Pneumatic Pressure Monitoring for Hydraulic Rock Breakers

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing monitoring systems for hydraulic rock drilling machines are complex, vulnerable, and expensive, lacking effective methods to monitor the operation of hydraulically operable percussion devices.

Innovation Solution

A hydraulic rock drilling machine equipped with pneumatic pressure sensors to monitor the operation of a hydraulically operable percussion device, utilizing pressure sensing devices to analyze pneumatic pressure fluctuations for controlling and optimizing the drilling process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If complicated sensing means and arrangements are used for monitoring the percussion device, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring system reliabilityVSAvoidsensing system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the monitoring function from complex hydraulic/electronic sensing systems and implements it through a simple pneumatic pressure sensor that detects pressure fluctuations in the air reservoir caused by piston reciprocation. This separates the monitoring purpose from the main hydraulic system, achieving reliable monitoring with minimal complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of directly sensing the piston movement or hydraulic parameters, the system creates a pneumatic copy of the piston's reciprocating motion through pressure fluctuations in the air reservoir. These pressure variations mirror the piston's movement pattern, providing indirect but accurate monitoring data with simple sensors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Measurement precision

If hydraulic pressure sensing is used to monitor piston movement, then measurement accuracy is improved, but system vulnerability and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepiston movement detection accuracyVSAvoidsensing system stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces air as an intermediary medium between the piston and the sensor. The pneumatic pressure sensor detects pressure fluctuations in the air reservoir that are caused by piston reciprocation, rather than directly sensing hydraulic pressure or mechanical position. This intermediary approach isolates the sensor from the harsh hydraulic environment while maintaining measurement accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex mechanical or hydraulic sensing arrangements with a simple pneumatic pressure sensing system. By converting mechanical piston movement into pneumatic pressure fluctuations, the system achieves accurate measurement with more reliable and less vulnerable sensing components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

Provides accurate and cost-effective monitoring of the percussion device, enabling efficient control of the drilling process, predicting maintenance needs, and optimizing operational parameters.

Implementation Method 1

the at least one pressure sensing device is configured to sense pneumatic pressure fluctuations of the air-oil mist prevailing inside the body caused by reciprocating movement of the hydraulically operated reciprocating percussion piston of the hydraulic percussion device

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPneumatic pressure fluctuations: Pressure Gradient

Implementation Method 2

an oil mist lubrication system for providing pressurized air-oil mist flow inside the body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAir-oil mist flow: Aerosol

Data Source

PatentEP3889388B1Apparatus, rock breaking machine and method of monitoring rock breaking machine
Publication Date: 2025.11.12 SANDVIK MINING & CONSTR OY
  • EP3889388B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3889388B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3889388B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A hydraulic rock breaking machine and an apparatus and method for monitoring operation of same. The apparatus comprises at least one pneumatic sensor (S) for monitoring an inner space of the machine (10) and at least one control unit (CU) configured to receive and process the pneumatic sensing data.