Heavy Equipment Engine Speed Control via Instrument Panel Bypass
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing engine rotational speed controlling apparatuses for heavy construction equipment face operational disruptions when the control dial or machine control unit malfunctions, leading to inadequate control over engine speed.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with an instrument panel and connection switch that allows operators to select and control engine rotational speed by transferring control values to the engine control unit, even when the control dial or machine control unit is defective, utilizing a stored control algorithm and input controller to ensure continuous operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the control dial or machine control unit is used to control engine rotational speed, then the engine speed can be controlled during normal operation, but the system becomes unreliable when these components malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument panel with control algorithm database is pre-configured and stored in the system before any malfunction occurs. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the control dial or machine control unit fails, the engine control unit can immediately switch to using the pre-stored control algorithms without requiring external intervention or complex reconfiguration, thereby maintaining reliability while avoiding additional operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument panel acts as an intermediary component between the operator and the engine control unit. It contains a control algorithm database that mediates the control signal transmission, allowing the system to bypass failed components (control dial or machine control unit) and maintain engine speed control through the ECU's direct connection to the instrument panel, thus resolving the reliability-complexity contradiction.
2Reliability
If a single control path through the machine control unit is used, then the control system is simple, but the system lacks redundancy and fails completely when the control unit malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into multiple independent control paths: one through the machine control unit and another through the instrument panel directly to the engine control unit. This segmentation allows the system to isolate and bypass failed components by switching between segments, providing redundancy without requiring a completely complex restructured control architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The engine control unit is designed with multi-functionality to accept control signals from multiple sources: the machine control unit under normal conditions and the instrument panel when the machine control unit fails. This universal capability provides redundancy while maintaining a relatively simple control unit architecture, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an apparatus for contingency controlling an engine rotational speed of a heavy construction equipment, which is capable of contingency controlling the speed of an engine when a controller of the heavy construction equipment such as an excavator does not operate normally. The apparatus for contingency controlling an engine rotational speed including a machine control unit generating a driving signal to control an operation of the engine by transferring a control value received from a control dial to an engine control unit may include: an instrument panel electrically connected with the engine control unit and allowing an operator to select and control a desired engine rotational speed because a control algorithm for the engine rotational speed is made into a database; and a connection switch electrically connecting the instrument panel and the engine control unit when the control dial or the machine control unit does not operate normally.