Method and system for calculating and reporting slump in delivery vehicles

• US 20070185636A1
• Filed: 02/14/2005
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verifi, LLC (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain S.A.)
• Original Assignee: RS Solutions LLC (Standard Industries Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Topputo, Michael, Cooley, Roy, Compton, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,118,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/422 Controlling or measuring devices B28C5/4227 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 7/022 by measuring the consistency or composition of the mixture, e.g. with supply of a missing component
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 7/026 by measuring data of the driving system, e.g. rotational speed, torque, consumed power
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 7/12 Supplying or proportioning liquid ingredients

Abstract

A system for calculating and reporting slump in a delivery vehicle having a mixing drum (14) and hydraulic drive (16) for rotating the mixing drum, including a rotational sensor (20) configured to sense a rotational speed of the mixing drum, a hydraulic sensor (22) coupled to the hydraulic drive and configured to sense a hydraulic pressure required to turn the mixing drum, and a communications port (26) configured to communicate a slump calculation to a status system (28) commonly used in the concrete industry, wherein the sensing of the rotational speed of the mixing drum is used to qualify a calculation of current slump based on the hydraulic pressure required to turn the mixing drum.

Claims

1. A system for calculating and reporting slump in a delivery vehicle having a mixing drum and hydraulic drive for rotating the mixing drum, comprising:

a rotational sensor mounted to the mixing drum and configured to sense a rotational speed of the mixing drum;

a hydraulic sensor coupled to the hydraulic drive and configured to sense a hydraulic pressure required to turn the mixing drum; and

a processor computing a slump value using the sensors, wherein the sensing of the rotational speed of the mixing drum is used to qualify a calculation of current slump based on the hydraulic pressure required to turn the mixing drum.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the history of the rotational speed of the mixing drum is used to qualify a calculation of current slump.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the stability of rotational speed of the mixing drum is used to qualify a calculation of current slump.

7. The system of claim 1 or 4, further comprising a display coupled to the processor and configured to display slump values.

4. A system for calculating and reporting slump in a delivery vehicle having a mixing drum, comprising:

a liquid component source;

a flow valve coupled to the liquid component source and configured to control the amount of a liquid component added to the mixing drum; and

a flow meter coupled to the flow valve and configured to sense the amount of liquid component added to the mixing drum;

a processor electrically coupled to the flow valve and the flow meter, wherein the processor controls the amount of liquid component added to the mixing drum to reach a desired slump.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the liquid component is at least one of water and a superplasticizer (SP).

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the flow valve and the flow meter are mounted in a manifold, the rotational sensor and the hydraulic pressure sensor are provided with mountings, and varying lengths of interconnects are used between the manifold, the rotational sensor and the hydraulic pressure sensor to provide a modular system.

8. A method of calculating and reporting slump in a delivery vehicle having a mixing drum and a hydraulic drive for rotating the mixing drum, comprising:

a processor sensing activity of the mixing drum including one or more of a rotational speed of the drum and a hydraulic pressure applied to turn the drum;

using the sensed activity rotational speed of the mixing drum to evaluate delivery vehicle activity; and

communicating vehicle activity information to a status system commonly used in the concrete industry.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining from the sensed activity the appropriateness of vehicle activity.

10. The method of claim 9 comprising determining from the sensed activity one or more of:

adequacy of mixing of concrete,

details of concrete pour actions,

appropriateness of a concrete discharge,

concrete slump values,

appropriateness of fluid discharge,

weather information,

water supply conditions.

11. A system for managing a concrete delivery vehicle having a mixing drum and sensors for detecting vehicle activity, comprising:

a processor sensing signals from said sensors and using the sensed signals to evaluate and track vehicle activity; and

a communication system for communicating with a remote location to receive software therefrom to modify operation of said processor while said vehicle is in concrete delivery service.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said communication system is a status system commonly used in the concrete industry.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said communication system operates wirelessly.

14. A wireless rotational sensor for detecting the rotation of a mixing drum on a concrete delivery vehicle, comprising:

an accelerometer mounted to said mixing drum,

a wireless transmitter coupled to said accelerometer and transmitting a signal reflective of rotation of the mixing drum, and

a wireless receiver for receiving said signal reflective of drum rotation.