Refuse Vehicle Lift Assembly Closed-Loop Vibration Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Refuse vehicles experience undesirable vibrations during operation due to the lift assembly, which affects the riding comfort of the operator.
Innovation Solution
A refuse vehicle equipped with a lift assembly that includes a track and a grabber assembly, where position sensors provide data for closed-loop control, allowing the controller to adjust the speed of actuators and delay operations to reduce vibrations caused by impacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the lift assembly operates at high speed to improve productivity, then the collection efficiency increases, but the vibrations and impacts generated during operation increase, worsening the operator's riding comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The controller proactively adjusts the operational parameters of the lift assembly before impacts occur. By monitoring the position of the grabber and track, the system predicts upcoming impact events and pre-adjusts actuator speeds to minimize vibration generation, rather than reacting after the vibration has already occurred.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the speed of actuators based on real-time operational conditions. The controller continuously varies actuator speeds throughout the lift cycle, maintaining optimal speeds during low-impact phases while reducing speeds during high-impact phases, creating a dynamic speed profile that balances productivity with comfort.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the lift assembly operates with delayed actuator control to reduce vibrations, then the riding comfort improves, but the operational time and cycle duration increase, reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The controller implements periodic speed adjustments throughout the lift cycle, creating a pattern of accelerated and decelerated motion. By strategically timing these periodic speed changes to coincide with impact events, the system reduces vibrations at critical moments while maintaining normal operational speeds during non-impact phases, preventing overall cycle time extension.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (actuator speeds) selectively and temporarily only during critical impact phases rather than maintaining reduced speeds throughout the entire cycle. This localized parameter adjustment minimizes vibrations during impacts while preserving productivity during non-impact portions of the operational cycle.
3Measurement precision
If position sensors and closed-loop control are added to the lift assembly, then the vibration control precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring the positions of the grabber and track using sensors, comparing these positions to desired positions, and adjusting actuator commands based on the detected deviations. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables precise vibration control while keeping the control logic relatively simple through direct position-based adjustments.
Data Source
AI summary
A refuse vehicle includes a chassis, a body coupled to the chassis and configured to store a volume of refuse, a lift assembly, and a controller. The lift assembly includes a track coupled to the chassis, a track actuator configured to move the track relative to the chassis, a track position sensor configured to provide track position data indicating a position of the track relative to the chassis, a grabber coupled to the track and configured to engage a refuse container, a lift actuator configured to move the grabber relative to the track, and a grabber position sensor configured to provide grabber position data indicating a position of the grabber relative to the track. The controller is configured to control the track actuator and the lift actuator based on the grabber position data and the track position data.