EP3710643A1

EP3710643A1 - Vehicle with equipment for cleaning wells or sewers

Info

Publication number: EP3710643A1
Application number: EP18793392.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stefano Cappellotto
Original assignee: Geastar Srl
Current assignee: Xdea Srl
Priority date: 2017-11-13
Filing date: 2018-10-19
Publication date: 2020-09-23
Also published as: WO2019091760A1

Abstract

A vehicle (10) with equipment (11, 13, 15) for cleaning wells or sewers, which comprises electric means for the movement of the vehicle and electric means for the actuation of the equipment.

Description

VEHICLE WITH EQUIPMENT FOR CLEANING WELLS OR SEWERS

The present invention relates to a vehicle with equipment for cleaning wells or sewers.

The subject matter of the present invention finds application in the field of work vehicles, in the sector of vehicles for cleaning sewers and wells.

Nowadays work vehicles, such as for example trucks, are widespread which have a driver's cab and, behind this, one or more pieces of equipment for specific applications. This is the case with trucks for cleaning and cleaning wells and sewer networks.

Normally this type of truck conceptually comprises a region for the movement of the truck (driver's cab), a region designed to accommodate one or more tanks adapted to contain water and sludge, which is located on the longitudinal members of the truck, one or more regions for the coordination and control of all the operations and movements, which are located in the remaining free spaces proximate to the equipment to be operated.

In order to extract the sludge by suction and introduce water into the wells or sewers, the equipment is provided with ducts, made of rigid or flexible material, which are adapted to connect the tank to the well, and with one or more pumps in order to move the liquids from the sewer or well to the tank and/or vice versa.

Generally, in order to provide the pumps with the power required for their operation, a power take-off is used which is coupled to the transmission shaft of the engine of the vehicle.

This power take-off is coupled both on vehicles with an engine of the mechanical type and on vehicles provided with an electric motor.

However, this background art has drawbacks.

The use of a mechanical engine for the motion of the vehicle to also power the work equipment produces atmospheric pollution, owing to the exhaust gases of the engine, and this aspect is more critical during the use of these vehicles in inhabited areas, which are often already saturated with contaminating sources.

Moreover, said mechanical engines are a considerable source of noise, in practice imposing time and zone restrictions on work.

Also, during the transmission of power from the power take-off to the equipment, significant losses occur which are due to the friction of the moving mechanical elements, which generate a dissipation of this power. In some cases, the loss of power, and therefore of yield, is due to the losses caused by the conversion of electric power into mechanical power and/or vice versa.

Moreover, the movement of the mechanical elements in order to power the equipment entails, in the long term, wear of the elements proper, with a consequent need to replace or repair parts. This aspect leads to significant vehicle maintenance costs.

Finally, the need for a power take-off on the driving shaft and for a mechanical transmission of this power to the equipment places constraints on the arrangement of the equipment proper due to limitations caused by the geometries and dimensions of the mechanical transmission elements.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a vehicle with equipment for cleaning wells or sewers that is capable of improving the background art in one or more of the aspects indicated above.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a vehicle with equipment for cleaning wells or sewers that enables a lower loss of power during the supply of power to the equipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle with equipment for cleaning wells or sewers in which the maintenance required is reduced with respect to similar, conventional vehicles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle with equipment for cleaning wells or sewers in which it is possible to arrange the equipment without limitations imposed by the geometries and/or dimensions of the mechanical transmission elements.

Another object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the background art in an alternative manner to any existing solutions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle with equipment for cleaning wells or sewers that is highly reliable, relatively easy to provide and at low cost.

This aim, as well as these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a vehicle with equipment for cleaning wells or sewers, characterized in that it comprises electric means for the movement of the vehicle and electric means for the actuation of the equipment.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a vehicle with equipment for cleaning wells or sewers according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a general view of a vehicle for cleaning wells or sewers according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the operation of the truck in Figure 1.

With reference to the figures, the vehicle according to the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10.

The vehicle 10 comprises a driver's cab 19. Behind this, in the direction of forward motion of the vehicle, there is a compartment 14 for accommodating a battery pack.

At least one tank 11 is arranged adjacent to the compartment 14 and is optionally divided into multiple separate rooms, for containing the extracted sludge and the water required during the cleaning operations.

An intake duct 13 and a duct 15 for pumping the water at high pressure are connected to the tank 11. The operations for extraction and pumping at high pressure are controlled by pumps which are not shown in the figures.

A particularity of the invention lies in the system for the supplying power to the means for moving the vehicle and to the means for actuating the pumps.

The system is shown in Figure 2 and is generally designated by the reference numeral 16.

The system comprises a battery assembly 17, for example of the NMC (nickel manganese cobalt dioxide) lithium ion type or the like.

The battery assembly has a long life and is rechargeable. The expression "long life" means a duration that is sufficient to supply power to the movement means and the means for actuating the equipment starting from the exit of the vehicle from its depot up until its return after a standard execution of work, without any need to recharge in such time interval.

The battery assembly 17, in the medium term, may be replaced with other systems for delivering electric power, such as for example hydrogen fuel cells, without any impact on the entire setup and with adaptations that are already envisaged in the present invention and which will all be resolved through the sole modification of the Electronic Control Unit, described hereinafter, and of its software.

A heat dissipation element, not shown in the figures, such as for example a radiator or a fan, is connected to the battery assembly 17.

An Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 18 is connected to the battery assembly 17 and comprises both the coordination and control electronics, provided on one or more motherboards, and the Programmable Units containing the software required for the management and operation of the entire system, and is an integral and qualifying part of the present invention and, with appropriate semantic rules, includes the experience of use of the installations (Knowledge Based Systems).

The ECU 18 is adapted to control, using the electric current in output from the batteries, by way of an inverter, not shown in the figures, the actuators designed to appropriately activate the means for moving the vehicle and the means for actuating the pump, in the example case, pumps.

The inverter is known per se, while the ECU 18 is characteristic of the present invention.

The components provided in the ECU 18, by way of the appropriate software, are: the component for setting up the process, by way of which the operator establishes the operating cycle that he/she intends to set up on the system; the consistency control component, by way of which the software verifies that what the operator has provided is not only executable but also safe; the executive component, by way of which the software of the ECU activates the components in order to perform what has been preset in a controlled and safe manner and, finally, the safety component, by way of which the software of the ECU 18 measures the progress of the work by testing for the presence of any out-of-control situations that would induce the immediate halt of the execution of operations.

The electronic control unit ECU 18 is arranged in a protected location, preferably in the driver's cab or in another free region of the installation.

The electronic control unit ECU 18 is connected to an electric motor

19 for moving the vehicle by way of an electric circuit 20.

A shaft 24 extends from the electric motor 19 and is adapted to transmit motion to the two driving wheels 26 by way of the differential 25.

The electronic control unit ECU 18 is also connected to electrical/electronic means for the actuation of the equipment by way of one or more electrical systems 23.

In the example case, the electronic control unit ECU 18 is connected to a set of electrical means which comprise: an electric motor 21, adapted to supply power to a vacuum pump 27 for the extraction of sludge, an electric motor 22, adapted to supply power to a high-pressure pump 28 for the pumping of water for cleaning, an electric motor 30 adapted to supply- power to one or more hydraulic pumps 29 for services, such as for example tipping the tank.

Use of the vehicle according to the invention is as follows.

In the movement configuration, the battery assembly 17 supplies power to the electric motor 19, to which it is connected by way of the electrical cable 20, by way of the control and adjustment of the current by the inverter and the coordination and control of the electronic control unit ECU 18.

In the work configuration, the electric movement means 19 are switched off and the battery assembly 17 supplies power, by way of the control and adjustment of the current by the inverter and the electronic control unit ECU 18, to one or more motors of the equipment, in order to operate the pumps.

During vehicle motion, the power supply means of the equipment could be switched off, and likewise during work operations the movement means of the vehicle could be switched off.

It should be noted that the internal combustion engines used in the background art have been replaced completely by motors of the electric type.

It should be noted that the use of electric motors eliminates the pollution of the exhaust gases that are present in similar vehicles with internal combustion engines.

Moreover, the use of a vehicle according to the invention almost completely reduces the noisiness of the engine and of the equipment, thus removing the restrictions on use, referring to zones and times of work, that are associated therewith.

It should also be noted that the use of electric motors dedicated to motion and to the individual elements of the equipment makes it possible to save energy, by consuming only the energy that is necessary and sufficient to supply power to the motor in use.

Moreover, it should be noted that the use of a vehicle according to the invention, which utilizes electrical means, makes it possible to eliminate almost completely the losses of yield and power that are instead present in mechanical or hydraulic systems.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of a vehicle according to the invention which utilizes electrical means reduces the wear of the mechanical parts and therefore the need for maintenance.

The use of a vehicle according to the invention also reduces operating costs, since electric current is significantly cheaper than chemical fuels for the same power delivered by the engine.

Finally, it should be noted that the use of a vehicle according to the invention makes it possible to arrange the equipment in any location in the vehicle without restrictions dictated by the geometries and the dimensions of the mechanical power transmission elements, since electrical cables are sufficient for transmission.

In practice it has been found that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects, by providing a vehicle with equipment for cleaning wells or sewers, characterized in that it comprises electrical means for the movement of the vehicle and electrical means for supplying power to the equipment.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with other, technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. 102017000128839 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A vehicle (10) with equipment (11, 13, 15) for cleaning wells or sewers, characterized in that it comprises electric means for the movement of the vehicle and electric means for the actuation of the equipment.

2. The vehicle (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said electric means for the movement of the vehicle comprise: a battery assembly (17), and an electric motor (19) connected thereto.

3. The vehicle (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said electric means for the actuation of the equipment comprise: said battery assembly (17), and at least one electric motor (21, 22, 30).

4. The vehicle (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises an electronic control unit ECU (18) and an inverter.

5. The vehicle (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said equipment comprises a vacuum pump (27).

6. The vehicle (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said equipment comprises a high-pressure pump (28).

7. The vehicle (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said equipment comprises at least one hydraulic pump

(29).

8. The vehicle (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said electric motor (19) for the movement of the vehicle is connected to said electronic control unit ECU (18) by way of an electrical system (20).

9. The vehicle (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one motor (21, 22, 30) for the actuation of the equipment is connected to said electronic control unit ECU (18) by way of an electrical system (23).