US 8,914,215 B2 · Measuring and displaying tractor performance

Abstract

A method of measuring and displaying track-type tractor performance in real time calculates both a measure of work performance and a theoretical optimum work performance for a given input state, such as track speed. After estimating soil conditions, the theoretical optimum is estimated using an iterative technique. The optimum and current performance are normalized and displayed using a first bar representing a full range of work performance, a second bar depicting a range of optimum performance for current conditions is presented overlying the first bar, and an indicator line showing the current performance. This allows an operator to adjust speed or load accordingly. A coefficient of traction and a shear modulus adjustment, reflecting soil conditions, are calculated at the tractor during operation and used to offset a table of ideal condition operating points to produce the second bar.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of optimizing performance in a track-type tractor, the method comprising:

receiving inputs from the track-type tractor related to a current operating state;
detecting a work cycle, wherein the work cycle is a combination of load, carry, spread, and return operations of the track-type tractor;
estimating a work cycle distance from the work cycle;
measuring an operating slope;
developing a track-soil model corresponding to a current operating environment based on the received inputs;
determining the current operating state using the operating slope, a gear, a drawbar pull, and at least one of a groundspeed or a track speed;
calculating a performance corresponding to the current operating environment and the current operating state;
calculating an optimum operating state and an optimum performance using the track-soil model, the work cycle distance, and the operating slope;
normalizing the performance to the optimum performance to produce a normalized performance;
and
providing the normalized performance and the optimum operating state to a device used in adjusting the current operating state to improve or maintain the performance of the track-type tractor.

8 more elements

A system for optimizing performance in a track-type tractor comprising:

a ground speed sensor that provides a ground speed;
a track speed sensor that provides a track speed;
a slope sensor that provides a slope value;
a gear sensor that provides a current gear;
a processor coupled to each of the ground speed sensor, the track speed sensor, the slope sensor, and the gear sensor;
one or more sensors that provide information used by the processor to develop a drawbar pull value;
a memory coupled to the processor that stores executable code that cause the processor to use the ground speed, the track speed, the slope value, the current gear, and the drawbar pull value to i) calculate adjustment factors for a nominal pull-slip curve, ii) develop an optimum operating state value in terms of track speed for a current operating condition based on application of the adjustment factors to the nominal pull-slip curve, and iii) generate a current value of performance;
and
a device that receives the optimum operating state value and the current value of performance for use in adjusting an operating state of the track-type tractor to improve performance.

6 more elements

A method of optimizing performance in a track-type tractor, the method comprising:

providing a nominal pull-slip curve for a nominal soil condition;
receiving data from at least one sensor of the track-type tractor, the data including two or more of track speed, groundspeed, slope, and gear;
using the data:
calculating a drawbar pull;
estimating a coefficient of traction;
developing a modified pull-slip curve by applying the coefficient of traction to the nominal pull-slip curve;
solving a performance measurement equation based at least in part on the data and the modified pull-slip curve to determine a peak performance metric for a current operating environment;
developing a range of optimum operating states associated with the peak performance metric of the track-type tractor for the current operating environment;
and
providing the range of optimum operating states associated with the peak performance metric and a current performance of the track-type tractor to a device for use in adjusting one or more current operating states of the track-type tractor.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Measuring and displaying tractor performance

Life of this patent

Measuring and displaying tractor performance

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20