Temperature dependent auto adaptive compaction

• US 9,587,361 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Power Systems Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Power Systems Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Oetken, Nicholas, Marsolek, John, Biberdorf, Maria, Downing, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): LAGMAN, FREDERICK LYNDON
• Application Number:
  US14/681,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20160298308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/288 adapted for monitoring characteristics of the material being compacted, e.g. indicating resonant frequency, measuring degree of compaction, by measuring values, detectable on the roller; using detected values to control operation of the roller, e.g. automatic adjustment of vibration responsive to such measurements
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 3/026 by rolling with rollers usable only for or specially adapted for soil compaction, e.g. sheepsfoot rollers rollers for soil working in agriculture A01B29/00; rollers for road paving, such rollers usable also for compacting soil E01C19/23
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 3/0265 Wheels specially adapted therefor; Cleats for said wheels
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 3/074 Vibrating apparatus operating with systems involving rotary unbalanced masses E02D3/054 takes precedence

Abstract

A compactor system for compacting a work material includes a roller drum, a vibratory mechanism, and a controller. The roller drum is configured to compact a work material. The vibratory mechanism is coupled to the roller drum and operatively coupled to the controller. The controller is configured to determine a vibration effort based on a vibration parameter, and further configured to generate an output signal to control the vibratory mechanism to apply the vibration effort to the roller drum. The controller includes at least one sensor and a processor. The at least one sensor is configured to sense a first data parameter of the work material and a second data parameter of the roller drum. The processor is configured to calculate the vibration parameter based on the first data parameter and the second data parameter.

Claims

1. A compactor system comprising:

a roller drum configured to compact a work material;

a vibratory mechanism coupled to the roller drum; and

a controller operatively coupled to the vibratory mechanism, the controller being configured to determine a vibration effort based on a vibration parameter, and to generate an output signal to control the vibratory mechanism to apply the vibration effort to the roller drum, the controller including;

at least one sensor configured to sense a first data parameter of the work material, and further configured to sense a second data parameter of the roller drum; and

a processor configured to calculate the vibration parameter based on the first data parameter and the second data parameter.

2. The compactor system of claim 1, wherein the first data parameter is a surface temperature of the work material, and wherein the second data parameter is a contact force between the roller drum and the work material.

3. The compactor system of claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor is a thermal imager.

4. The compactor system of claim 2, wherein the vibration parameter is the amplitude of a vibration force.

5. The compactor system of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether de-coupling has occurred between the roller drum and the work material.

6. The compactor system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the amplitude of the vibration force based on a predetermined temperature threshold.

7. The compactor system of claim 6, wherein the predetermined temperature threshold is adjustable by an operator of the compactor system.

8. The compactor system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is further configured to sense a density of the work material, and wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the vibration parameter based on the density of the work material.

9. The compactor system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is further configured to sense the first data parameter prior to the roller drum compacting the work material.

10. A compactor system for compacting a work material comprising:

a vibratory mechanism configured to output a vibration effort; and

a controller operatively coupled to the vibratory mechanism, the controller being configured to determine the vibration effort based on a vibration parameter, and to generate an output signal to control the vibratory mechanism to output the vibration effort, the controller including;

a first sensor configured to sense a first data parameter of the work material;

a second sensor configured to sense a second data parameter of the compactor system; and

a processor configured to calculate the vibration parameter based on the second data parameter and the first data parameter.

11. The compactor system of claim 10 wherein the first data parameter is a temperature of the work material.

12. The compactor system of claim 10, wherein the second data parameter is a contact force between the compactor system and the work material.

13. The compactor system of claim 10, wherein the vibration parameter is the amplitude of a vibration force.

14. The compactor system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the vibration parameter based on a predetermined temperature threshold.

15. The compactor system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined threshold is adjustable by an operator of the compactor system.

16. The compactor system of claim 10, wherein the controller further includes a third sensor, wherein the third sensor is configured to sense a density of the work material, and wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the vibration parameter based on the density of the work material.

17. A method for compacting a work material by a roller drum of a compactor system, the method comprising:

sensing a first data parameter of the work material;

sensing a second data parameter of the roller drum;

calculating a vibration parameter based on the first data parameter and the second data parameter; and

generating an output signal to control the vibratory mechanism to apply a first vibration effort based on the vibration parameter.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first data parameter is the temperature of the work material, and wherein the second data parameter is a contact force between the roller drum and the work material.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

compacting the work material while the vibratory mechanism is controlled to apply the first vibration effort;

sensing a second data parameter of the work material; and

controlling the vibratory mechanism to apply a second vibration effort to the roller drum based on the first data parameter of the work material and the second data parameter of the work material.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second data parameter is a density of the work material, and wherein sensing the density of the work material is performed after the work material has been compacted by the roller drum.