Loader Wheel Slip Control Using Pitch and Bucket Load Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heavy machinery, such as wheel loaders, experience over-slipping of wheels when attempting to fill a bucket with stockpiled material, leading to reduced operational efficiency, increased tire wear, and damage to the ground surface, particularly for novice operators or self-driven machinery.
Innovation Solution
A computer system that uses processing circuitry to obtain indications of pitch angle, wheel speed, and loading force to determine the risk of over-slipping and performs longitudinal slip control based on a target slip value, adjusting engine speed and clutch to prevent over-slipping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the loader applies more torque to the wheels to push the bucket into the material pile, then the bucket can be driven further into the pile, but the wheels may over-slip reducing traction and causing tire wear
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors wheel rotational speed and compares it with the vehicle's actual forward speed to detect slip conditions. When over-slip is detected, the control system automatically adjusts engine torque and clutch engagement to reduce wheel spin, creating a closed-loop feedback control mechanism that maintains optimal traction without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The slip control system operates autonomously by sensing wheel slip conditions and automatically adjusting power transmission parameters. The system serves itself by detecting its own slip state through sensors and correcting the issue through automated clutch and engine control, eliminating the need for operator experience or manual throttle adjustment.
2Productivity
If the loader increases wheel torque to overcome resistance from the material pile, then the bucket can be filled more effectively, but ground surface damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system proactively detects conditions that precede over-slip (such as high pitch angle combined with high bucket loading) and preemptively reduces engine torque and clutch engagement before wheel spin occurs. This preliminary anti-action prevents the harmful effect of ground surface damage while maintaining sufficient traction for effective bucket filling.
3Ease of operation
If novice operators or self-driven machinery attempt to drive into the material pile without experience, then the bucket can be filled, but wheel over-slip occurs reducing operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The slip control system provides automated assistance that eliminates the need for operator experience. By continuously monitoring wheel slip and automatically adjusting power transmission, the system enables novice operators or fully autonomous machinery to achieve optimal bucket filling efficiency without requiring knowledge of throttle control techniques.
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
Prevents over-slipping by maintaining optimal traction, reducing tire and surface wear, and enhancing operational efficiency by ensuring the bucket is fully filled without damaging the ground.
Implementation Method 1
obtain an indication of a pitch angle of the piece of heavy machinery relative to a surface on which the piece of heavy machinery is driven
Implementation Method 2
obtain an indication of a speed of a center of a wheel of the piece of heavy machinery parallel to the surface
Implementation Method 3
obtain an indication of a rotational speed of the wheel around its center
Implementation Method 4
perform longitudinal slip control for the wheel to avoid the over-slipping of the wheel, wherein said slip control is performed based on a difference between a target longitudinal slip value and an actual longitudinal slip value
Data Source
AI summary
A piece of heavy machinery is provided, with a computer system and processing circuitry configured to obtain indications of a pitch angle of the machine, a speed of a wheel center relative ground surface, a rotational speed of the wheel and a loading of a bucket of the machine, to determine that there is a risk of over-slipping the wheel based on the indicated pitch angle and bucket loading, and in response to the determining perform longitudinal slip control for the wheel to avoid the over-slipping. A corresponding computer system, computer-implemented method, computer program product and computer-readable storage medium are also provided.