Concrete material dispensing system

• US 9,678,496 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2011
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amtec Meter & Controls, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Amtec Meter & Controls, Inc., Optimum Instruments Inc.
• Inventors: Alden, Kevin Odell, Smelquist, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Rashid, Abbas
• Application Number:
  US13/035,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20110166689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,299 Days
• Field of Search: 366 17, 366 40, 3661511, 3661522, 700265
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 7/0418 control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33273 DCS distributed, decentralised controlsystem, multiprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0275 Fault isolation and identification, e.g. classify fault; estimate cause or root of failure
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0617 specially adapted for fluid materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A control system for a concrete plant adds intelligent capabilities in the concrete plant that may enhance safety, localize control of the concrete plant, and assist with troubleshooting. The control system may also enhance accuracy for determining an amount of mixed concrete dispensed, or amounts of concrete ingredients to dispense, and may eliminate the need for equipment used to verify the amount of mixed concrete or concrete ingredients dispensed.

Claims

1. A distributed system for controlling and monitoring operations of a concrete plant having a central batch panel that outputs command signals, concrete plant equipment for dispensing concrete ingredients, and sensors associated with the concrete plant equipment and transmitting operating signals representing an operating parameter or state of the associated concrete plant equipment, the distributed system comprising:

a plurality of field boxes including first and second field boxes located remotely of the batch panel and proximate the concrete plant equipment, each of the first and second field boxes including a digital processor, a memory, and a communications interface communicating with the batch panel, wherein the first field box receives first command signals from the batch panel and translates the first command signals to first control signals, and the second field box receives second command signals from the batch panel and translates the second command signals to second control signals, wherein;

the first field box communicates with and controls operation of a first portion of the concrete plant equipment using the first control signals;

the second field box communicates with and controls operation of a second portion of the concrete plant equipment using the second control signals;

the first field box receives first operating signals from at least some of the sensors associated with the first portion of the concrete plant equipment, records in its memory first operating parameter data represented by the first operating signals, and transmits to the batch panel a first data signal representing at least some of the first operating parameter data;

the second field box receives second operating signals from at least some of the sensors associated with the second portion of the concrete plant equipment, records in its memory second operating parameter data represented by the second operating signals, and transmits to the batch panel a second data signal representing at least some of the second operating parameter data

the digital processor of the first field box is programmed to control and halt operation of at least some of the first portion of the concrete plant equipment based on and directly responsive to receipt of the first operating signals from the first portion of the concrete plant equipment, in the absence of receipt of any signal from the batch panel responsive to the first operating signals; and

the digital processor of the second field box is programmed to control and halt operation of at least some of the second portion of the concrete plant equipment based on and directly responsive to receipt of the second operating signals from the second portion of the concrete plant equipment, in the absence of receipt of any signal from the batch panel responsive to the second operating signals.

2. The distributed system controlling and monitoring operations for a concrete plant according to claim 1, wherein:

the first field box shuts off the concrete plant equipment based on successful completion of a control signal or based on the first operating signals indicating errors or faulty operation of the equipment, in the absence of receipt of any signal from the batch panel responsive to the first operating signals.

3. The distributed system for controlling and monitoring operations for a concrete plant according to claim 1, further comprising:

a batch computer communicating with the first and second field boxes;

wherein the first and second field boxes translate and transmit the respective first and second operating signals to the batch computer; and

the batch computer is programmed to create operational records for the equipment based on the first and second operating signals.

4. The distributed system for controlling and monitoring operations for a concrete plant according to claim 1, wherein:

the concrete plant equipment includes a tank, and a pump and a flow meter both associated with and in fluid communication with the tank; and

the first field box communicates with the pump and the flow meter when the distributed system is connected to the concrete plant equipment to send the first control signals to the pump and to receive the first operating signals from the flow meter.

5. The distributed system for controlling and monitoring operations for a concrete plant according to claim 4 further comprising a batch computer in communication with the field boxes, and wherein:

the flow meter associated with the tank tracks a running total of a volume of fluid that passes out of the associated tank and through the flow meter and the flow meter transmits to the first field box signals indicating the running total of fluid that has flowed through the flow meter;

the tank includes an associated liquid level sensor that generates signals indicating how much liquid is in the tank and the liquid level sensor transmits the signals indicating how much liquid is in the tank to the first field box;

the first field box transmits signals containing information about the running total of fluid that has flowed from the tank and the liquid level in the tank to the batch computer; and

the batch computer is programmed to;

monitor a total amount of fluid removed from the tank;

monitor a total amount of fluid in the tank;

compare the total amount of fluid removed against a previous total amount of fluid removed on a periodic basis having a time period to determine the amount of fluid removed from the tank during the time period;

compare the total amount of fluid in the tank against a previous total amount of fluid in the tank on a periodic basis having the time period to determine a change in the fluid amount;

determine a rate of consumption of the fluid in the tank based on the determined amount of fluid removed from the tank and based on the time period;

for the tank, determine an amount of fluid added during the time period based on the determined amount of fluid removed during the time period and the determined change in the fluid amount; and

schedule delivery for fluids to the tank based on the determined rate of consumption and the determined amount of fluid added for the tank.

6. The distributed system for controlling and monitoring operations for a concrete plant according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second field boxes are programmed to receive input indicating a technician serviced at least one of the concrete plant equipment communicating with the field box, and to record when the service was performed.

7. The distributed system for controlling and monitoring operations of a concrete plant according to claim 1, wherein each field box has an address and the first data signal includes a label indicative of the address of the first field box that transmitted the first data signal.

8. The distributed system for controlling and monitoring operations of a concrete plant according to claim 1, further including a master controller including a programmable logic device and a memory, the master controller associated with and in communication with the batch panel, and the master controller in communication with the first and second field boxes such that the master controller is operably interposed between the batch panel and the first and second field boxes.

9. The distributed system for controlling and monitoring operations for a concrete plant according to claim 1, wherein the first field box receives a series of metering pulses transmitted by a flow meter at a first rate, and the first field box is programmed to transmit the entire series of metering pulses to the batch panel at or below a predetermined maximum rate that is different from the first rate.

10. The distributed system for controlling and monitoring operations for a concrete plant according to claim 9, wherein the first field box is further programmed to transmit the series of metering pulses to the batch panel at or below the predetermined maximum rate regardless of the first rate at which metering pulses are received by the first field box from the flow meter.

11. The distributed system for controlling and monitoring operations for a concrete plant according to claim 9, wherein the first field box is further programmed to aggregate metering pulses received from the flow meter and to transmit the entire series of metering pulses to the batch panel at a second rate that is lower than the first rate at which the series of metering pulses are received by the first field box from the flow meter.

12. The distributed system for controlling and monitoring operations for a concrete plant according to claim 9, wherein the first field box is further programmed to shape at least some of the metering pulses of the series of metering pulses received from the flow meter before transmitting the series of metering pulses to the batch panel.