Concrete Mixer Discharge Control for Pump Hopper Level Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mixer vehicles face challenges in coordinating the discharge of concrete to receiving devices, leading to potential overfilling or underfilling, which can result in air ingress into pumps, affecting the quality of the concrete pour and efficiency of the process.
Innovation Solution
A control system equipped with sensors to detect the state of the receiving device and adjust the mixer vehicle's state, such as the position of the chute and rotation rate of the drum, to match the desired state, ensuring a controlled and efficient discharge of concrete.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual coordination is used for mixer discharge, then operational simplicity is maintained, but overfilling or underfilling occurs leading to air ingress and reduced quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs sensors to detect the state of the receiving device (hopper/bunker) and feeds this information back to the control system. The control system continuously monitors the receiving device state and adjusts the mixer drum rotation rate and chute position in real-time based on this feedback, preventing overfilling and underfilling conditions that cause air ingress.
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous discharge system enables the mixer vehicle to automatically coordinate its discharge process without manual intervention. The control system independently manages drum rotation, chute positioning, and discharge timing based on sensor data, making the system self-regulating and eliminating the need for operator coordination.
2Reliability
If autonomous discharge control is implemented, then concrete supply consistency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors mounted on the receiving device provide continuous feedback about the concrete level and receiving device state. This feedback loop enables the control system to maintain reliable concrete supply by automatically adjusting discharge parameters to match the receiving device's capacity and consumption rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system integrates multiple functions into a single autonomous discharge control unit: it processes sensor data, determines optimal discharge timing and rate, controls drum rotation speed, and adjusts chute position. This multi-functional integration improves reliability while managing system complexity through consolidation.
3Productivity
If discharge rate is increased to improve efficiency, then productivity increases, but air ingress risk increases leading to quality issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the drum rotation rate and discharge parameters in real-time based on the receiving device's state. Rather than using a fixed high discharge rate, the system optimizes the discharge speed continuously to match receiving conditions, maintaining both high productivity and concrete quality by preventing air ingress through adaptive control.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system changes operational parameters (drum rotation rate, chute angle, discharge timing) based on sensor feedback about the receiving device state. This dynamic parameter adjustment allows the system to maintain optimal discharge speed that maximizes productivity while ensuring concrete quality by avoiding air ingress conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a prime mover, a mixer drum assembly configured to selectively discharge a contents thereof, and a control system having a sensor. The control system is configured to detect, via the sensor, a state of a receiving device that is configured to receive the contents discharged from the mixer drum assembly, determine a desired state of the receiving device, adjust a vehicle state to reduce a difference between the state of the receiving device and the desired state of the receiving device, and cause a presentation of an indication of the adjustment of the vehicle state.