Asphalt Compactor Ramp-Rate Control to Prevent Mat Coasting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Compactor vehicles experience undesirable coasting after direction changes due to slow deceleration, which can lead to defects in asphalt mats and hinder maneuverability, particularly during maintenance and trailering.
Innovation Solution
A compactor system with a controller that adjusts acceleration and deceleration ramp rates based on variables such as surface temperature and geographical location, allowing for faster ramp rates when not compacting to enhance maneuverability and slower ramp rates when compacting to prevent defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the compactor decelerates slowly to avoid introducing defects on the asphalt mat, then manufacturing precision is improved, but speed and maneuverability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The compactor system dynamically adjusts its deceleration rate based on operational context. When compacting asphalt, the system uses slow deceleration to prevent defects, but when coasting is detected (through sensor input regarding drum rotation speed and direction changes), the system transitions to faster deceleration modes. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by allowing the compactor to optimize for precision during compaction while maintaining maneuverability during coasting events.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the deceleration parameter based on detected coasting conditions. The controller monitors drum rotation speed and direction changes to identify coasting events, then adjusts the deceleration rate parameter accordingly. During normal compaction, slow deceleration is maintained for quality, but during coasting events, the system applies faster deceleration to regain control, effectively changing the parameter to resolve the speed-precision contradiction.
2Manufacturing precision
If the compactor accelerates and decelerates slowly during compaction, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic monitoring of coasting conditions through sensors that detect drum rotation speed and direction changes. When coasting is detected during compaction, the system periodically intervenes with faster deceleration to correct the coasting state, then returns to normal compaction speeds. This periodic correction allows the system to maintain higher overall productivity while preventing the quality defects that would result from sustained coasting.
Solution Approach 2:
When coasting events are detected during compaction, the system temporarily rushes through the correction by applying faster deceleration to quickly eliminate the coasting condition. This allows the compactor to minimize the time spent in the defective coasting state, thereby maintaining productivity while still preventing quality defects. The fast deceleration is applied only briefly to correct the issue, not sustained throughout the entire compaction process.
Data Source
AI summary
A compactor for operation on a surface includes: a frame; at least one compacting drum coupled to the frame; a drive system for accelerating and decelerating the compactor at an acceleration rate and a deceleration rate, respectively; and a controller for: controlling the drive system, and based on at least one variable, altering at least one of the acceleration rate and the deceleration rate.