Apparatus and method for controlling the efficiency of the work cycle associated with an earthworking machine
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsHans P. Dietz, Eric A. Reiners, Thomas G. Skinner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for controlling the torque associated with a power train of a machine having a work implement is disclosed. A plurality of position sensors sense the position associated with the work implement and responsively produce respective position signals. A controller modifies the desired engine speed in response to the angular position of the work implement and regulates the speed of the engine at the modified desired engine speed to control the power train torque.
Claims14
An apparatus for controlling the torque associated with a power train of a machine having a work implement, the power train including an engine, comprising:
- a plurality of position sensors that sense a position associated with the work implement and responsively produce respective position signals;
- an engine speed sensor that senses the speed of the engine and responsively produces an engine speed signal;
- means for producing a signal indicative of a desired speed of the engine;
- and
- a controller that receives the position signals, determines an angular position of the work implement, receives the actual and desired engine speed signals, modifies the desired engine speed in response to the angular position of the work implement and a software look-up table that stores a plurality of scaling values that correspond to a plurality of angular values associated with the work implement, wherein the controller selects at least one of the plurality of scaling values in response to the angular position of the work implement, multiplies the selected scaling value by the desired engine speed, and regulates the speed of the engine based on the modified desired engine speed to control the power train torque.
A method for controlling torque associated with a power train of a machine having a work implement, the power train including an engine, comprising:
- sensing a position associated with the work implement and responsively producing respective position signals
- sensing the speed of the engine and responsively producing an engine speed signal;
- producing a signal indicative of the desired speed of the engine;
- and
- receiving the position signals, determining an angular position of the work implement, receiving the actual and desired engine speed signals and, modifying the desired engine speed in response to the angular position of the work implement, storing a plurality of scaling values that correspond to a plurality of angular values associated with the work implement, selecting at least one of the plurality of scaling values in response to the angular position of the work implement, multiplying the selected scaling value by the desired engine speed, and regulating the speed of the engine based on the modified desired engine speed to control the power train torque.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.