Cold planer spray system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9371618-B2
Application number	US-201414468070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2014
Priority date	Aug 25, 2014
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

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.

First claim

We 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. The cold planer of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second rotor spray bank mounted to the frame and disposed in parallel with the primary rotor chamber spray bank, the second rotor chamber spray bank including a second plurality of spray nozzles arranged along a second spray manifold, the second plurality of spray nozzles being oriented such that each of a second plurality of water sprays provided therethrough is directed towards the drum;
a second control valve fluidly disposed between the main spray manifold and the second spray manifold, the second control valve selectively fluidly connecting the second spray manifold with the main spray manifold in response to a second valve signal;
wherein the electronic controller is further disposed to:
determine whether the second rotor spray bank should be activated based on the operating state;
estimate an aggregate amount of pressurized water that will be required to operate the first and second rotor spray banks when it is determined that the first and second rotor spray banks should be activated; and
activate the second control valve by sending the second valve signal to the second control valve when it is determined that the second rotor spray bank should be activated.

3. The cold planer of claim 1 , further comprising:
an intermediate stage conveyor mounted to the frame and extending from a drum transition region adjacent the drum, through an opening in the housing, and to a conveyor transition region, the intermediate stage conveyor configured to receive material planed by the drum and transport it to the conveyor transition region;
a transition region spray bank including a third plurality of spray nozzles disposed along a third spray manifold, within the housing, and being oriented towards the drum transition region;
a third control valve fluidly disposed between the main spray manifold and the third spray manifold, the third control valve selectively fluidly connecting the third spray manifold with the main spray manifold in response to a third valve signal;
wherein the electronic controller is further disposed to:
determine whether the transition region spray bank should be activated based on the operating state;
estimate an aggregate amount of pressurized water that will be required to additionally operate the transition region spray bank; and
activate the third control valve by sending the third valve signal to the third control valve when it is determined that the transition region spray bank should be activated.

4. The cold planer of claim 3 , further comprising:
an intermediate stage conveyor spray bank including a fourth plurality of spray nozzles disposed along a fourth spray manifold and being oriented towards material carried by the intermediate stage conveyor;
a fourth control valve fluidly disposed between the main spray manifold and the fourth spray manifold, the fourth control valve selectively fluidly connecting the fourth spray manifold with the main spray manifold in response to a fourth valve signal;
wherein the electronic controller is further disposed to:
determine whether the intermediate stage conveyor spray bank should be activated based on the operating state;
estimate an aggregate amount of pressurized water that will be required to additionally operate the intermediate stage conveyor spray bank; and
activate the fourth control valve by sending the fourth valve signal to the fourth control valve when it is determined that the intermediate stage conveyor spray bank should be activated.

5. The cold planer of claim 3 , further comprising:
a final stage conveyor mounted to the frame and extending from the conveyor transition region, the final stage conveyor configured to receive material from the intermediate stage conveyor;
a final stage conveyor spray bank including a fifth plurality of spray nozzles disposed along a fifth spray manifold and being oriented towards the material deposited onto the final stage conveyor;
a fifth control valve fluidly disposed between the main spray manifold and the fifth spray manifold, the fifth control valve selectively fluidly connecting the fifth spray manifold with the main spray manifold in response to a fifth valve signal;
wherein the electronic controller is further disposed to:
determine whether the final stage conveyor spray bank should be activated based on the operating state;
estimate an aggregate amount of pressurized water that will be required to additionally operate the final stage conveyor spray bank; and
activate the fifth control valve by sending the fifth valve signal to the fifth control valve when it is determined that the final stage conveyor spray bank should be activated.

6. The cold planer of claim 1 , further comprising:
a low pressure spray bank mounted to the frame and including one or more reeled hoses connected to respective manual spray nozzles;
a sixth control valve fluidly disposed between the main spray manifold and the one or more reeled hoses, the sixth control valve selectively fluidly connecting the one or more reeled hoses with the main spray manifold in response to a sixth valve signal;
wherein the electronic controller is further disposed to:
determine whet

Assignees

• Caterpillar Paving Prod

Inventors

• Killion Daniel H
• Engelmann Eric S

Classifications

• E01C23/088 Primary

  Rotary tools, e.g. milling drums {(for forming recesses to receive marking materials E01C23/0946)} · CPC title

• E01C23/127

  rotary, e.g. rotary hammers · CPC title

• E01C2301/50

  Methods or devices for preventing dust by spraying or sucking · CPC title