Concrete Mixer Drum Control for Consistent Delivery Properties
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Solution Overview
Problem
Concrete mixer vehicles face challenges in maintaining desirable concrete properties during transportation due to passive drum rotation control, leading to undesirable concrete properties upon arrival at job sites.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that actively control the rotation and rotational speed of the mixing drum in concrete mixer vehicles using processing circuits to acquire en-route data, predict delivery properties, and adjust drum operation accordingly, incorporating sensors and GPS data to maintain target properties like consistency, mixture quality, and viscosity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If passive drum rotation control is used, then the system is simple to operate, but the concrete properties deteriorate upon arrival at the job site
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors concrete properties during transport and feeds this information back to the control unit, which automatically adjusts drum rotation speed to maintain target properties. This closed-loop feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by automating the control process, eliminating the need for manual intervention while ensuring consistent concrete quality upon delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system autonomously manages drum rotation without requiring operator input. The system self-adjusts based on real-time concrete property data and predictive algorithms, making the operation self-sufficient while maintaining high reliability of concrete properties throughout transport.
2Reliability
If active drum control with real-time monitoring is implemented, then concrete property consistency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it monitors concrete properties, predicts delivery conditions, calculates optimal drum speeds, and executes control commands. This multi-functionality consolidates complex operations into a single integrated system, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliable concrete property consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical control of drum rotation with automated electronic control based on sensor data and algorithms. This substitution eliminates the need for complex mechanical control mechanisms while achieving superior and consistent concrete property management through intelligent automation.
3Measurement precision
If drum rotation speed is continuously adjusted, then delivery property prediction accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts drum rotation speed based on real-time concrete properties and predicted delivery conditions rather than maintaining constant high-speed rotation. This dynamic optimization ensures accurate delivery property prediction while minimizing energy consumption by operating the drum at the lowest necessary speed to achieve target properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system changes operational parameters (drum rotation speed) based on calculated optimal values derived from concrete property data and delivery predictions. By adjusting parameters to match actual needs rather than using fixed high values, the system achieves precise prediction accuracy while reducing unnecessary energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes acquiring, by one or more processing circuits, en route data as a vehicle travels from a first location to a second location, and predicting, by the one or more processing circuits, a delivery property for the contents based on the en route data. The en route data includes content data regarding a current property of contents being transported by the vehicle, environment data regarding an environmental characteristic external to the vehicle, and GPS data regarding at least one of a travel distance, a travel time, traffic information, or a road parameter between the first location and the second location.