Calibration system and method for a spraying machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10787773-B2
Application number	US-201916425361-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2019
Priority date	Aug 8, 2018
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

A paving system may include a paving machine, including a paving material delivery assembly, including a hopper, a conveyor assembly, an auger, and a screed. The paving machine may also include an emulsion fluid delivery assembly including a plurality of spray bars, wherein each spray bar includes one or more nozzles. The paving system may also include a controller and a display interface. The controller may be configured to receive inputs from the display interface indicative of a mass and an area of emulsion fluid delivered from one active nozzle in order to calibrate the emulsion fluid delivery assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A paving system, comprising:
a paving machine, including:
a paving material delivery assembly, including a hopper, a conveyor assembly, an auger, and a screed;
an emulsion fluid delivery assembly including a plurality of spray bars, wherein each spray bar includes one or more nozzles; and

a controller and a display interface, wherein the controller is configured to receive inputs from the display interface indicative of a mass and an area of emulsion fluid delivered from one active nozzle in order to calibrate the emulsion fluid delivery assembly.

2. The paving system of claim 1 , wherein the nozzles are opened or closed by one or more pneumatic valves, and wherein the controller is configured to control the opening and closing of the nozzles by controlling the pneumatic valves.

3. The paving system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is in communication with one or more machine speed or machine direction sensors, and wherein the controller is configured to adjust an emulsion fluid delivery based on the sensed speed or direction of the machine.

4. The paving system of claim 1 , wherein the display interface includes a plurality of selectable functions, and wherein one of the selectable functions is a nozzle calibration mode.

5. The paving system of claim 4 , wherein the display interface is configured to receive one or more inputs to select the active spray nozzle.

6. The paving system of claim 5 , wherein the display interface is configured to receive one or more inputs regarding an emulsion fluid delivery duration, and wherein the controller is configured to activate an active spray nozzle for the emulsion fluid delivery duration.

7. The paving system of claim 6 , wherein the display interface is configured to receive one or more inputs regarding a mass of emulsion fluid delivered during the emulsion fluid delivery duration.

8. The paving system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to activate an active spray nozzle for one or two spray pulses, wherein the display interface is configured to receive one or more inputs regarding an area of a spray pattern of emulsion fluid delivered during the spray pulses, and wherein the controller is configured to determine an emulsion fluid delivery rate with respect to a mass per area.

9. The paving system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spray bars includes two pivotable side spray bars, two rear spray bars positioned to the rear of tracks or wheels, and a central spray bar positioned between the tracks or wheels.

10. The paving system of claim 9 , wherein the display interface displays each of the nozzles of the two pivotable side spray bars, two rear spray bars, and the central spray bar, and wherein the display interface displays which one nozzle is the active nozzle for calibration.

11. A control system for a paving machine, comprising:
a plurality of spray bars coupled to the paving machine to deliver an emulsion fluid to a ground surface, wherein each of the spray bars includes one or more nozzles;
a controller; and
a display interface,
wherein the controller is operatively coupled to the display interface and to each spray nozzle on the plurality of spray bars to calibrate a delivery of emulsion fluid through the nozzles based on an inputted mass of the emulsion fluid and an inputted area of a spray pattern through one active nozzle.

12. The control system of claim 11 , wherein, in a nozzle calibration mode, the display interface is configured to receive inputs for at least one of the following:
select the active spray nozzle,
select a spray duration, or
select a number of spray pulses.

13. The control system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the active spray nozzle for approximately 1 to 5 seconds for a spray duration for an emulsion fluid mass measurement.

14. The control system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the active spray nozzle for one or more spray pulses for an emulsion fluid spray pattern area measurement.

15. The control system of claim 11 , wherein during a paving operation, the controller is configured to receive information regarding a speed or direction of the paving machine, and wherein the controller is configured to adjust one or more parameters of the emulsion fluid delivery during the paving operation based on the calibrated delivery of the emulsion fluid and the information regarding the speed or direction of the paving machine.

16. A method of calibrating an emulsion fluid delivery system for a paving machine, comprising:
selecting an active nozzle, wherein the active nozzle is one of a plurality of nozzles on one or more spray bars mounted on the paving machine;
delivering an emulsion fluid through the active nozzle for a spray duration;
measuring a mass of the emulsion fluid delivered through the active nozzle over the spray duration;
inputting the measured mass of the emulsion fluid delivered through the active nozzle over the spray duration into a user interface;
delivering a spray pulse of the emulsion fluid through the active nozzle;
measuring a length and a width of a spray pattern of the emulsion fluid delivered during the spray pulse; and
inputting the measured length and width of the spray pattern of the emulsion fluid delivered during the spray pulse into the user interface.

17. The method of claim 16 , further including, before measuring the length and width of the spray pattern of emulsion fluid, activating the active nozzle for a second spray pulse.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein measuring the mass of the emulsion fluid includes measuring a mass of a receptacle, placing the receptacle beneath the active nozzle, and measuring the mass of the receptacle with the delivered emulsion fluid.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the selecting of the active nozzle includes receiving one or more user inputs on the user interface.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the spray duration for the delivery of the emulsion fluid through the active nozzle is based on one or more user inputs on the user interface to set or adjust the spray duration.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Sarl

Inventors

• Thiesse Chad M
• Fontana Andrea

Classifications

• E01C19/17 Primary

  Application by spraying {or throwing} · CPC title

• E01C19/4873

  Apparatus designed for railless operation · CPC title

• E01C19/48 Primary

  for laying-down the materials and consolidating them, or finishing the surface {, e.g. slip forms therefor, forming kerbs or gutters in a continuous operation in situ (E01C19/002, E01C23/065 take precedence; devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path E01C19/004)} · CPC title

• E01C19/176

  Spraying or throwing elements, e.g. nozzles; Arrangement thereof or supporting structures therefor, e.g. spray-bars · CPC title