Cold Planer Spray System and Method
First Claim
1. A cold planer machine comprising a frame and a drum enclosed within a housing and arranged to rotate about a drum axis, the drum connected to the frame and configured to plane a road surface during operation, the cold planer comprising:
- a primary rotor spray bank mounted to the frame and disposed in the housing, the primary rotor chamber spray bank including a first plurality of spray nozzles arranged along a first spray manifold, the first plurality of spray nozzles being arranged parallel to the drum axis and being oriented such that a plurality of water sprays provided therethrough are directed towards the drum;
a water reservoir mounted on the frame and configured to enclose water;
a pump fluidly associated with the water reservoir and configured to draw the water therefrom, pressurize the water, and provide pressurized water to a main spray manifold connected to the frame;
wherein the pump is configured to pressurize the water to a variable pressure in response to a pump signal;
a pressure sensor associated with the main spray manifold and configured to provide a pressure signal indicative of a pressure of the pressurized water within the main spray manifold;
a first control valve fluidly disposed between the main spray manifold and the first spray manifold, the first control valve selectively fluidly connecting the main with the first spray manifold in response to a valve signal;
an electronic controller associated with the cold planer and configured to receive a plurality of operating signals indicative of an operating condition of the cold planer, the electronic controller disposed to;
monitor the plurality of operating signals;
determine an operating state of the cold planer based on the operating signals;
determine whether the primary rotor spray bank should be activated based on the operating state;
estimate an amount of pressurized water that will be required to operate the primary rotor spray bank when it is determined that the primary rotor spray bank should be activated;
determine a desired main spray manifold pressure based on the estimated amount of pressurized water;
determine the pump signal based on the desired main spray pressure, and send the pump signal to the pump;
activate the first control valve by sending the valve signal to the first control valve when it is determined that the primary rotor spray bank should be activated; and
maintain the desired main spray manifold pressure by adjusting the pump signal based on the pressure signal as a primary control parameter continuously during operation.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for operating a cold planer includes a method for operating a cold planer. In a method, a signal indicative of an operating state is used to determine an operating condition, which is a basis for deciding which spray banks from a plurality of spray banks should be activated. Thereafter, a water flow required to operate the spray banks is estimated and a pump command signal is determined. The pump is operated and a water pressure in a main manifold is monitored such that the pump is controlled using a closed-loop control scheme that receives the water pressure as feedback to maintain a desired water pressure within the main manifold.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A cold planer machine comprising a frame and a drum enclosed within a housing and arranged to rotate about a drum axis, the drum connected to the frame and configured to plane a road surface during operation, the cold planer comprising:
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a primary rotor spray bank mounted to the frame and disposed in the housing, the primary rotor chamber spray bank including a first plurality of spray nozzles arranged along a first spray manifold, the first plurality of spray nozzles being arranged parallel to the drum axis and being oriented such that a plurality of water sprays provided therethrough are directed towards the drum; a water reservoir mounted on the frame and configured to enclose water; a pump fluidly associated with the water reservoir and configured to draw the water therefrom, pressurize the water, and provide pressurized water to a main spray manifold connected to the frame; wherein the pump is configured to pressurize the water to a variable pressure in response to a pump signal; a pressure sensor associated with the main spray manifold and configured to provide a pressure signal indicative of a pressure of the pressurized water within the main spray manifold; a first control valve fluidly disposed between the main spray manifold and the first spray manifold, the first control valve selectively fluidly connecting the main with the first spray manifold in response to a valve signal; an electronic controller associated with the cold planer and configured to receive a plurality of operating signals indicative of an operating condition of the cold planer, the electronic controller disposed to; monitor the plurality of operating signals; determine an operating state of the cold planer based on the operating signals; determine whether the primary rotor spray bank should be activated based on the operating state; estimate an amount of pressurized water that will be required to operate the primary rotor spray bank when it is determined that the primary rotor spray bank should be activated; determine a desired main spray manifold pressure based on the estimated amount of pressurized water; determine the pump signal based on the desired main spray pressure, and send the pump signal to the pump; activate the first control valve by sending the valve signal to the first control valve when it is determined that the primary rotor spray bank should be activated; and maintain the desired main spray manifold pressure by adjusting the pump signal based on the pressure signal as a primary control parameter continuously during operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A machine, comprising:
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a frame; a drum enclosed within a housing and arranged to rotate about a drum axis, the drum connected to the frame and configured to plane a road surface during operation; a first spray bank mounted to the frame, the first spray bank including a first plurality of spray nozzles arranged along a first spray manifold, the first plurality of spray nozzles being oriented to wet the drum; a water reservoir mounted on the frame; a pump fluidly associated with the water reservoir and configured to draw water therefrom, the pump configured to pressurize the water to a variable pressure in response to a pump signal pressurize the water and provide pressurized water to a main spray manifold; a pressure sensor associated with the main spray manifold and configured to provide a pressure signal indicative of a pressure of the pressurized water within the main spray manifold; a first control valve fluidly disposed between the main spray manifold and the first spray manifold, the first control valve selectively fluidly connecting the main with the first spray manifold in response to a valve signal; an electronic controller associated with the cold planer and configured to receive a plurality of operating signals indicative of an operating condition of the cold planer, the electronic controller disposed to; monitor the plurality of operating signals; determine an operating state of the cold planer based on the operating signals; determine whether the first spray bank should be activated based on the operating state; estimate an amount of pressurized water that will be required to operate the first spray bank when it is determined that the first spray bank should be activated; determine a desired main spray manifold pressure based on the estimated amount of pressurized water; determine a pump signal based on the desired main spray pressure, and send the pump signal to the pump; activate the first control valve by sending the valve signal to the first control valve when it is determined that the first spray bank should be activated; and maintain the desired main spray manifold pressure by adjusting the pump signal based on the pressure signal as a primary control parameter. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for operating a cold planer, comprising:
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generating at least one signal indicative of an operating state of the cold planer; determining, based on the at least one signal, an operating condition of the cold planer using a controller; deciding on which spray banks from a plurality of spray banks should be activated based on the operating condition determination using an electronic controller; estimating a water flow required to operate the spray banks that should be activated; determining a pump command signal for a pump that provides the water flow using the controller; commanding the pump to operate by sending the pump command signal from the controller to a pump-related actuator; and monitoring a water pressure in a main manifold and controlling the pump using a closed-loop control scheme that receives the water pressure as feedback to maintain a desired water pressure within the main manifold. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification