Work Vehicle Control System for Terrain Smoothing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional control systems for work vehicles face challenges in maintaining efficient digging and spreading-earth operations, particularly in uneven terrains, leading to uneven terrain formation and compromised finish quality due to sudden load increases and soil banking issues.
Innovation Solution
A control system that includes a current terrain acquisition device and a controller to acquire terrain information, smooth height points, and generate command signals for the work implement to move along a virtual design surface, thereby managing load and terrain adjustments for improved efficiency and finish quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If grading control is used to make the cutting edge follow the design terrain, then the work implement can process the terrain according to the target shape, but when the load increases rapidly in undulating terrain, the work implement rises suddenly causing uneven terrain formation and reduced finish quality
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs preliminary smoothing of the terrain data before generating the design terrain. By acquiring current terrain information and smoothing it in advance, the system creates a virtual design surface that eliminates sudden load variations, preventing the work implement from rising suddenly and ensuring smooth terrain formation throughout the grading process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual design surface as an intermediary between the current terrain and the final design terrain. This virtual surface acts as a mediator that smooths out undulations and prevents direct tracking of rough terrain features, thereby maintaining finish quality while avoiding sudden implement movements
2Manufacturing precision
If grading control is used to move the cutting edge along the design terrain, then the terrain can be shaped according to design, but a large amount of soil banks in front of the work vehicle forming thick mounds that are difficult to compact, reducing both finish quality and work efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual design surface serves as an intermediary that redistributes soil more evenly. By smoothing the terrain data and generating a virtual design surface, the system prevents excessive soil accumulation in front of the work vehicle, eliminating thick mounds that would require multiple compaction passes and thereby improving work efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the terrain parameters by smoothing the height data at multiple points before generating the design terrain. This parameter transformation reduces the undulation amplitude and creates a more uniform soil distribution, preventing the formation of compactable mounds and improving both finish quality and productivity
3Productivity
If the work implement is raised when load becomes excessive to minimize shoe slip, then digging efficiency improves, but the terrain becomes uneven and finish quality suffers
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs preliminary smoothing of terrain data to predict and prevent excessive load conditions. By smoothing the current terrain information in advance, the system generates a virtual design surface that avoids sudden load increases, eliminating the need to raise the work implement and preventing terrain unevenness while maintaining digging efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A current terrain acquisition device acquires current terrain information. The current terrain information indicates the current terrain to be worked, and includes the height of the current terrain at a plurality of points. A controller is configured to decide the smoothed height for each of the plurality of points. The controller is configured to decide a smoothed current terrain that includes the smoothed height of the plurality of points. The controller is configured to decide a virtual design surface on the basis of the smoothed current terrain. The controller is configured to generate a command signal to a work implement of the work vehicle to move the work implement along the virtual design surface.