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 managing a concrete delivery vehicle having a mixing drum and a water supply for use therewith, and water connections for delivery of water from said water supply, comprising:
 air connections coupling an air supply to said water connections,   control valves in one or both of said air and water connections, and   a controller controlling said control valves to deliver air through said water connections and purge water from said water connections to prevent freezing of water within said water connections.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said air connections deliver air to said water connections to purge water from said water connections into said water supply. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said air connections deliver air to said water connections to purge water from said water connections into said mixing drum. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said concrete delivery vehicle further comprises a chemical additive supply and chemical additive connections for delivery of chemical additive from said chemical additive supply, the system further comprising air connections coupling said air supply to said chemical additive connections, said control valves being in any or all of said air, water and chemical additive connections, the controller controlling said control valves to purge chemical additive and water from said connections. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2  further comprising a pump coupled to said water connections, said controller controlling said pump to purge water from said water connections. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2  wherein said vehicle comprises a primary and a secondary air supply, and air connections delivering air from said primary and secondary air supplies to said water connections, the controller controlling the secondary air supply to purge water from said water connections into said water supply while said water supply is pressurized by said primary air supply.