Off-Road Vehicle Slip Control System for Soil Compaction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Off-road vehicles experience significant slippage in soft soil conditions, leading to soil compaction, rutting, and increased operational inefficiencies, as well as the risk of becoming stuck, which hampers agricultural operations such as tillage, planting, and harvesting.

Innovation Solution

A slip control system that monitors the magnitude and rate of change of slippage, using threshold values to trigger actions like engaging four-wheel drive, differential locking, reducing ground engagement depth, or stopping the vehicle to mitigate slippage and prevent soil compaction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the vehicle operates in soft soil conditions to maintain productivity, then field operations can continue, but slippage increases causing soil compaction and rutting

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefield operation efficiencyVSAvoidsoil compaction and rutting

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control system continuously monitors slippage magnitude and rate of change, comparing these values against threshold values. When slippage exceeds thresholds, the system automatically adjusts ground engagement depth or activates traction control, creating a closed-loop feedback mechanism that prevents soil compaction while maintaining productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the ground engagement depth of ground engaging tools based on real-time slippage conditions. By making the engagement depth variable rather than fixed, the system adapts to changing soil conditions to optimize both productivity and soil protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the vehicle increases ground engagement depth to improve traction, then slippage is reduced, but the risk of becoming stuck increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraction stabilityVSAvoidvehicle getting stuck

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The ground engagement depth is dynamically adjusted based on slippage conditions. When slippage is detected, engagement depth increases to improve traction; when slippage is reduced, engagement depth decreases to prevent the vehicle from becoming stuck, creating an adaptive traction control system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The control system uses feedback from slippage monitoring to automatically adjust ground engagement depth. This closed-loop control ensures traction stability is maintained while preventing the vehicle from becoming stuck by reducing engagement when slippage conditions improve

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the vehicle reduces ground engagement depth to prevent soil compaction, then soil damage is minimized, but traction and productivity decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesoil compactionVSAvoidfield operation efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts ground engagement depth based on real-time slippage monitoring. Engagement depth is reduced only when and where slippage occurs, rather than being uniformly reduced across all operations, thereby minimizing soil damage while maintaining productivity during normal operating conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Object-affected harmful factors

If threshold values are set low to prevent soil compaction, then soil protection is improved, but false alarms and unnecessary actions increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesoil compaction preventionVSAvoidcontrol system accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system requires slippage to exceed threshold values for a predetermined time duration before triggering control actions. This preliminary action requirement filters out transient slippage events and prevents false alarms, ensuring the system only responds to genuine slippage conditions that could cause soil compaction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

5Reliability

If the system continuously monitors and adjusts ground engagement depth, then slippage control is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveslippage control effectivenessVSAvoidcontrol system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control system implements continuous monitoring of slippage magnitude and rate of change with automatic feedback control. Slippage is calculated by comparing ground speed (from GPS) with wheel rotation speed, and this feedback drives automatic adjustment of ground engagement depth through hydraulic control of the implement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11235772B2Slip control system for an off-road vehicle

Publication Date: 2022.02.01 AUTONOMOUS SOLUTIONS INC

AI summary

A slip control system for an off-road vehicle includes a control system configured to output a signal indicative of a first action if a magnitude of slippage of the off-road vehicle relative to a soil surface is greater than a first threshold value and less than or equal to a second threshold value. Furthermore, the control system is configured to output a signal indicative of a second action, different than the first action, if the magnitude of slippage is greater than the second threshold value.