MOBILE FLUID DELIVERY CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110160919A1
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Gudat, Adam J., Anderton, Peter W., Humphrey, James D., Orr, David C., Stratton, Kenneth L.
• Application Number:
  US12/650,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20110160919A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/283
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0089 Regulating or controlling systems the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0676 by action on flow sources G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence

Abstract

A system and method for delivering fluid to a site using a mobile fluid delivery machine are disclosed. The method includes determining a value of a parameter associated with the site using a sensor, and determining a fluid delivery rate based on the value of the site parameter. The method further includes delivering the fluid to a surface of the site at the location of the mobile fluid delivery machine, at the determined fluid delivery rate.

Claims

1. A method for delivering fluid to a site using a mobile fluid delivery machine, comprising:

determining a value of a parameter associated with the site using a sensor;

determining a fluid delivery rate based on the value of the site parameter; and

delivering the fluid to a surface of the site at a location of the mobile fluid delivery machine, at the determined fluid delivery rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the site parameter is a first site parameter, and the method further includes:

determining a value of a second site parameter associated with the site using a second sensor;

determining a first fluid delivery rate component based on the value of the first site parameter;

determining a second fluid delivery rate component based on the value of the second site parameter; and

determining the fluid delivery rate based on the first fluid delivery rate component and the second fluid delivery rate component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the site parameter includes at least one of an ambient temperature, an atmospheric pressure, a humidity, a solar radiation intensity, a dust level, a surface moisture content, a wind speed, a rate of precipitation, a radius of curvature of a road, or a surface inclination of the site.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid delivery rate is determined from a predetermined curve mapping values of the site parameter to corresponding fluid delivery rates based on the value of the site parameter.

5. The method of claim 1, further including:

sensing an object on the surface of the site;

modifying the fluid delivery rate in response to the sensed object; and

delivering the fluid to the surface at the modified fluid delivery rate.

6. The method of claim 5, further including:

determining a direction to the sensed object with respect to a heading of the mobile fluid delivery machine;

selecting at least one spray head of the mobile fluid delivery machine based on the determined direction; and

delivering the fluid using the selected at least one spray head.

7. A mobile fluid delivery machine for delivering fluid to a site, comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a parameter associated with the site;

a flow controller configured to;

determine a fluid delivery rate based on a value of the site parameter; and

generate a flow control signal based on the determined fluid delivery rate; and

a fluid delivery system configured to spray the fluid on a surface of the site at the determined fluid delivery rate based on the flow control signal.

8. The mobile fluid delivery machine of claim 7, further including a second sensor configured to sense a second parameter associated with the site, wherein the flow controller is further configured to:

determine a first fluid delivery rate component based on the value of the first site parameter;

determine a second fluid delivery rate component based on a value of the second site parameter; and

determine the fluid delivery rate based on the first fluid delivery rate component and the second fluid delivery rate component.

9. The mobile fluid delivery machine of claim 7, wherein the site parameter includes at least one of an ambient temperature, an atmospheric pressure, a humidity, a solar radiation intensity, a dust level, a surface moisture content, a wind speed, a rate of precipitation, a radius of curvature of a road, or a surface inclination of the site.

10. The mobile fluid delivery machine of claim 7, further including a memory storing a predetermined curve mapping values of the site parameter to corresponding fluid delivery rates, wherein the flow controller is further configured to determine the fluid delivery rate from the curve based on the value of the site parameter.

11. The mobile fluid delivery machine of claim 7, further including a vision device configured to sense an object on the surface of the site, wherein the flow controller is further configured to:

modify the fluid delivery rate in response to the sensed object; and

generate the flow control signal based further on the modified fluid delivery rate, and

the fluid delivery system is further configured to spray the fluid on the surface of the site at the modified rate based on the flow control signal.

12. The mobile fluid delivery machine of claim 11, wherein the fluid delivery system further includes a plurality of spray heads for spraying the fluid on the surface of the worksite, wherein the flow controller is further configured to:

determine a direction to the sensed object with respect to a heading of the mobile fluid delivery machine;

select at least one of the spray heads based on the determined direction; and

generate the flow control signal based further on the selected at least one spray head, and

the fluid delivery system is further configured to spray the fluid on the surface of the site using the selected at least one spray head based on the flow control signal.

13. A method for delivering fluid to a site using a mobile fluid delivery machine, comprising:

determining a value of a parameter associated with the site using a sensor;

determining a fluid delivery rate based on the value of the site parameter;

generating a flow control signal based on the determined fluid delivery rate; and

sending the flow control signal to the mobile fluid delivery machine.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the site parameter is a first site parameter, and the method further includes:

determining a value of a second parameter associated with the site using a second sensor;

determining a first fluid delivery rate component based on the value of the first site parameter;

determining a second fluid delivery rate component based on the value of the second site parameter; and

determining the fluid delivery rate based on the first fluid delivery rate component and the second fluid delivery rate component.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the site parameter includes at least one of an ambient temperature, an atmospheric pressure, a humidity, a solar radiation intensity, a dust level, a surface moisture content, a wind speed, a rate of precipitation, a radius of curvature of a road, or a surface inclination of the site.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the fluid delivery rate is determined from a predetermined curve mapping values of the site parameter to corresponding fluid delivery rates based on the value of the site parameter.

17. The method of claim 13, further including:

sensing an object on the surface of the site;

modifying the fluid delivery rate in response to the sensed object; and

generating a flow control signal based further on the modified fluid delivery rate.

18. The method of claim 17, further including:

determining a direction to the sensed object with respect to a heading of the mobile fluid delivery machine;

selecting at least one of a plurality of spray heads of the mobile fluid delivery machine based on the determined direction; and

generating the flow control signal based on the selected at least one spray head.

19. A fluid delivery system for delivering fluid to a site using a mobile fluid delivery machine, comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a parameter associated with the site; and

a flow controller configured to;

determine a fluid delivery rate based on a value of the site parameter;

generate a flow control signal based on the determined fluid delivery rate; and

transmit the flow control signal to the mobile fluid delivery machine.

20. The fluid delivery system of claim 19, further including a second sensor configured to sense a second parameter associated with the site, wherein the flow controller is further configured to:

determine a first fluid delivery rate component based on the value of the first site parameter;

determine a second fluid delivery rate component based on a value of the second site parameter; and

determine the fluid delivery rate based on the first fluid delivery rate component and the second fluid delivery rate component.

21. The fluid delivery system of claim 19, wherein the site parameter includes at least one of an ambient temperature, an atmospheric pressure, a humidity, a solar radiation intensity, a dust level, a surface moisture content, a wind speed, a rate of precipitation, a radius of curvature of a road, or a surface inclination of the site.

22. The fluid delivery system of claim 19, further including a memory storing a predetermined curve mapping values of the site parameter to corresponding fluid delivery rates, wherein the flow controller is further configured to determine the fluid delivery rate from the curve based on the value of the site parameter.

23. The fluid delivery system of claim 19, further including a vision device configured to sense an object on the surface of the site, wherein the flow controller is further configured to:

modify the fluid delivery rate in response to the sensed object; and

generate the flow control signal based on the modified fluid delivery rate.

24. The fluid delivery system of claim 19, wherein the flow controller is further configured to:

determine a direction to the sensed object with respect to a heading of the mobile fluid delivery machine;

select at least one of a plurality of spray heads of the mobile fluid delivery machine based on the determined direction; and

generate the flow control signal based further on the selected at least one spray head.

25. The fluid delivery system of claim 19, wherein the fluid delivery system is in communication with the mobile fluid delivery machine over a network.