Intermediate Storage Vehicle for Continuous Roadway Milling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In roadway construction, surface milling machines face downtime and productivity losses due to the need for frequent vehicle replacements during the transportation of milled material, especially when operating on a single lane, as the transport vehicle must alternate speeds to keep pace with the slow-moving milling machine, leading to inefficient loading and unloading processes.
Innovation Solution
A self-propelled intermediate storage vehicle with a milled material store and load transfer conveyor that allows continuous operation of the surface milling machine by decoupling it from the coordination with transport vehicles, enabling temporary storage and independent transfer of milled material to multiple vehicles, thus eliminating the need for continuous vehicle replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If transport vehicles alternate speeds to keep pace with the slow-moving milling machine, then the milling machine can continue operating, but the transport vehicles experience inefficient loading and unloading processes and the milling machine faces downtime during vehicle replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into three independent functional units: the milling machine, the intermediate storage vehicle, and transport vehicles. The intermediate storage vehicle acts as a buffer that decouples the milling operation from the transport operation, allowing each to operate independently at their own optimal speeds without causing downtime
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate storage vehicle serves as an intermediary between the milling machine and transport vehicles. It temporarily stores milled material and enables transfer to multiple transport vehicles without requiring the milling machine to stop, thus eliminating downtime during vehicle replacement
2Device complexity
If only one transport vehicle is used for loading milled material, then the system is simpler to operate, but the milling machine must stop for significant time periods when the transport vehicle is being replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate storage vehicle is pre-filled with milled material during the milling operation. When transport vehicles are replaced, the storage vehicle already contains material ready for transfer, eliminating waiting time and allowing continuous milling operation without requiring complex coordination
3Ease of operation
If the transport vehicle drives back and forth relative to the surface milling machine, then the vehicle can load and unload material, but the driving pattern becomes complicated and demands high concentration from drivers
Solution Approach 1:
The loading and unloading operations are separated into distinct phases. The intermediate storage vehicle receives material during milling, then separately transfers it to transport vehicles. This segmentation allows both vehicles to move in straightforward directions without complex back-and-forth maneuvers, reducing driving complexity and improving ease of operation
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an intermediate storage vehicle for storing milled material and also to a work train with such an intermediate storage vehicle, a surface milling machine and a transport vehicle.