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US 10,519,627 B2Granted
Pull-slip control system for track-type tractor and track-type tractor operating method
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorXinyu Ge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Operating a tractor with a front ground-engaging implement and a back ground-engaging implement includes calculating an error between a real-time pull-slip ratio and a target pull-slip ratio, and engaging the back ground-engaging implement with material of an underlying substrate to reduce the error. Related hardware and control logic are also disclosed.
Claims14
A method of operating a tractor having a hydraulically actuated implement system, the method comprising:
- receiving data indicative of a pull-slip ratio of the tractor during traversing a substrate with at least one of a front ground-engaging implement and a back ground-engaging implement of the hydraulically actuated implement system engaged with material of the substrate;
- calculating an error between the pull-slip ratio indicated by the data and a target pull-slip ratio;
- commanding engagement of the back ground-engaging implement with the material of the substrate to reduce the error between the pull-slip ratio indicated by the data and the desired pull-slip ratio;
- wherein the front ground-engaging implement includes a blade and the back ground-engaging implement includes a ripper, and wherein commanding engagement further includes commanding varying a grade of the ripper;
- and
- receiving data indicative of a grade of the ripper, calculating an error between the indicated grade of the ripper and a target grade of the ripper, and reducing the error between the indicated grade of the ripper and the target grade of the ripper by way of the commanded engagement of the back ground-engaging implement.
3 more elements
A tractor comprising:
- a frame;
- ground-engaging elements coupled to the frame;
- a hydraulically actuated implement system including a front ground-engaging implement, and a back ground-engaging implement;
- and
- a pull-slip control system including a first sensing mechanism configured to monitor a drawbar pull parameter of the tractor, a second sensing mechanism configured to monitor a slip parameter of the tractor, and a control mechanism coupled with the hydraulically actuated implement system;
- the control mechanism being configured to:
- compare a pull-slip ratio indicated by data produced from the first sensing mechanism and the second sensing mechanism with a target pull-slip ratio;
- command engagement of the back ground-engaging implement with material of the substrate, such that an error between the pull-slip ratio indicated by the data and the target pull-slip ratio is reduced;
- wherein the front ground-engaging implement includes a blade, and the back ground-engaging implement includes a ripper;
- and
- wherein the control mechanism is further configured to calculate the error between the pull-slip ratio indicated by the data and the target pull-slip ratio, and to determine a target grade of the back ground-engaging implement based on the error.
8 more elements
A pull-slip control system for a tractor having a hydraulically actuated implement system with a front ground-engaging implement and a back ground-engaging implement, the pull-slip control system comprising:
- a first sensing mechanism configured to monitor a drawbar pull parameter of the tractor;
- a second sensing mechanism configured to monitor a track slip parameter of the tractor;
- a control mechanism, the control mechanism being configured to:
- receive data from each of the first sensing mechanism and the second sensing mechanism;
- determine a pull-slip ratio of the tractor based on the data received from the first sensing mechanism and the second sensing mechanism;
- compare the determined pull-slip ratio with a target pull-slip ratio;
- and
- command engagement of the back ground-engaging implement with material of a substrate underlying the tractor, such that an error between the pull-slip ratio indicated by the data and the target pull-slip ratio is reduced;
- wherein the control mechanism is further configured to command the engagement by commanding dropping the back ground-engaging implement from a first position vertically above a surface of the substrate to a second position vertically below the surface of the substrate;
- and
- wherein the back ground-engaging implement includes a ripper, and wherein the control mechanism is further configured to:
- receive data indicative of a grade of the ripper;
- calculate an error between the grade of the ripper indicated by the data and a target grade of the ripper;
- and
- reduce the error between the indicated grade of the ripper and the target grade of the ripper by way of the commanded engagement of the back ground-engaging implement.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.