Hydraulic Warm-Up Control for Construction Machine Fluid Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Construction machines, such as excavators, require workers to manually operate the operation lever for an extended period to raise the temperature of the working fluid to a suitable level for winter operations, leading to inefficiency and inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
A construction machine equipped with an automatic warm-up system that includes a control device, a bypass cut valve, and a heating device, which automatically increases the engine's revolutions and flow rate of the hydraulic pump to rapidly raise the working fluid's temperature, reducing the need for manual operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the worker manually operates the operation lever continuously to raise the working fluid temperature, then the temperature of the working fluid increases, but the operational time required increases and worker convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control device activates the hydraulic pump before the worker manually operates the operation lever, pre-raising the working fluid temperature. This preliminary action reduces the time needed for manual warming operations in cold environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the hydraulic pump's own discharge to circulate and heat the working fluid through the main control valve's bypass flow path, without requiring external heating devices. The working fluid heats itself through internal circulation driven by the hydraulic pump.
2Temperature
If the worker manually operates the operation lever continuously to raise the working fluid temperature, then the temperature of the working fluid increases, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control device automatically activates the hydraulic pump and manages the warming process without requiring continuous manual operation of the operation lever. The system self-regulates the warming process, significantly improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device monitors the working fluid temperature and automatically adjusts the hydraulic pump operation and bypass valve positioning to maintain optimal warming conditions, eliminating the need for continuous manual intervention.
3Productivity
If the hydraulic pump operates without load during warm-up, then the worker can operate other equipment, but the temperature rise of the working fluid slows down
Solution Approach 1:
The control device activates the hydraulic pump in advance before the worker needs to operate other equipment, initiating the warming process early. This ensures the working fluid temperature rises sufficiently before production operations begin.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic activation of the hydraulic pump combined with bypass valve control to maintain continuous circulation and heat generation, ensuring steady temperature rise even when the worker operates other equipment intermittently.
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 allows for efficient and automatic temperature increase of the working fluid, reducing operational time and worker inconvenience, while minimizing the risk of hydraulic equipment damage.
Implementation Method 1
a construction machine includes: one or more hydraulic pumps discharging a working fluid
Implementation Method 2
an oil tank storing the working fluid to be supplied to the hydraulic pump, and retrieving the working fluid that has been discharged from the hydraulic pump and moving along the hydraulic line; and a heating device raising the temperature of the working fluid stored in the oil tank
Data Source
AI summary
A construction machine includes: one or more hydraulic pumps discharging a working fluid; an engine supplying a rotational power to the hydraulic pumps; a hydraulic line through which the working fluid discharged by the hydraulic pumps moves; a main control valve provided on the hydraulic line and controlling supply of the working fluid to a traveling device or one or more of various working devices, which require the working fluid; a bypass cut valve provided on the hydraulic line at a lower side thereof than the main control valve to open and close the hydraulic line; an automatic warm-up switch generating a warm-up operation signal for raising a temperature of the working fluid before an operation starts; and a control device performing a warm-up operation for increasing the number of revolutions of the engine and opening the bypass cut valve to increase a flow rate along the hydraulic line, when the warm-up operation signal is received from the automatic warm-up switch.