Hydraulic Parallel Lift Controller for Tilt Angle Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heavy equipment operators face difficulties in maintaining the desired tilt angle of work tools during lifting, leading to potential material spillage due to naturally occurring tilt changes, requiring dual-control manual procedures that are error-prone and challenging to manage.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic system with a controller that receives operator input for lift and tilt velocities, includes sensors for actual tilt angle monitoring, and automatically adjusts the tilt actuator to maintain a specified tilt angle range during lifting, reducing the need for simultaneous tilt adjustments by the operator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual dual-control procedure is used to adjust tilt cylinder during lifting, then tilt angle can be maintained, but operation complexity increases and error probability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensors to automatically detect the work tool's tilt angle and the controller automatically adjusts the tilt cylinder to maintain the desired angle, eliminating the need for manual dual-control operation. The system serves itself by autonomously compensating for tilt changes during lifting without operator intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where sensors continuously monitor the actual tilt angle of the work tool and feed this information back to the controller. The controller then adjusts the tilt cylinder based on this feedback to maintain the desired tilt angle, creating a closed-loop control system that automatically corrects deviations.
2Ease of operation
If automatic parallel lift system is implemented, then operator workload is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual mechanical control with an automated electronic control system. Sensors detect tilt angle and the controller electronically commands the tilt cylinder to adjust, substituting the operator's manual mechanical adjustments with an automated sensing and control system.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller performs multiple functions: it manages both lift and tilt operations, processes sensor inputs, calculates required adjustments, and commands actuators. This multi-functional approach consolidates control logic into a single device, managing complexity through functional integration rather than proliferation of separate components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively maintains a consistent tilt angle during lifting operations, reducing the risk of material spillage and simplifying operator control by automating tilt adjustments, thus enhancing operational efficiency and accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a pump configured to pressurize fluid
Implementation Method 2
a lift valve arrangement configured to meter pressurized fluid from the pump into the lift actuator
Implementation Method 3
a tilt valve arrangement configured to meter pressurized fluid from the pump into the tilt actuator
Data Source
AI summary
A hydraulic system is disclosed. The hydraulic system may have a pump, a lift actuator, a lift valve arrangement, a tilt actuator, a tilt valve arrangement, and a tilt angle sensor configured to generate a first signal. The hydraulic system may further have at least one operator interface device movable to generate a second signal indicative of a desired lift velocity and a third signal indicative of desired tilt velocity, and a controller. The controller may be configured to command the lift valve arrangement to meter pressurized fluid based on the second signal, command the tilt valve arrangement to meter pressurized fluid based on the third signal and, when the first signal indicates that the actual tilt angle has entered a specified range of tilt angles during lifting, command the tilt valve arrangement to meter pressurized fluid based on the second signal as the actual tilt angle remains within the specified range.