Heavy Equipment Proximity Sensor Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The operation of heavy construction equipment, particularly in mining environments, is hazardous due to the risk of collisions between multiple machines operating in close proximity, with operators facing overwhelming tasks that can lead to accidents and equipment damage, such as broken teeth or adapters jamming the milling process.
Innovation Solution
A safety system utilizing transmitters and sensors to monitor the location of mobile units relative to excavation mechanisms, with alarms and alerts to prevent collisions and detect missing teeth or adapters, ensuring operator safety and maintaining production flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple heavy equipment operators work in close proximity to complete their tasks, then productivity is improved, but the risk of collisions and accidents increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses proximity sensors to continuously monitor the spatial relationships between heavy equipment and provides real-time feedback through visual and audible alarms to operators when equipment enters dangerous proximity zones, enabling timely corrective action to prevent collisions while maintaining operational efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The proximity detection system acts as an intermediary safety layer between multiple pieces of heavy equipment, using sensors and alarm mechanisms to mediate interactions and prevent harmful collisions without directly controlling the equipment operations
2Reliability
If the excavator operator monitors for tooth and adapter breakage, then equipment damage is prevented, but the operator's attention is divided and collision risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs sensors that automatically detect tooth and adapter breakage conditions on the excavator, providing self-monitoring capability that eliminates the need for the operator to manually watch for equipment failures, thereby freeing the operator's attention for monitoring surrounding equipment and preventing collisions
3Measurement precision
If proximity sensors are mounted on the excavation mechanism, then collision detection is improved, but the sensors are vulnerable to damage from broken teeth and adapters
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the detection function into two independent parts: proximity sensors mounted on the mobile dozer that detect the excavator's position, and separate sensors on the excavator that detect tooth/adapter integrity, eliminating the vulnerability of mounting proximity sensors on the excavator where they could be damaged by broken teeth
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile dozer equipped with proximity sensors serves as an intermediary detection platform, allowing the system to monitor excavator position without exposing vulnerable sensors to the hazardous environment around the excavator's digging teeth
Data Source
AI summary
A safety system for an ore processing facility using a mobile mechanisms such as dozer-type wheeled vehicles operating in proximity with an excavator providing ore to a remote milling site. The excavator or earth moving mechanism has a positioning sensor (such as GPS) generating data indicative of the location of the earth moving mechanism and each of the mobile mechanisms also include positioning sensors. An analysis mechanism receives the positioning sensor data from the earth moving mechanism and the positioning sensor data from said mobile mechanisms and creates a distance calculation which is used alert the alarm in the earth moving mechanism and the alarm in the mobile mechanism if said distance calculation is less than a prescribed value.