Pipelayer Counterweight Dynamics for Extended Boom Lifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pipelayers face challenges in maintaining stability and lifting capacity due to the arbitrary operation of counterweights, which limits their ability to handle heavy loads and navigate rugged terrain without increasing size and cost, especially when operating in remote and challenging environments.
Innovation Solution
A pipelayer with a position sensor and processor-controlled counterweight system that deploys only when the boom extends beyond a predetermined distance, allowing for increased lifting capacity without enlarging the undercarriage, boom, or engine, by enabling the counterweight to counterbalance the load within a specific heavy-lift operating range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the counterweight is extended to counterbalance heavy loads, then lifting capacity is improved, but the pipelayer becomes less maneuverable and more unstable when the boom is retracted
Solution Approach 1:
The counterweight system is made dynamically adjustable based on boom position. The counterweight can be automatically extended or retracted depending on whether the boom is in a lifted or retracted position, allowing the system to adapt its stability characteristics to match the current operational state and load requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to detect boom position and provides feedback to the control system, which then automatically adjusts the counterweight position accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures the counterweight is optimally positioned for the current boom state, maximizing both lifting capacity and maneuverability
2Ease of operation
If the counterweight system is made manually controllable, then ease of operation is improved, but lifting precision and stability are reduced due to arbitrary positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors boom position through sensors and automatically adjusts the counterweight to the optimal position for the current load condition. This feedback mechanism eliminates arbitrary positioning while maintaining full operator control over the lifting operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-adjustment of the counterweight position based on sensed boom conditions, eliminating the need for manual intervention in positioning while keeping the operator in control of the overall lifting process
3Power
If the pipelayer is designed with larger undercarriage and boom to increase lifting capacity, then lifting capacity is improved, but weight and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a movable counterweight that can be dynamically positioned to counterbalance the moment created by the load and boom configuration. This allows the pipelayer to achieve higher lifting capacity without increasing the size of the undercarriage or permanent structural components
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than using a fixed, oversized structure, the system employs dynamic adjustment of the counterweight position to match actual load requirements. This allows the machine to handle heavy loads when needed while maintaining a compact, lightweight base structure
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
This solution enhances the pipelayer's lifting capacity by up to 15% across a wide range of operating conditions while maintaining the same machine weight, preventing tipping and increasing maneuverability and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a position sensor adapted to measure a parameter indicative of a distance a boom is extended away from an undercarriage
Implementation Method 2
the counterweight can be swung away from the chassis of the pipelayer on the side of the pipelayer opposite to the boom and thus counterbalance the weight of the load being lifted
Data Source
AI summary
A pipelayer providing higher lifting capacities without adding weight or size to an undercarriage or boom of the pipelayer is disclosed. The pipelayer is designed and sized to have a maximum lifting capacity when the boom is extended from the undercarriage a predetermined, relatively short distance. However, in use the boom often needs to extend further away from the undercarriage, and in so doing the lifting capacity of the pipelayer decreases. The present disclosure provides additional lifting capacity in that extended range by selectively deploying a counterweight away from the undercarriage once the boom is extended past the predetermined distance. In so doing, not only is the lifting capacity of the pipelayer increased, but the size and weight of the undercarriage and boom are not increased. This enables standard sized undercarriages and other supporting structure to be used, thereby aiding in maneuverability and shipping of the pipelayers, while at the same time reducing manufacturing and usage costs.