0095] The exhaust gas treatment device 11e is, for example, a selective reduction catalyst system that purifies NOx in the exhaust gas. The exhaust gas treatment device 11e, for example, injects urea water upstream of a selective reduction catalyst installed in the exhaust pipe 11b to reduce NOx in the exhaust gas, and this reduction reaction is promoted by the reduction catalyst to render the NOx harmless.

[0096] A fuel tank 20 for storing fuel and a urea water tank 21 for storing urea water are mounted on the front side (+X side) of the hydraulic oil tank 19. The fuel tank 20 and the urea water tank 21 are located on the opposite side (-Y side) of the cabin 10, with the boom 4 in between. A toolbox 22 is mounted on the front side of the urea water tank 21.

[0097] The fuel tank 20 and urea water tank 21 in this embodiment are detachable from the upper rotating body 3. In other words, the fuel tank 20 and urea water tank 21 in this embodiment can be removed and attached by the transport and moving body 200. Furthermore, the fuel tank 20 in this embodiment is an example of an energy storage unit that stores the energy necessary to drive the shovel 100A, and is mounted on the upper rotating body 3 in a state that allows it to be detached from the shovel 100A.

[0098] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as an example of an energy storage unit, a hydrogen tank filled with hydrogen may be used instead of the fuel tank 20. When hydrogen is used as fuel, the urea tank 21 can be omitted.

[0099] Figure 8 illustrates the functions of a controller for a shovel in yet another embodiment. The controller 30A in this embodiment includes a remaining amount monitoring unit 31A, a replacement detection unit 32A, a communication control unit 33, an operating state control unit 34, and an installation state determination unit 35A.

[0100] The remaining fuel monitoring unit 31A monitors the remaining amount of fuel stored in the fuel tank 20. The replacement detection unit 32A determines that the fuel tank 20 needs to be replaced when the remaining amount of fuel monitored by the remaining fuel monitoring unit 31A falls below a predetermined threshold. The remaining fuel monitoring unit 31A and the replacement detection unit 32A may also monitor the remaining amount of urea solution stored in the urea solution tank 21 and determine whether to replace it. The installation status determination unit 35A determines whether the new fuel tank 20 to be replaced in the fuel tank 20 has been properly installed. The installation status determination unit 35A also determines whether the new urea solution tank 21 to be replaced in the urea solution tank 21 has been properly installed.

[0101] Figure 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of a management system in yet another embodiment. In this embodiment, the shovel 100A detects, via the replacement detection unit 32A, that the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank 20, which is monitored by the remaining amount monitoring unit 31A, has fallen below a predetermined threshold (step S901).

[0102] Next, the shovel 100A sends a request to the control device 300 to replace the fuel tank 20 (step S902). The processes from steps S903 to S906 in Figure 9 are the same as the processes from steps S503 to S506 in Figure 5, so the explanation is omitted.

[0103] When the shovel 100A receives a notification that the transport unit 200 has arrived, the communication control unit 33 sends a notification to the transport unit 200 indicating that the fuel tank 20 is ready for replacement (step S907).

[0104] Upon receiving this notification, the transport unit 200 replaces the fuel tank 20 with the other fuel tank 20 that has been transported (step S908). Subsequently, the transport unit 200 sends a notification to the shovel 100A indicating that the replacement of the fuel tank 20 is complete.

[0105] Upon receiving this notification, the excavator 100A uses the mounting status determination unit 35A to check the remaining amount of fuel stored in the newly installed fuel tank 20 (step S910). Specifically, the mounting status determination unit 35A may determine whether the remaining amount monitored by the remaining amount monitoring unit 31A is greater than a predetermined threshold. In this case, if the remaining amount is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold, it indicates that the fuel tank 20 has not been replaced. Therefore, in this case, the excavator 100A may send an error to the transport mobile unit 200 and the management device 300.

[0106] Furthermore, the mounting status determination unit 35A may determine whether the remaining amount monitored by the remaining amount monitoring unit 31A is below a certain value. If the remaining amount is below a certain value, the shovel 100A may send a notification to the management device 300 indicating that the fuel stored in the other fuel tank 20 is not full. Figure 9 shows the case when the fuel tank 20 has been replaced normally.

[0107] The process from step S911 to step S914 in Figure 9 is the same as the process from step S511 to step S514 in Figure 5, so the explanation is omitted.

[0108] Although Figure 9 illustrates the case where the fuel tank 20 is replaced, the same procedure may be performed on the urea solution tank 21.

[0109] The embodiments have been described above with reference to specific examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these specific examples. Modifications made to these specific examples by those skilled in the art are also included within the scope of the present invention, as long as they retain the features of the present invention. The elements, their arrangement, conditions, and shapes, etc., of each of the aforementioned specific examples are not limited to those illustrated and can be modified as appropriate. The elements of each of the aforementioned specific examples may be combined as appropriate, as long as no technical inconsistencies arise. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 20 fuel tanks 30 controllers 31 Remaining capacity monitoring section 31A Remaining charge monitoring unit 32, 32A Replacement detection unit 33 Communication Control Unit 34 Operational State Control Unit 35 Connection status determination unit 35A Installation status determination unit 51 Energy Storage Unit 52 Inverters 53 Motor 100 Shovel 200 Transporting Mobile Unit 300 Management Device

Claims

1. Lower running body and A construction machine having an upper rotating body mounted on the lower traveling body so as to be rotatable, and an energy storage unit mounted on the upper rotating body in a manner that is detachable from it, A transporting mobile body that transports other energy storage units to the vicinity of the construction machine and replaces the energy storage unit mounted on the construction machine with the other energy storage unit, Upon receiving notification from the transporting mobile body that the exchange to the other energy storage unit has been completed, the connection status determination unit determines whether or not the other energy storage unit is connected. A construction machine management system comprising: a communication control unit that transmits an error notification to an external device located outside the construction machine when it is determined that the other energy storage unit is not connected.

2. The aforementioned construction machine, A detection unit that detects the timing for replacing the energy storage unit outputs a request to replace the energy storage unit, A construction machine management system according to claim 1, comprising: an operating state control unit that, after outputting the aforementioned replacement request, puts the construction machine into an inoperable state.

3. The aforementioned construction machine, The system includes a communication control unit that, upon receiving notification from the transporting mobile body indicating the completion of the replacement of the energy storage unit, issues a command to the transporting mobile body to move away. The aforementioned operating state control unit, The construction machine management system according to claim 2, wherein the transporting mobile body moves away from the vicinity of the construction machine, and then the state of the construction machine is switched to an operational state.

4. The construction machine management system according to claim 1, wherein the energy storage unit is any of the following: an energy storage unit capable of charging and discharging, a fuel tank for storing fuel, or a hydrogen tank filled with hydrogen.

5. The aforementioned construction machine has a urea water tank for storing urea water which is mounted in a detachable manner. The construction machine management system according to claim 1, wherein the transporting mobile body replaces the urea water tank.

6. The construction machine has a plurality of energy storage units, The transporting mobile body is The construction machine management system according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of energy storage units is replaced with one of the other energy storage units.

7. The construction machine management system according to claim 1, further comprising: an operation state control unit that, after the transporting mobile body has moved away from the vicinity of the construction machine, detects that the distance between the transporting mobile body and the construction machine has become greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, switches the state of the construction machine to an operational state.

8. Lower running body and The lower traveling body is equipped with an upper rotating body that is rotatably mounted on it, and the upper rotating body is equipped with an energy storage unit that is detachably mounted on it. Upon receiving notification that the replacement of the energy storage unit with another energy storage unit has been completed, a connection status determination unit determines whether or not the other energy storage unit is connected. A construction machine having a communication control unit that sends an error notification to an external device located outside the machine when it is determined that the other energy storage unit is not connected.

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