Fuel Supply Control for Earth-Moving Machines
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel supply systems for earth-moving machines, like those used in mining and quarrying, face challenges in avoiding productivity losses when machines travel to fuel supply facilities but do not receive fuel due to factors like loaded states or fuel availability issues.
Innovation Solution
A fuel supply system that includes a control apparatus capable of determining execution permission for fuel supply based on load detection, fuel level, and vehicle status, executing entry restriction control to prevent machines from entering fuel supply facilities when fuel is not available, thereby preventing unnecessary travel and productivity losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the earth-moving machine travels toward the fuel supply facility when fuel is needed, then the machine can potentially receive fuel supply, but if the machine is in a loaded state or the facility has no fuel, the machine suffers productivity loss due to unnecessary travel
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus performs preliminary checks before allowing the earth-moving machine to travel to the fuel supply facility. It verifies execution permission information including whether the machine is in a loaded state (via load detection device) and whether fuel is actually available at the facility, before permitting travel. This preliminary verification prevents unnecessary trips that would cause productivity loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the control apparatus continuously monitors execution permission information from the fuel supply facility and load status from the load detection device. Based on this feedback, the control apparatus dynamically determines whether to permit or restrict entry to the fuel supply facility, ensuring that machines only travel when fuel supply is both needed and possible.
2Ease of operation
If the control apparatus permits entry to the fuel supply facility without checking execution permission, then the machine can quickly access the facility, but unnecessary travel occurs when fuel cannot be supplied
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus performs preliminary verification of execution permission information before permitting entry to the fuel supply facility. This includes checking whether the machine is in a loaded state and whether the facility has fuel availability information. By conducting these checks in advance, the system maintains ease of operation for legitimate cases while preventing time loss from unnecessary trips.
3Productivity
If the system implements entry restriction control to prevent unnecessary travel, then productivity is maintained, but the system complexity increases due to additional control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The earth-moving machine is equipped with a control apparatus that autonomously determines whether to permit or restrict entry to the fuel supply facility based on execution permission information and load detection data. The system performs self-service by automatically making the determination without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining productivity while avoiding excessive complexity through automated decision-making.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system uses feedback from execution permission information and load detection devices to automatically determine entry permission. This feedback mechanism enables the system to maintain productivity through intelligent control while keeping the complexity manageable by relying on information already available from the machine's sensors and communication systems.
4Reliability
If the earth-moving machine travels to the fuel supply facility when loaded, then fuel supply might be available, but the loaded state prevents fuel supply and causes productivity loss
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus performs preliminary verification of the machine's load status using the load detection device before permitting travel to the fuel supply facility. By checking whether the machine is in a loaded state in advance, the system prevents trips that would be futile due to the loaded condition, thereby maintaining fuel supply reliability while avoiding productivity loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback from the load detection device to the control apparatus, which uses this information to determine whether to permit entry to the fuel supply facility. This feedback mechanism ensures that machines in loaded states are automatically restricted from traveling to the facility, preventing productivity loss while maintaining reliable fuel supply for eligible machines.
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel supply system includes: a fuel supply facility capable of supplying fuel; an earth-moving machine capable of traveling toward the fuel supply facility; and a control apparatus that acquires execution permission information indicating whether or not fuel can be supplied to the earth-moving machine, and is capable of executing control based on the acquired execution permission information, wherein when the control apparatus determines that fuel cannot be supplied to the earth-moving machine based on the execution permission information at a time of supplying the fuel to the earth-moving machine, the control apparatus executes entry restriction control for restricting an entry to the fuel supply facility by the earth-moving machine.