Forest Machine Vibration Damping via Automatic Speed Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vibration damping methods for forest machines do not effectively eliminate the cause of vibration, leading to excessive exposure for drivers, particularly due to low-frequency vibrations from crossing obstacles, which are exacerbated by high driving speeds and obstructed visibility.

Innovation Solution

A control system that automatically adjusts the speed of the forest machine based on sensor data to reduce speed before crossing obstacles, ensuring precise deceleration at the correct moment, thereby minimizing vibration peaks without slowing down the machine unnecessarily.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the driving speed of the forest machine is decreased to reduce vibration peaks when crossing obstacles, then the driver's exposure to vibration is reduced, but the productivity of the forest machine is lowered

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver's exposure to vibrationVSAvoidproductivity of the forest machine
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The control system performs preliminary action by detecting obstacles in advance using sensors and automatically decreasing the driving speed before the vehicle reaches the obstacle. This preliminary speed reduction prevents vibration peaks from occurring when crossing obstacles, thereby protecting the driver from excessive vibration exposure while maintaining higher speeds during normal operation to preserve productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs feedback by continuously monitoring the ground profile using sensors and automatically adjusting the driving speed based on detected obstacle conditions. The control system receives feedback about upcoming obstacles and responds by modulating the drive system to reduce speed only when necessary, thus minimizing vibration exposure while maintaining overall productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If the driving speed is maintained at high levels to preserve productivity, then the work efficiency is improved, but the driver is subjected to excessive vibration when crossing obstacles

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework efficiencyVSAvoidvibration exposure of the driver
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies dynamics by making the driving speed adjustable and automatically variable based on real-time detection of obstacle conditions. The control system dynamically modifies the driving speed - maintaining high speeds during normal operation to preserve productivity, and automatically reducing speed when obstacles are detected to minimize vibration exposure, thus adapting the speed to the instantaneous operating conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Object-affected harmful factors

If automatic speed control is implemented to reduce vibration peaks, then the driver's comfort is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver's comfortVSAvoidcomplexity of the control system
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service by using sensors to automatically detect obstacles and the control system to automatically adjust the driving speed without requiring manual intervention from the driver. This automated self-adjusting mechanism improves driver comfort by eliminating vibration peaks while the complexity is managed through integration with the existing control system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP1923289B1A forest machine and dampening of vibration
Publication Date: 2017.05.10 JOHN DEERE FORESTRY OY
  • EP1923289B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP1923289B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP1923289B1 patent drawingFigure 5a~5b

AI summary

A method for damping vibration in a forest machine, in which a desired driving speed is maintained and reduced driving speed is automatically maintained when a wheel (17) of the forest machine is descending from the top of an obstacle (23) rising from the ground or to a recess in the ground. The forest machine comprises a drive transmission with several wheels (17), a control system (18) arranged to maintain the desired driving speed of the forest machine and to control the drive transmission, wherein the control system (18) is also arranged to automatically maintain the reduced driving speed when a wheel (17) of the forest machine is decending from the top of an obstacle (23) rising from the ground or to a recess in the ground. A forest machine comprising a sensor (22,24,25) coupled to the forest machine and arranged to observe the profile of the ground on the travel path of the wheel (17) of the forest machine.