Cold Planer Material Transport Control for Truck Dispatch Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for managing material transport from cold planers to plants lack efficient coordination, leading to inefficiencies such as downtime due to insufficient empty trucks and wasteful under-utilization of resources, as they rely on limited sensor data and qualitative observations, which are not easily analyzed for timely and effective truck movement coordination.
Innovation Solution
A management system that includes sensors on the cold planer to generate data on operating parameters and material transfer rates, a locating device to determine the cold planer's location, and a communication device to transmit this information to a plant, allowing for real-time monitoring and dispatch signal generation to ensure timely arrival of haul vehicles and optimize material transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If too few empty trucks are at the milling site, then resource utilization is improved, but downtime increases when the cold planer must wait for an empty truck
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements real-time feedback by continuously monitoring the cold planer's material transfer rate and location, then communicating this data to the dispatch facility. The dispatch facility uses this feedback to dynamically adjust truck dispatch decisions, ensuring the right number of empty trucks arrive at the right time to maintain continuous operation while optimizing resource utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold planer operator independently monitors and reports material transfer rates and location data without requiring manual intervention from dispatch personnel. This self-service approach enables automated dispatch decision-making based on actual operational conditions, reducing both downtime and resource waste.
2Loss of time
If too many empty trucks are at the milling site, then downtime is reduced, but resource under-utilization increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the number of trucks dispatched based on real-time material transfer rates. When the cold planer operates at high capacity, more trucks are dispatched; when capacity decreases, fewer trucks are sent. This dynamic adjustment prevents both downtime and resource under-utilization by matching truck availability to actual operational needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispatch facility changes operational parameters (truck dispatch timing and quantity) based on varying material transfer rates. By continuously monitoring and responding to changes in transfer rate parameters, the system optimizes the balance between maintaining continuous operation and preventing resource waste.
3Device complexity
If manual communication between jobsite personnel and dispatcher is used, then system complexity is reduced, but coordination efficiency and response time deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual communication mechanisms (radio, phone) with automated electronic data transmission. Sensors on the cold planer automatically transmit location and material transfer rate data to the dispatch facility, eliminating the need for manual reporting and enabling real-time coordination without increasing operational complexity for the operator.
Solution Approach 2:
The management system acts as an intermediary between the cold planer operation and truck dispatching. It automatically processes operational data and translates it into dispatch decisions, improving coordination efficiency without requiring direct complex communication between operators and dispatchers.
4Measurement precision
If qualitative observation from cameras is used, then measurement capability is improved, but data analysis speed and ease deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces qualitative camera observations with quantitative sensor measurements of material transfer rates. Sensors directly measure operational parameters and transmit numerical data to the dispatch facility, enabling immediate automated analysis and decision-making without requiring manual review of video footage.
Data Source
AI summary
A management system for a cold planer is disclosed. The management system may include one or more sensors located onboard the cold planer and configured to generate data regarding at least one of cold planer operating parameters and milled material transferred from the cold planer to a plurality of haul vehicles. The management system may also include a locating device configured to generate a signal indicative of a cold planer location, a communication device configured to transfer information from the cold planer to a plant, and a controller in electronic communication with the one or more, the locating device, and the communication device. The controller may be configured to determine a rate of material transfer from the cold planer to the plurality of haul vehicles based on the data, and transmit the rate of material transfer and the cold planer location to the plant via the communication device.