Wheeled Loader Ground Grip Control via Wheel Position Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wheeled loaders engaged in dozing operations, particularly in landfills, experience high transmission failure rates due to the lifting of front wheels off the ground, which reduces contact surface and damping, leading to increased tensile stress and slipping, and existing solutions either reduce performance or waste fluid power.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that measure the relative position of front wheels with respect to the ground, detecting a critical threshold value to inhibit further tilting and lowering of the bucket and booms, using sensors and an electronic control unit to maintain ground contact and prevent wheel lifting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the front wheels are lifted off the ground during dozing operations, then the operator can push the bucket downwards to advance inside the yard, but the contact surface between tires and ground is reduced, decreasing tensile stress capacity and eliminating damping of transmission mode shape
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the vertical position of the front wheels using sensors and provides feedback to the control unit. When the front wheels are detected to be lifted off the ground, the control unit automatically adjusts the bucket angle to restore wheel contact, creating a closed-loop control system that prevents transmission damage while maintaining dozing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the bucket angle based on real-time wheel position data. The bucket angle is not fixed but varies continuously to maintain optimal ground contact, transforming a static configuration into a dynamically adaptive system that responds to changing operational conditions
2Productivity
If the front wheels are lifted off the ground, then the bucket can be pushed downwards for dozing, but the damping of transmission mode shape is almost completely eliminated, causing increased transmission failures
Solution Approach 1:
The control system uses continuous feedback from position sensors to detect when front wheels lose ground contact. Upon detection, the system automatically modifies bucket angle commands to restore contact, ensuring damping is maintained during dozing operations without sacrificing productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system takes preliminary action by continuously monitoring wheel position and preparing to adjust bucket angle before transmission damage can occur. The control unit proactively prevents wheel lift-off rather than reacting after damage has occurred
3Adaptability or versatility
If adhesion between tires and ground varies due to oily waste, then the loader can adapt to different surface conditions, but sudden braking or wheel slipping provides impulse excitation to the transmission mode shape
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors wheel position and detects sudden changes that indicate slipping or braking events. When such events are detected, the control unit adjusts bucket angle to restore stable wheel-ground contact, preventing impulse excitation to the transmission even when adhesion conditions vary
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides beforehand cushioning by maintaining continuous ground contact through automatic bucket angle adjustment. This prevents sudden impulse loads from reaching the transmission by ensuring the wheels remain grounded as a cushioning element
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling the ground grip of a wheeled loader having a pair of front wheels, a bucket, and at least one boom, comprising measuring the relative position of said front wheels with respect to the ground, detecting the reaching of a critical threshold value by measuring the relative position of the front wheels with respect to the ground, comparing the measurement of the relative position of the front wheels to a critical threshold value, and, when the measurement of the relative position of the front wheels with respect to the ground reaches the critical threshold value, inhibiting a further tilting of the bucket and a further lowering of the at least one boom.