Microtrencher Utility Avoidance Detection and Spoil Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microtrenching methods are inefficient due to the need for continuous manual removal of spoil, increased risk of cutting buried utilities, and high costs associated with installing optical fiber networks, especially in urban areas where speed and safety are critical.
Innovation Solution
A microtrencher equipped with a utility avoidance safety device that includes an under-roadway detection unit, computer system, and user interface to detect buried utilities, alert operators, and adjust the cutting wheel's position to avoid utilities, while also utilizing a multifunctional reel carrier and spoil material handling container device for continuous spoil removal and recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If microtrenching is performed at higher speeds to increase installation efficiency, then productivity is improved, but the risk of unintentionally cutting buried utilities increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of buried utilities using ground-penetrating radar and other detection units before the cutting wheel engages in microtrenching. This advance detection allows the system to map utility locations and adjust the cutting path or depth in real-time, enabling high-speed operation without compromising safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors detection data from under-roadway sensors and provides real-time feedback to control the cutting wheel's position and depth. This closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the microtrencher to automatically adjust its operation to avoid detected utilities while maintaining high cutting speeds.
2Device complexity
If conventional microtrenching methods are used without continuous spoil removal, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of time increases due to repeated stopping for spoil removal
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines the microtrenching cutting function with continuous spoil removal capabilities in a single integrated platform. The cutting wheel is equipped with vacuum systems and spoil containers that operate simultaneously with the cutting process, eliminating the need to stop for spoil removal while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous cutting action by simultaneously removing spoil during the microtrenching process. The vacuum system continuously evacuates spoil from the trench as it is created, and spoil containers continuously collect and transport material, allowing the cutting wheel to operate without interruption.
3Device complexity
If manual spoil removal methods are used, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases due to repeated stopping and dumping operations
Solution Approach 1:
The microtrencher system performs spoil removal autonomously through integrated vacuum systems and onboard containers. The system self-manages the entire process from cutting to spoil evacuation without requiring external equipment or manual intervention, maintaining simplicity while achieving continuous operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a microtrencher having a utility avoidance system that detects objects buried under the roadway, identifies whether the buried object is a utility and determines whether the buried utility is in the path of the cutting wheel. If the buried utility is in the path of the cutting wheel, an alert is sent to the operator, the vehicle is stopped, and/or the cutting wheel is raised in relation to the roadway. Also provided is a method of using the microtrencher to cut a microtrench in a roadway and to avoid cutting a buried utility in the path of the cutting wheel.