Concrete pump monitoring system
AssigneeSchwing America, Inc.
InventorThomas M. Anderson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for monitoring the transport of concrete includes a computer, pump sensors, and a positive displacement pump for pumping concrete through a pipeline. The monitoring system senses and records the number of pump strokes and the pumping pressure during each pump stroke. The actual volume and instantaneous pumping rates of concrete pumped during each pump stroke are calculated. Based upon a calculated velocity and upon the pressure of the concrete being pumped, the monitoring system provides predicted component wear information for maintenance scheduling and warranty verification.
Claims13
A method of monitoring operation of a positive displacement concrete pump having an inlet for receiving concrete and an outlet at which concrete is delivered under pressure, the method comprising:
- sensing a parameter which bears a known relationship to an actual volume of concrete delivered under pressure from a material cylinder of the pump;
- determining velocity information as a function of the parameter sensed, the velocity information being related to a velocity of concrete delivered under pressure from the material cylinder of the pump;
- and
- predicting wear on pump components as a function of the determined velocity information.
A method of monitoring operation of a positive displacement piston/cylinder concrete pump which receives concrete at a pump inlet during filling stroked and delivers concrete to a pipeline at a pump outlet during pumping strokes, the method comprising:
- sensing a parameter which bears a known relationship to a flow of concrete out of a cylinder of the pump;
- determining from the parameter sensed an actual volume of concrete delivered to the pipeline from the cylinder of the pump;
- determining velocity information as a function of the actual volume of concrete delivered to the pipeline, the velocity information being related to a velocity of concrete delivered to the pipeline from the cylinder of the pump;
- predicting wear on pump components as a function of the velocity information;
- and
- providing an output signal as a function of the predicted wear on components of the pump and pipeline.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.