Rapid Energy Coupling for Mobile Gantry Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile gantries used for arranging and removing covering material from trench silos are inefficient due to the time-consuming process of uncoupling and recoupling rollers and energy sources, leading to high costs and reduced usage.
Innovation Solution
A device with a carriage on the mobile gantry equipped with a mechanical coupling and a rapid energy coupling, allowing the energy source to be easily uncoupled from the gantry and transferred to another gantry, reducing the need for multiple energy sources and gantries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a mobile gantry with hydraulically driven wheels is used to displace over trench silos, then the gantry can be moved along and between trench silos, but the displacement from one trench silo to the next takes a lot of time due to uncoupling rollers and moving the gantry over the trench silo
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional modules: the mobile gantry for covering operations and the carriage with energy source that can be independently coupled and uncoupled. This segmentation allows the energy source to remain on the gantry during covering operations while being quickly transferable between gantries, reducing the time needed for gantry displacement between trench silos.
Solution Approach 2:
The carriage with energy source is prepared in advance and can be quickly coupled to the mobile gantry using rapid coupling mechanisms. This preliminary preparation of the energy transfer system eliminates the time-consuming process of moving the entire gantry over the trench silo, as the energy source can be independently and rapidly transferred between gantries positioned at different trench silos.
2Adaptability or versatility
If two mobile gantries are used to serve multiple trench silos, then coverage of multiple silos is possible, but the costs double and the gantry is not in use for a large part of the time
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile gantry is designed with universal coupling mechanisms that allow it to be quickly coupled to different carriages with energy sources, or to have its own energy source transferred between gantries. This multi-functionality enables a single gantry to serve multiple trench silos sequentially without requiring duplicate gantries, reducing costs while maintaining the ability to cover multiple silos.
Solution Approach 2:
The carriage with energy source acts as an intermediary between multiple gantries and trench silos. Instead of requiring multiple complete gantries, the energy source can be transferred through the carriage to different gantries that service different trench silos, enabling one gantry to effectively serve multiple silos by receiving energy from the intermediary carriage.
3Device complexity
If an agricultural tractor is used as an external energy source for the mobile gantry, then costs for the gantry are reduced, but the tractor is unable to travel between two trench silos necessitating very long hydraulic hoses
Solution Approach 1:
The energy source is segmented from the tractor and placed on a separate carriage that can be positioned between trench silos. This segmentation eliminates the need for long hydraulic hoses connecting a distant tractor to the gantry, as the energy source is now locally positioned on the carriage that moves with the gantry, significantly improving ease of operation.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a roller with covering material is uncoupled and recoupled when moving between trench silos, then the gantry can service different silos, but the process is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The energy source is transferred to the gantry in advance through the carriage before the gantry moves to service the next trench silo. This preliminary energy transfer eliminates the need to uncouple and recouple the entire roller assembly with covering material, as only the energy source needs to be transferred, significantly reducing the time for uncoupling and coupling operations while maintaining the ability to service different silos.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for arranging and removing a strip of covering material, such as film or cloth, on a trench silo, which device comprises: - a mobile gantry with means for holding a roller with covering material and at least one motor for driving the mobile gantry in order to move the gantry along the trench silo; - a carriage arranged on the mobile gantry with a mechanical coupling; - an energy source, such as a generator, battery or hydraulic pump, arranged on the carriage; and - a rapid coupling for coupling the energy source to the at least one motor.