Trencher Boom Control for Depth Consistency on Uneven Terrain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional trenchers face challenges in maintaining a consistent excavation depth and slope across uneven terrain due to surface irregularities, leading to uneven trench profiles.
Innovation Solution
The method employs scanning devices to collect imaging data, which is used to adjust the inclination of the trencher boom in real-time, ensuring the excavation depth matches the preferred depth by compensating for terrain irregularities through an automated control system that integrates sensors and a processing unit to control the boom's position and digging rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional trenchers operate on uneven terrain, then they can perform trenching operations, but the excavation depth and slope become inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the boom inclination angle in real-time based on detected terrain variations. The control system continuously modifies the boom position to compensate for uneven ground, maintaining consistent excavation depth despite changes in terrain conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses scanning devices to detect terrain profile and provides feedback to the control system. This feedback loop enables automatic adjustment of the boom inclination to maintain desired excavation depth and slope, resolving the contradiction between depth precision and terrain adaptability.
2Manufacturing precision
If automated control systems are added to adjust boom inclination, then excavation precision is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system automatically adjusts the boom inclination based on terrain detection without requiring manual intervention. The system serves itself by using its own sensors to detect conditions and its own actuators to correct deviations, maintaining precision while reducing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical adjustment with an automated control system that uses scanning devices and electronic control. This substitution improves precision while the automation actually reduces operational complexity by eliminating manual measurement and adjustment tasks.
3Measurement precision
If real-time imaging data collection is used to adjust boom inclination, then excavation accuracy is improved, but data processing requirements and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system collects imaging data in advance to establish the terrain profile before excavation begins. This preliminary action allows the control system to pre-calculate the necessary boom adjustments, improving measurement accuracy while reducing real-time processing complexity during actual digging operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for uncovering a desired and pre-planned trench. A trenching machine is equipped with sensors, including visual imaging sensors. The sensors detect the inclination of the ground and movement of the trenching machine, as well as the angle of a trenching boom. Using this information, and a pre-determined preferred trench grade, a processor commands the trenching boom to adjust its angle to maintain the preferred trench grade. Surface irregularities may therefore be accounted for along the length of the trench to maintain a constant grade at the trench bottom.