Crawler Work Vehicle Steering Clutch Heat Rate Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bulldozers experience slippage in steering clutches due to conflicting operations during turning and heavy load conditions, leading to potential damage and operator discomfort due to unpredictable engine output reductions.
Innovation Solution
A crawler work vehicle equipped with rotation speed difference detecting means, clutch hydraulic pressure obtaining means, and clutch protecting means that computes a steering clutch heat rate and executes a protection process by comparing it to preset thresholds, reducing engine output when necessary and increasing it when safe, to prevent clutch damage and maintain operator comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the steering clutch is engaged to transmit power during turning, then the vehicle can turn effectively, but slippage occurs in the steering clutch when braking is applied simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously monitors the engagement state of the steering clutch and the operation state of the steering brake, and dynamically adjusts engine output based on this feedback to prevent slippage while maintaining turning capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts engine output in real-time based on the operational conditions of the steering clutch and brake, transitioning between different power levels to optimize both turning performance and clutch protection
2Reliability
If the engine output is reduced to protect the steering clutch from slippage, then clutch damage is prevented, but the operator feels uneasy and smooth operations cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts engine output based on real-time monitoring of clutch and brake states, providing protection only when necessary while maintaining normal operation otherwise, ensuring operator comfort
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit uses feedback from clutch engagement sensors and brake operation sensors to make intelligent decisions about engine output adjustment, ensuring protection is applied only when slippage risk is detected
3Reliability
If conventional methods predict steering clutch slippage conditions and reduce engine output, then some protection is provided, but it is difficult to predict all slippage conditions and clutches are not sufficiently protected
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses real-time feedback from sensors monitoring clutch engagement and brake operation to detect slippage conditions dynamically, providing comprehensive protection across all operational scenarios rather than relying on pre-defined predictions
Solution Approach 2:
The control system automatically monitors its own operational parameters and adjusts engine output in response to detected slippage conditions, providing adaptive protection without external intervention
Data Source
AI summary
An occurrence of steering clutch slippage is reliably determined in order to protect the steering clutch. A crawler work vehicle includes left and right steering clutches, left and right steering brakes, a rotation speed detecting difference device, a clutch hydraulic pressure obtaining device, and a clutch protecting device. The rotation speed difference detecting device detects a rotation speed difference between the input and output of each of the steering clutches. The clutch hydraulic pressure obtaining device obtains a clutch hydraulic pressure supplied to each steering clutch. The clutch protecting device refers to the rotation speed difference and the clutch hydraulic pressure, computes a steering clutch heat rate, and compares the computed heat rate with a preset first threshold to execute a steering clutch protection process.