Dump Truck Flow Balancing for Queuing Control in Mass Excavation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mass excavation operations, the imbalance of inbound and outbound dump trucks at construction sites leads to inefficiencies, environmental impact, and increased costs due to queuing and the need for manual intervention to manage transport cycles.
Innovation Solution
An automated method using a monitoring device that forecasts imminent imbalances by tracking dump truck movements and communicates mitigative actions, such as speed adjustments or route changes, to prevent queuing and optimize transport cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional manual management strategies are used to balance transport cycles, then some level of control over dump truck operations is achieved, but the complexity of managing large numbers of trucks increases and manual intervention becomes reactive rather than proactive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical management systems with an automated electronic monitoring and control system. The system uses electronic sensors, communication devices, and processing units to automatically track dump truck positions, monitor transport cycle progress, and send control instructions, eliminating the need for manual radio communication and direct human intervention in real-time truck management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing the automated monitoring system to independently track, analyze, and control dump truck operations without continuous human intervention. The processing unit automatically receives position data, determines transport cycle status, identifies imbalances, and sends control instructions to trucks, making the management system self-sufficient.
2Productivity
If dump trucks operate independently without automated coordination, then each truck can complete its own transport cycle, but imbalances in inbound and outbound truck flow occur leading to queuing and waiting time
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback by having dump trucks periodically send position data and receive control instructions from the monitoring system. This closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the system to real-time track truck locations, monitor transport cycle progress, identify flow imbalances, and send corrective control instructions to maintain balanced inbound and outbound truck flow at load and dump sites.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by proactively identifying potential transport cycle imbalances before they result in queuing or waiting. The processing unit analyzes truck positions and transport cycle status in advance, determines anticipated imbalances, and sends control instructions to trucks before they arrive at sites, preventing queue formation rather than reacting to it.
3Reliability
If the number of dump trucks is increased to ensure constant material flow, then material supply reliability improves, but the cost and environmental impact increase due to more vehicles required
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces dynamics by enabling real-time adjustment of dump truck operations based on actual site conditions and transport cycle status. Rather than using a static fixed fleet size, the system dynamically coordinates truck movements, speeds, and arrivals to match actual material flow requirements, allowing reliable material supply with optimal fleet utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters such as truck speed, arrival timing, and route selection based on real-time conditions. The processing unit sends control instructions that adjust these parameters to maintain balanced transport cycles, ensuring reliable material flow while optimizing the use of the existing fleet and reducing the need for additional vehicles.
4Ease of operation
If drivers are instructed via voice radio to resolve imbalances, then some corrective action can be taken, but the response is reactive and human behavior such as bunching still causes arrivals to be synchronized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces voice radio communication with automated electronic messaging between the monitoring system and dump trucks. The system uses electronic data transmission to send control instructions to trucks, eliminating the delays and limitations of manual radio communication and human driver response.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically monitoring transport cycles and sending control instructions to trucks without requiring human driver intervention for decision-making. The processing unit independently analyzes conditions and communicates corrective actions directly to trucks, removing human behavioral factors such as bunching and coordination issues.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of transport cycle balancing is provided, including recurrently receiving first data indicative of movements of a plurality of dump trucks operating in accordance with a respective transport cycle including a planned hauling of material between a same first site and at least one second site, forecasting an imminent imbalance of inbound and outbound trucks for the first site based on the received first data, determining one or more mitigative actions for the trucks in response to forecasting the imminent imbalance, and communicating the mitigative action to at least one truck.