Mixer Pump Control for Smooth Concrete Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for mixing and pumping liquid concrete result in dynamic load peaks, jerky movements, and vibrations due to abrupt switching of the mixing drum, leading to wear and inefficient material supply coordination.
Innovation Solution
The drive of the concrete pump is controlled via a remote unit, with automatic monitoring of the buffer tank fill level, and the quantity of liquid concrete added is adjusted based on the fill level and pump status, ensuring smooth coordination of inflow and outflow to prevent overflow and air suction, while varying the mixing drum speed according to the delivery rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the mixing drum is switched on and off abruptly to control concrete supply, then the buffer tank fill level can be controlled, but dynamic load peaks and vibrations occur causing wear and tear
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing drum speed is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The control unit varies the rotational speed of the mixing drum based on pump operation status and buffer tank fill level, allowing smooth transitions between different speed states to avoid abrupt switching and its associated vibrations and wear.
Solution Approach 2:
A feedback control system is implemented where the control unit continuously monitors the buffer tank fill level and pump operation status, then adjusts the mixing drum speed accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures reliable fill level management while eliminating the need for abrupt on/off switching.
2Quantity of substance
If the mixing drum rotates faster to increase concrete supply, then the buffer tank fill level increases, but the risk of overflow increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing drum speed is dynamically adjusted based on real-time buffer tank fill level and pump operation status. When the pump is running, higher speeds are used to maintain sufficient supply; when the pump stops or the tank is full, the speed is reduced or halted, preventing overflow while maximizing concrete supply during active pumping.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotational speed parameter of the mixing drum is continuously varied according to operational conditions. The control unit modifies this parameter based on pump status and fill level signals, optimizing the balance between concrete supply rate and overflow prevention.
3Ease of operation
If the mixing drum is controlled separately from the concrete pump, then operational independence is maintained, but coordination between supply and discharge volumes is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The control functions of the mixing drum and concrete pump are merged into a single integrated control unit. This unified control system coordinates both operations based on pump status and buffer tank fill level, ensuring optimal supply-discharge balance while maintaining ease of operation through centralized control.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated control unit uses feedback from pump operation status and buffer tank level sensors to automatically coordinate the mixing drum speed. This ensures that concrete supply is optimally matched to discharge volume without requiring separate manual control, improving productivity while maintaining operational simplicity.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
AI summary
The mixer pump has a mixing drum (16) driven by a rotary drive (42) with variable revolution speed, and a buffer tank (18) loaded with liquid concrete from the mixing drum. A concrete pump (20) is attached at the buffer tank and is driven by a drive mechanism with variable conveyor capability. An upper filling level probe (48) is arranged within the upper area of the buffer tank. A control device (44) is attached at the signal output of the upper filling level probe. The concrete pump has a signal generator for indicating the operating condition. An independent claim is included for a method for operating a mixer pump.