Cold Planer Mass Flow Rate Sensor Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Accurately measuring the mass flow rate of material conveyed from a cold planer to a truck bed is challenging due to variations in conveyor belt tension, slippage, and environmental factors, leading to suboptimal truck utilization and potential financial penalties.
Innovation Solution
A cold planer system equipped with a conveyor belt, sensors, and processing circuits that detect operational parameters, fuse information from multiple sensors, and use a machine learning model to generate a precise mass flow rate of material on the conveyor belt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional single-sensor measurement methods are used, then the measurement system is simple, but the mass flow rate measurement precision deteriorates due to variations in conveyor belt tension, slippage, and environmental factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensors (speed sensor, tension sensor, and optionally load cell or torque sensor) into a unified measurement system that integrates their data through a processing circuit. This merging of sensor functions allows the system to compensate for individual sensor limitations and environmental variations, achieving more precise mass flow rate measurements while managing system complexity through integrated processing rather than separate measurement systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing circuit serves multiple functions: it receives signals from different sensor types, processes each signal according to its specific characteristics, combines the processed signals, and outputs the final mass flow rate calculation. This multi-functional approach allows a single processing unit to handle the complexity of multiple sensor inputs without requiring separate dedicated processing systems for each sensor type.
2Measurement precision
If sensor fusion with multiple sensors is implemented, then the mass flow rate measurement precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processing circuit acts as an intermediary between the multiple sensors and the final mass flow rate calculation. It receives raw signals from the speed sensor, tension sensor, and other optional sensors, processes and normalizes these signals, combines them according to predetermined algorithms, and outputs the calculated mass flow rate. This intermediary approach organizes the complexity by centralizing the processing logic rather than distributing it across multiple separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the weighting and processing of different sensor parameters based on operating conditions. The processing circuit modifies how each sensor's data is interpreted and combined, adapting the measurement algorithm to current conveyor belt tension, speed, and environmental conditions. This dynamic parameter adjustment allows the system to maintain high measurement precision while managing complexity through adaptive rather than static processing.
3Productivity
If accurate mass flow rate measurement is achieved, then truck utilization efficiency improves, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors conveyor belt operation and adjusts mass flow rate calculations in real-time based on feedback from the sensors. By continuously processing sensor data and updating the mass flow rate measurement, the system provides accurate, up-to-date information for truck loading decisions, optimizing truck utilization while managing complexity through continuous rather than periodic measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing circuit is pre-programmed with algorithms and weighting factors that determine how sensor data should be combined to calculate mass flow rate. These predetermined processing rules are established before operation, allowing the system to quickly process sensor inputs without requiring complex real-time decision-making, thus improving productivity while reducing computational complexity during actual operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprising one or more processing circuits to detect an operation of a cold planer, receive a plurality of information corresponding to the cold planer, identify a first status of the cold planer, identify a second status of the cold planer, combine a first set of information and a second set of information to create a fused set of information, and generate a mass flow rate of the material on the conveyor belt based on the fused set of information.