Method and System for Calculating and Reporting Slump in Delivery Vehicles

Abstract

A system for managing a concrete delivery vehicle having a mixing drum 14 and hydraulic drive 16 for rotating the mixing drum, including a rotational sensor 20 configured to sense a rotational speed of the mixing drum, a hydraulic sensor 22 coupled to the hydraulic drive and configured to sense a hydraulic pressure required to turn the mixing drum, a temperature sensor for sensing temperature of the drum, and a communications port 26 configured to communicate a slump calculation to a status system 28 commonly used in the concrete industry, wherein the sensing of the rotational speed of the mixing drum is used to qualify a calculation of current slump based on the hydraulic pressure required to turn the mixing drum. Temperature readings are further used to qualify or evaluate a load. Also, water purge connections facilitate cold weather operation.

1 . A system for monitoring activity of a construction material delivery vehicle having a mixing drum, comprising:
 an accelerometer sensor for detecting acceleration;   a processor coupled to said accelerometer sensor and sensing activity of the delivery vehicle based upon acceleration data from said accelerometer sensor, including one or more of:
 a tilt angle of the vehicle, 
 acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle over the ground, and 
 whether a propulsion system or mixing drum drive system is operating. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said processor evaluates a condition of concrete within said mixing drum in response to activity of the delivery vehicle sensed from the accelerometer data. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein said processor evaluates a condition of concrete in the mixing drum in response to a measure of torque applied to said mixing drum and vehicle activity sensed from the accelerometer data.