Boom Bleed-Down Hydraulics for Safe Emergency Retraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional construction vehicles lack systems to ensure the boom remains within a safe operational range during lowering or retraction, especially when primary power is lost, leading to potential instability and safety risks for operators.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic system with a backup battery power supply and solenoid bleed valves, allowing operators to control boom retraction within a predefined safety envelope, even when stranded at elevated positions, by channeling fluid flows between boom lift and extend actuators to maintain stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional failsafe modes are used to lower the boom during emergencies, then the operator can be lowered from the work platform, but the boom may move outside the safety envelope causing vehicle instability or tipping
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors boom position parameters and provides feedback control to ensure the boom remains within the safety envelope during emergency lowering operations. The system adjusts lowering speed and direction based on real-time position data to prevent instability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the emergency lowering operation based on current boom position, extending the safety envelope adaptively. The control system modifies lowering parameters in real-time to account for the telescoping boom's changing moment arm, preventing vehicle tipping while maintaining operator safety.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the boom is extended and raised simultaneously to reach elevated positions, then the work platform can access higher areas, but the moment produced destabilizes the center of gravity making the vehicle prone to tipping
Solution Approach 1:
The control system calculates and establishes an extended safety envelope before emergency operations begin. This pre-computed envelope accounts for the telescoping boom's extended position and adjusts the safe operating boundaries accordingly, allowing the vehicle to operate stably even when extended and raised.
3Device complexity
If existing hydraulic and electrical systems are used for failsafe modes, then the system can be integrated with the vehicle's current infrastructure, but damage to these systems impairs or loses the failsafe modes
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements redundant emergency lowering capability that can operate independently if the primary hydraulic or electrical systems fail. Backup power supplies and alternative control pathways are provided beforehand to ensure failsafe modes remain available even when primary systems are damaged.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables safe and controlled boom retraction and lowering within a safety envelope, even in emergency conditions without primary power, ensuring operator safety and system robustness against hydraulic and electrical failures.
Implementation Method 1
The system may include a backup battery power supply, one or more hydraulic actuators for raising, lowering, extending, and/or retracting the boom, and an input device controllable by an operator of the boom
Implementation Method 2
The hydraulic system with a backup battery power supply and solenoid bleed valves, allowing operators to control boom retraction
Implementation Method 3
channeling fluid flows between boom lift and extend actuators to maintain stability
Data Source
AI summary
A hydraulic system for controlling bleed down and retraction of a boom within a safety envelope includes a backup battery power supply, and at least a first boom lift hydraulic cylinder configured to raise and lower the boom. The first boom lift hydraulic cylinder includes a solenoid bleed valve electrically connected to the backup battery power supply. The hydraulic system also includes an input device controllable by an operator of the boom. The input device may, for instance, be used by the operator to initiate bleed down and retraction of the boom from an elevated position. To accommodate independent failsafe features of the system, the input device is configured to selectively actuate the solenoid bleed valve using electrical power supplied from the backup battery power supply.