Automatic water spray milling for cold planer

A cold planer machine, comprising:

• a frame;
• a ground engaging member adapted to interact with a road surface and support the frame, the ground engaging member configured to advance the cold planer machine in response to activation of a drive motor;
• a retracting vertical actuator system disposed between the frame and the ground engaging member, the retracting vertical actuator system configured to adjust a vertical height of the frame above the road surface;
• a housing including a first side plate having a bottom edge and a position-sensing hydraulic cylinder system configured to output a position measurement, wherein in a float mode the position-sensing hydraulic cylinder system allows the bottom edge to abut against the road surface;
• a drum enclosed within the housing and arranged to rotate about a drum axis, the drum connected to the frame and configured to plane the road surface during operation;
• a spray bank disposed in the housing and arranged to spray a fluid directed at the drum;
• and
• a controller configured to determine a relative height position and a relative rate of height change between the first side plate and the frame and to actuate fluid spray via the spray bank based at least in part on a determination that the cold planer machine is performing a milling operation or a plunge cut operation, wherein:
• the determination that the cold planer machine is performing the milling operation is determined at least in part on the drive motor being activated and the determined relative height position being greater than a first threshold height value;
• and
• the determination that the cold planer machine is performing the plunge cut operation is determined at least in part on the drive motor being secured and the determined rate of height change of the first side plate being greater than a first threshold rate.

A method of operating a cold planer machine, the method comprising:

• controlling a height of the cold planer machine above a road surface with a retracting vertical actuator system disposed between a ground engaging member adapted to interact with the road surface and a frame, the ground engaging member is configured to advance the cold planer machine in response to activation of a drive motor;
• operating a position-sensing hydraulic cylinder system on a side plate in a float mode, the side plate being a vertical wall of a housing mounted to the frame and having a bottom edge that abuts with the road surface when the position-sensing hydraulic cylinder system is operating in the float mode, the housing including a drum enclosed within the housing and attached to the frame, the drum arranged to rotate about a drum axis to plane the road surface during operation;
• determining a relative vertical distance between the side-plate bottom edge and the frame based at least in part on a position measurement from the position-sensing hydraulic cylinder system;
• determining a rate of change of the relative vertical distance;
• determining that the cold planer machine is planing the road surface by performing either one of a milling operation and a plunge cut operation, wherein:
• the determination that the cold planer machine is performing the milling operation is determined at least in part on the drive motor being activated, the position-sensing hydraulic cylinder system operating in the float mode, and the determined relative vertical distance corresponds to a bottom of the drum being below the side-plate bottom edge;
• and
• the determination that the cold planer machine is performing the plunge cut operation is based at least in part on the drive motor being secured, the position-sensing hydraulic cylinder system operating in the float mode, and the determined rate of change of the relative vertical distance is greater than a threshold rate;
• and
• responsive to determining that the cold planer machine is planing the road surface, actuating a spray system, the spray system disposed in the housing and arranged to spray a fluid directed at the drum.