Temperature-Based Movement Measurement for Construction Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional measurement systems for construction machines, such as road finishers, face challenges in accurately determining movement parameters like speed due to the low local resolution of GPS and susceptibility to slip and inaccuracies in GNSS/GPS signals, especially in environments like tunnels or under bridges.
Innovation Solution
A measurement system that employs a temperature measuring device, like a thermopile array or pyrometer array, to determine surface temperatures across a measuring field shifted in relation to the construction machine's movement, allowing for precise calculation of movement parameters like speed by tracking shifts in temperature zones, independent of GPS accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS is used to determine movement parameters, then the system can obtain position information, but the local resolution is low and accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces temperature zones as an intermediary reference system. Instead of relying directly on GPS coordinates, the system uses temperature measurements from the asphalt to create temperature zones that serve as intermediate markers. The movement of these temperature zones over time provides a more precise measurement of machine displacement than GPS alone, effectively using temperature fields as a mediator to improve position resolution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/GPS-based position measurement system with a thermal-based measurement system. By substituting GPS signal processing with temperature field analysis, the system achieves higher local resolution. The temperature measuring device and evaluation unit create a new measurement paradigm that doesn't depend on satellite signals, thereby eliminating GPS resolution limitations.
2Reliability
If GNSS/GPS signals are used for movement measurement, then position data can be obtained, but the system becomes susceptible to signal inaccuracies and slip
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the measurement function from the GPS/GNSS system entirely. By removing dependence on satellite signals, the system eliminates susceptibility to signal loss, multipath effects, and inaccuracies in environments like tunnels or under bridges. The temperature-based measurement system operates independently of electromagnetic signal conditions, effectively extracting the core measurement need while discarding the unreliable signal source.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the asphalt material itself as the measurement reference. The temperature zones are created by and within the asphalt, making the measurement system self-contained and independent of external signal sources. This self-service approach allows the system to determine movement parameters using only the thermal properties of the material being processed, without requiring external GPS infrastructure.
3Measurement precision
If a temperature measuring device is used to track temperature zones, then movement parameters can be determined with high precision, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature measuring device serves multiple functions: it measures asphalt temperature for quality control and simultaneously tracks temperature zone movement for precise movement parameter determination. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve high measurement precision without adding separate dedicated measurement systems, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining dual benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the temperature measurement function with the movement measurement function into a single integrated system. The same temperature measuring device and evaluation unit that monitor asphalt temperature also track temperature zone displacement to calculate movement parameters. This consolidation reduces overall system complexity compared to using separate GPS and motion sensing systems, while achieving superior precision through the dual-purpose measurement approach.
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 approach enables high-accuracy determination of movement parameters, including speed, distance, and status (halt or start-up), with improved precision and reliability, unaffected by slip or GPS signal fluctuations, and can operate in environments where GPS is unreliable.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature measuring device (41) configured to determine a first surface temperature for a first area (501) of a measuring field (41m) of the temperature measuring device as well as a second surface temperature for a second area (502) of the measuring field (41m)
Data Source
AI summary
A measurement system for a construction machine, in particular a road construction machine including a temperature measuring device and an evaluation device. The temperature measuring device is configured to determine a first surface temperature for a first area of a measuring field as well as a second surface temperature for a second area of the measuring field, the temperature measuring device being directed to a reference surface, in relation to which the construction machine is moving, and the measuring field being shifted as a function of a movement of the construction machine along the reference surface. The evaluation device is configured to determine a movement parameter by means of a shift in a first temperature zone, defined for a first point in time by the first surface temperature within the first area, in relation to the first and/or second area(s) or in relation to the measuring field.