Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.

Conwell K Rife

Nathaniel S Doy

Eric Steven Engelmann

An apparatus of a work machine can include a sensor to provide information regarding a surface worked by a work machine. The apparatus can also include processing circuitry coupled to the sensor. The processing circuitry can generate a cut depth curve that represents cut depth subsequent to performing work on the surface, based on measurements provided by the set of sensors. The processing circuitry can perform an integration operation based on the cut depth curve to generate a measure of area worked by the work machine. The processing circuitry can determine at least one physical operational parameter of the work machine based on the measure of area worked by the work machine. Other systems and methods are described.

System for determining volume of material being cut

An electrically powered paving machine includes a hopper; a screed assembly; a conveying system; one or more batteries configured to power the electrically powered paving machine; a plurality of thermoelectric generators electrically connected to the one or more batteries; a potential thermal energy conversion device electrically connected to the one or more batteries; and processing circuitry. Additionally, the electrically powered paving machine controls charging the one or more batteries using electrical energy generated by one or more of the plurality of thermoelectric generators and the potential thermal energy conversion device.

Thermoelectric power generation on a paving machine

When removing portions of a work surface at a worksite with a machine (e.g., such as a cold planer), is useful to know the actual cut depths on each edge of the cold planer and/or the volume of material that has been removed from a work surface. However, determining actual cut depths and/or volume removed is difficult, costly, and can be inaccurate, resulting in increased costs and inefficiencies at the worksite. Accordingly, the present disclosure describes systems and methods for enabling automatic control of cut depth of a machine via a machine-controlled feedback loop and improved determinations of actual volume of material removed by the machine.

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Plymouth, MN, United States of America

Conwell K Rife