SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR A SNOW BLOWER CONTROL SYSTEM

Abstract

A snow blower including an auger housing, an auger rotatably positioned within the auger housing and configured to blow snow, a shaft attached to the auger and the auger housing, a chute attached to the auger housing and configured to direct the snow blown by the auger away from the snow blower, and a control system comprising at least one sensor configured to detect at least one operating parameter of the snow blower. The data collected by the at least one sensor is used to automatically control the snow blower.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2026/024923, filed 23 Apr. 2026, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/793,531, filed 23 Apr. 2025, the disclosure of which is incorporated, in its entireties, by this reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to snow blowers, and more particularly relates to systems and methods for a snow blower control system.

BACKGROUND

Typical commercial or larger-scale snow blower systems often include a vehicle and a snow blower attached to a front of the vehicle or integrally formed to the front of the vehicle. The vehicle typically includes a drive train including an engine or motor and a plurality of gears, belts, shaft(s), and/or other components that transmit power from the engine to the snow blower. The snow blower also includes an auger, an auger housing, at least one bearing for rotatably maintaining the auger within the auger housing, and a chute for discharging snow from the auger housing. Efficient operation of snow blowers, irrespective of size and capacity, is primarily a function of depth and type of snow, and the operating conditions of the blower itself, i.e., the forward speed, size, speed of the auger, and depth of cut formed by the snow blower. Typically, most of the operating parameters are set by an operator with speed and efficiency then being mostly dependent on the experience of the operator. Additionally, the operator typically operates the snow blower based on auditory and visual clues along with perhaps tactile feedback derived from physical contact with the controls. Speed, direction, depth of snow cut, and other operational parameters may be determined through a partially subjective set of inputs. The subjective nature of the operation and control of snow blowers may reduce the efficiency of the snow blower and may also increase the risk to both operator and equipment, particularly in extreme environments.

For at least the foregoing reasons, there is a need to provide improved methods of controlling a snow blower.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a snow blower including an auger housing, an auger rotatably positioned within the auger housing and configured to blow snow, a shaft attached to the auger and the auger housing, a chute attached to the auger housing and configured to direct the snow blown by the auger away from the snow blower, and a control system comprising at least one sensor configured to detect at least one operating parameter of the snow blower. The data collected by the at least one sensor is used to automatically control the snow blower.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a snow blower system including a vehicle and a snow blower attached to the vehicle. The snow blower includes an auger housing, an auger rotatably positioned within the auger housing and configured to blow snow, a shaft attached to the auger and the auger housing, a chute attached to the auger housing and configured to direct the snow blown by the auger away from the snow blower, and a control system comprising at least one sensor configured to detect at least one operating parameter of the snow blower. The data collected by the at least one sensor is used to automatically control the snow blower.

The present disclosure is further directed to a method of automatically controlling a snow blower. The snow blower includes an auger housing, an auger rotatably positioned within the auger housing and configured to blow snow, a shaft attached to the auger and the auger housing, a chute attached to the auger housing and configured to direct the snow blown by the auger away from the snow blower, and a control system including at least one sensor. The method includes rotating the shaft and the auger within the auger housing. The method also includes blowing snow using the auger within the auger housing. The method further includes directing the snow out of the auger housing using the chute. The method also includes detecting at least one operating parameter of the snow blower using the at least one sensor. The method further includes automatically controlling the snow blower based on the at least one operating parameter.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of examples according to the disclosure in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages will be described hereinafter. The conception and specific examples disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. Such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Features which are believed to be characteristic of the concepts disclosed herein, both as to their organization and method of operation, together with associated advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. Each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only, and not as a definition of the limits of the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the embodiments may be realized by reference to the following drawings. In the appended figures, similar components or features may have the same reference label.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a system for blowing snow in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the system for blowing snow shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a simplified schematic diagram of the snow blower shown in FIGS. 1 & 2 in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a force diagram of a flow of snow being blown from the chute of the system shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a method of controlling a snow blow using a control system shown in FIG. 4 in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of a method of controlling a snow blower in accordance with the present disclosure.

While the embodiments described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, the exemplary embodiments described herein are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the instant disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and systems for controlling a snow blower. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and systems for controlling a snow blower flow using a direct sensor-based measurement system. Large-scale snow blower systems typically include a vehicle and a snow blower attached to the vehicle. The vehicle typically includes a drive train including an engine or motor and a plurality of gears, belts, shaft(s), and/or other components that transmit power from the engine to the snow blower. The snow blower also includes an auger, an auger housing, a fan for receiving snow from the auger and the auger housing, at least one bearing for rotatably maintaining the auger within the auger housing, and a chute for discharging snow from the fan.

The systems and methods described herein include a control system including a plurality of sensors that detect various operating parameters of the snow blower and automatically operate the snow blow based on the operating parameters. Specifically, in some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein include at least four sensors configured to measure a speed of the vehicle, a load on the auger, a rotational speed of the auger, and a flow rate of snow expelled by the snow blower. The control system described herein receives operating data from the sensors and automatically operates the snow blower based on data received from the sensors.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the control system is configured to optimize the performance of the snow blower based on operating data received from the sensors. Specifically, in some embodiments, the control system calculates snow accumulation in the snow blower and determines whether the snow blower can blow more snow or can go faster to clear the designated area in quicker amount of time. Additionally, the control system described herein may optimize the performance of the snow blower based on other operating variables such as environmental conditions, safety considerations, energy storage, power consumption, and/or any other operating variable. Accordingly, the systems and methods described herein include a control system configured to automatically operate and optimize the performance of a snow blower.

FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 for blowing snow. In the illustrated embodiment, the system 100 is a large commercial snow blower that is used to clear streets, runways, sidewalks, and/or other large areas of snow. In alternative embodiments, the system 100 may also include smaller residential snow blowers used to clear driveways, sidewalks, and/or other smaller areas of snow. In the illustrated embodiment, the system 100 includes a vehicle 102 and a snow blower 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle 102 is a truck and the snow blower 104 is an auger snow blower attached to the vehicle 102. That is, in the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle 102 and the snow blower 104 are separate components and the vehicle 102 pushes the snow blower 104 during operations. In alternative embodiments, the vehicle 102 may be any type of vehicle that enables the systems and methods to operate as described herein and the snow blower 104 may be any type of snow blower that enables the systems and methods described herein to operate as described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the vehicle 102 and the snow blower 104 may be combined into a single self-propelled snow blower.

The vehicle 102 includes a motor 106, wheels 108, and an attachment 110. The motor 106 powers the wheels 108 to propel the vehicle 102 and the snow blower 104 forward. Additionally, the motor 106 may also provide power to the snow blower 104 through the attachment 110, which attaches the snow blower 104 to the vehicle 102. Specifically, the attachment 110 may be a shaft (not shown) that is attached to a corresponding shaft (not shown) on the snow blower 104 and rotation of the vehicle shaft rotates the corresponding shaft of the snow blower. The corresponding shaft powers portions of the snow blower 104 as described below. Thus, the vehicle 102 provides motive force for the snow blower 104 to move the snow blower 104 and provides power to operate portions of the snow blower104.

The snow blower 104 includes an auger 112, an auger housing 114, a fan 122 (shown in FIG. 3) for receiving snow from the auger 112 and the auger housing 114, at least one bearing or shaft 116 for rotatably maintaining the auger 112 within the auger housing 114, and a chute 118 for discharging snow from the fan 122. The snow blower 104 is pushed by the vehicle 102 and the auger 112 rotates within the snow blower 104. The auger 112 contacts and breaks up the snow and rotates the snow within the auger housing 114. The auger housing 114 prevents the snow from flying indiscriminately away from the auger 112 and channels the snow into the fan 122. The fan 122 blows the snow into the chute 118 and the chute 118 channels the moving snow away from the auger housing 114, through the chute 118, from which it is expelled to a location external to the snow blower as directed by the operator.

As shown in FIG. 1, the chute 118 may be moved to different locations and/or positions to direct the snow to the location. Specifically, the chute 118 defines an exit opening 120 that is moved to different locations and/or positions to direct the snow from the snow blower as it is expelled. More specifically, the exit opening 120 is rotated and/or moved such that the snow is directed away from the snow blower 104 to the location. Additionally, the exit opening 120 is rotated and/or moved such that the snow exiting from the exit opening 120 defines an angle θ relative to the horizontal and/or ground 124. As such, the chute 118 may be moved to different locations and/or positions to direct the snow to the location.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the system 100 for blowing snow. As shown in FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the snow blower 104 may include additional supports 126 that enable the auger 112 (shown in FIG. 1), the auger housing 114, the at least one bearing or shaft 116 (shown in FIG. 1), and the chute 118 to remain in a predetermined position relative to each other as the snow is blown from the snow blower 104. The snow blower 104 generates a substantial amount of torque or thrust in response to the snow being blown from the snow blower 104. The support 126 counteracts the torque or thrust generated by the snow and maintains the auger 112, the auger housing 114, the at least one bearing or shaft 116, and the chute 118 in position. In the illustrated embodiment, the support 126 includes a chain wrapped around a portion of the auger housing 114. In alternative embodiments, the support 126 may be any type of support that enables the snow blower 104 to operate as described herein.

FIG. 3 is a simplified schematic diagram of the fan 122. As shown in FIG. 3, the fan 122 rotates in a rotational direction 128 and a shaft of the fan 122 rotates the fan 122. The chute 118 discharges snow from the auger housing 114 at various angles. The fan 122 may further include at least one sensor 130, 132, and 134 In the illustrated embodiment, the snow blower 104 includes a plurality of sensors 130, 132, and 134. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the fan 122 includes a first sensor 130, a second sensor 132, and a third sensor 134. In alternative embodiments, the snow blower 104 may include any number of sensors 130, 132, and 134 that enable the fan 122 to operate as described herein. For example, the fan 122 may include one, two, three, four, or more sensors 130, 132, and 134 to enable the fan 122 to operate as described herein.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first sensor 130 includes a rotational speed sensor that is configured to measure the rotational speed of at least one of the fan 122 and the fan shaft. The rotational speed sensor determines the velocity of the snow blown from the snow blower 104 by determining the rotational speed of the fan 122 at an edge 136 of the fan 122. More specifically, the magnitude of the velocity of the snow blown from the snow blower 104 is the same as the rotational speed of the edge 136 of the fan 122. Thus, the first sensor 130 enables the snow blower 104 to detect the velocity of the snow blown from the snow blower 104. The first sensor 130 may be any type of rotational speed sensor that enables the snow blower 104 to operate as described herein. For example, the first sensor 130 may be an optical sensor, a hall-effect sensor, an inductive sensor, an oscillatory sensor, a magneto-resistive sensor, an eddy current sensor, a proximity switch, and/or any other type of sensor. In the illustrated embodiment, the first sensor 130 includes an optical sensor.

In the illustrated embodiment, the second sensor 132 includes a load sensor that is configured to measure the load, torque, and/or thrust on a portion of the fan 122. The load, torque, and/or thrust on a portion of the fan 122 is then used in the calculation described below to determine the flow rate of the snow blown from the fan 122. Specifically, the flow rate of the snow blown by the fan 122 may be calculated by dividing the thrust determined by the second sensor 132 by the rotational speed of the fan 122 determined by the first sensor 130. Thus, the second sensor 132 enables the fan 122 to detect the load, torque, and/or thrust on a portion of the fan 122 to calculate the flow rate of the snow blown by the fan 122. The second sensor 132 may be any type of load, torque, and/or thrust sensor that enables the fan 122 to operate as described herein. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the second sensor 132 includes a load sensor.

The second sensor 132 may be located in any portion of the fan 122 that enables the fan 122 to operate as described herein. In the illustrated embodiment, the second sensor 132 is positioned proximate the shaft of the fan 122 to measure the load, torque, and/or thrust on the shaft of the fan 122. In an alternative embodiment, the second sensor 132 may be positioned proximate the additional support 126 (shown in FIG. 2) to measure the load, torque, and/or thrust on the additional support 126. When snow is being blown from the fan 122, a torque will be generated by the snow that will exert a torque on the auger housing 114. The additional supports 126 will counter the torque exerted by the snow with a force proportional to the torque generated by the snow. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the additional support 126 is a chain wrapped around the auger housing 114. Because the chain is wrapped around the auger housing 114, regardless of the angle at which the chute 118 is oriented, the tension in the chain will always be proportional to the thrust with a fixed proportionality constant. Thus, in some embodiments, the angle of the chute 118 may not be required to calculate the flow rate of the snow as described below.

The system may further include a third sensor 134 which includes at least an angle sensor to determine an angle θ of the chute 118. As described below, in some embodiments, the angle θ of the chute 118 may be required to determine the flow rate of the snow as described below. In the illustrated embodiment, the third sensor 134 is positioned proximate the chute 118 to measure the angle of the chute 118. In alternative embodiments, the third sensor 134 may be positioned at any location on the snow blower 104 that enables the snow blower 104 to operate as described herein. In the illustrated embodiment, the third sensor 134 includes a position sensor. In alternative embodiments, the third sensor 134 may be any type of sensor that enables the snow blower 104 to operate as described herein.

FIG. 4 is a force diagram of a flow of snow being blown from the chute 118. The snow has a momentum flux 138, an x-component 140 of the momentum flux 138, and a y-component 142 of the momentum flux 138. A reaction force 144 is generated in response to the momentum flux 138 that is equal and opposite to the momentum flux 138 in accordance with Newton's laws. The reaction force 144 has an x-component 146 of the reaction force 144 and a y-component 148 of the reaction force 144. A simplified force balance is shown in Eqn. 1 below:

R=ρV²A  Eqn. 1

Where R is the magnitude of the reaction force 144, p is the density of the snow, V is the velocity of the snow as determined by the first sensor 130, and A is the area of the exit opening 120 of the chute 118.

In the x-direction, Eqn. 1 is reduced to Eqn. 2 shown below:

R_x=ρV²A cos θ  Eqn. 2

Where Rx is the x-component 146 of the reaction force 144 and θ is the angle θ of the chute 118. Mass flow rate is equal to the density of the snow (ρ) multiplied by the velocity of the snow (V) multiplied by the area of the exit opening 120 of the chute 118 (A) as shown in Eqn. 3 below:

{dot over (M)}=ρVA  Eqn. 3

Where {dot over (M)} is the mass flow rate of the snow.

When Eqn. 3 is substituted into Eqn. 2, the mass flow rate is related to the x-component 146 of the reaction force 144 as shown in Eqn. 4 below:

R_x={dot over (M)}V cos θ  Eqn. 4

Eqn. 5 below shows Eqn. 4 solved for the mass flow rate:

$\begin{array}{cc}\dot{M}=\frac{R_x}{V\cos \theta }& \mathrm{Eqn}.5\end{array}$

Additionally, in some embodiments, the snow blower 104 may include a control system 150 and the first sensor 130, the second sensor 132, and the third sensor 134 may be communicatively coupled to the control system 150. That is, the first sensor 130, the second sensor 132, and the third sensor 134 detect the speed of the snow, the load, torque, and/or thrust on the system, and the angle θ of the chute 118 and communicate those values to the control system 150 and the control system 150 computes the flow rate of the snow using Eqn. 5 shown above. In the illustrated embodiment, the control system 150 is a processor that is contained within the snow blower 104 and/or the vehicle 102. In an alternative embodiment, the control system 150 may be a laptop computer, a smart phone, a tablet, or some other computing device that is separate from the snow blower 104 and/or the vehicle 102.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a method of controlling a snow blow using the control system 150 and the sensors 130, 132, and 134. The control system 150 is configured to control at least one of the speed of the vehicle 102, the rotational speed of the auger 112, a cut depth of the snow removed by the system 100, and/or any other operational parameter of the system 100. The method enables improved safety and increased operational effectiveness through the implementation of the methods described herein. Specifically, the amount of collected snow should approximately balance the amount expelled by the system 100; if more snow is collected than expelled, then the system 100 will eventually jam. If the amount of collected snow consistently exceeds the amount of expelled snow, the control system 150 reduces the amount of collected snow by decreasing a cutting depth of the snow blower, reducing the rotational speed of the auger 112, or reducing a speed of the vehicle 102. Similarly, if the amount of collected snow is consistently equal to the amount of expelled snow, the control system 150 may increase the amount of collected snow by increasing a cutting depth of the snow blower, increasing the rotational speed of the auger 112, or increasing a speed of the vehicle 102.

The control system 150 may further include a fourth sensor 152 which includes a vehicle speed sensor. In the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle 102 includes a tachometer that measures the speed of the vehicle 102 by measuring the number of revolutions of a shaft (typically the axel) of the vehicle 102. In alternative embodiments, the fourth sensor 152 may be any type of sensor configured to measure the speed of the vehicle 102. Additionally, the system may also include a fifth sensor (not shown) configured to measure a depth of a cut of snow by the system.

The control system 150 further includes a sixth sensor 196 including a rotational speed sensor that is configured to measure the rotational speed of at least one of the auger 112 and the at least one bearing or shaft 116. The rotational speed sensor determines the rotational speed of the auger 112 at an edge of the auger 112. The sixth sensor 196 may be any type of rotational speed sensor that enables the snow blower 104 to operate as described herein. For example, the sixth sensor 196 may be an optical sensor, a hall-effect sensor, an inductive sensor, an oscillatory sensor, a magneto-resistive sensor, an eddy current sensor, a proximity switch, and/or any other type of sensor. In the illustrated embodiment, the sixth sensor 196 includes an optical sensor.

The control system 150 further includes a seventh sensor 198 including a load sensor that is configured to measure the load, torque, and/or thrust on a portion of the snow blower 104. The seventh sensor 198 may be any type of load, torque, and/or thrust sensor that enables the snow blower 104 to operate as described herein. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the seventh sensor 198 includes a load sensor. The seventh sensor 198 may be located in any portion of the snow blower 104 that enables the snow blower 104 to operate at least one bearing or shaft 116 at least one bearing or shaft 116 as described herein. In the illustrated embodiment, the seventh sensor 198 is positioned proximate the at least one bearing or shaft 116 to measure the load, torque, and/or thrust on the at least one bearing or shaft 116. In an alternative embodiment, the seventh sensor 198 may be positioned proximate the additional support 126 (shown in FIG. 2) to measure the load, torque, and/or thrust on the additional support 126. When snow is being blown from the snow blower 104, a torque will be generated by the snow that will exert a torque on the auger housing 114. The additional supports 126 will counter the torque exerted by the snow with a force proportional to the torque generated by the snow. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the additional support 126 is a chain wrapped around the auger housing 114. Because the chain is wrapped around the auger housing 114, regardless of the angle at which the chute 118 is oriented, the tension in the chain will always be proportional to the thrust with a fixed proportionality constant. Thus, in some embodiments, the angle of the chute 118 may not be required to calculate the flow rate of the snow as described below.

Control of the system 100 includes input of four parameters: i) mass flow rate of snow being removed through the blower, ii) loading on the auger, iii) depth of cut, and iv) forward speed of the vehicle 102 on which the blower is mounted. The auger loading is generally defined by a rotation speed or torque on the auger shaft 112. Either one is a measure of how hard the auger 112 is working and much snow is being removed from the surface to be cleared. The control system 150 receives each of these inputs feeds into an optimal controller which then sets those parameters for the desired performance.

In the illustrated embodiment, the control system 150 includes an optimal controller 154, an auger controller 156, and a proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) controller 158. In alternative embodiments, the control system 150 may include any number of controllers that enable the systems and methods to operate as described herein. The controllers 154, 156, and 158 are configured to receive inputs and set the operating parameters of the system 100 to optimize the operation of the system 100 for the environmental conditions the system 100 is operating in.

In the illustrated embodiment, the optimal controller 154 is configured to communicate with the auger controller 156 and the PID controller 158. More specifically, the optimal controller 154 is configured to transmit 160 a set point for the rotational speed of the auger 112 to the auger controller 156 and the optimal controller 154 is configured to transmit 162 a set point for the speed of the vehicle 102 to the PID controller 160. In alternative embodiments, the optimal controller 154 may be configured to transmit any data that enables the system 100 described herein to operate as described herein.

In the illustrated embodiment, the auger controller 156 is configured to control 164 the auger 112. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the auger controller 156 is configured to control a rotational speed of the auger 112. In alternative embodiments, the auger controller 156 may be configured to control any operating parameter of the auger 112. Additionally, in the illustrated embodiment, the PID controller 160 is configured to control 166 the vehicle 102. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the PID controller 160 is configured to control a speed of the vehicle 102. In alternative embodiments, the PID controller 160 may be configured to control any operating parameter of the vehicle 102.

As shown in FIG. 5, a snow load 168 may impact 170 the operation of the auger 112 and various disturbances 172 may impact 174 the operation of the vehicle 102. Specifically, a decreased snow load 168 may reduce a torque load on the auger 112 and an increased snow load 168 may increase a torque load on the auger 112. Similarly, reduced traction may increase or decrease a speed of the vehicle 102 while sudden increased traction may decrease a speed of the vehicle 102. As such, the snow load 168 and the disturbances 172 may impact the operational parameters of the system 100 and the control system 150 is configured to manage the operational parameters of the system 100 to account for the snow load 168 and the disturbances 172.

The first sensor 130 is configured to measure a rotational speed of the fan 122 as described herein. The second sensor 132 is configured to measure the load, torque, and/or thrust on the shaft of the fan 122 as described herein. The third sensor 134 is configured to measure an angle θ of the chute 118 as described herein. The fourth sensor 152 is configured to measure 180 a speed of the vehicle 102 as described herein. The sixth sensor 196 is configured to measure 176 a rotational speed of the auger 112 as described herein. The seventh sensor 198 is configured to measure 178 the load, torque, and/or thrust on the at least one bearing or shaft 116 as described herein. The first sensor 130 transmits the rotational speed of the fan 122 to a snow flow rate sensor 186, the second sensor 132 transmits the load, torque, and/or thrust on the shaft of the fan 122 to the snow flow rate sensor 186, the third sensor 134 transmits the angle θ of the chute 118 to the snow flow rate sensor 186, the fourth sensor 152 transmits 188 a speed of the vehicle 102 to the optimal controller 154, the sixth sensor 196 transmits 182 the rotational speed of the auger 112 to the optimal controller 154, and the seventh sensor 198 transmits 184 the load, torque, and/or thrust on the at least one bearing or shaft 116 to the optimal controller 154. Additionally, the snow flow rate sensor 186 transmits 190 a mass flow rate of snow expelled from the chute 118 to the optimal controller 154. Finally, the optimal controller 154 receives 192 operator set and/or mechanical auger parameter limits 194 from the operator or as a default.

As described herein, the optimal controller 154 is configured to improve safety and increase operational effectiveness through the implementation of the methods described herein. Specifically, the amount of collected snow should approximately balance the amount expelled by the system 100; if more snow is collected than expelled, then the system 100 will eventually jam. As shown in Eqn. 6 below, the difference between the rate of snow being collected, m__in, and the rate of snow being expelled out of the blower, m__snow, equals the snow accumulation within the system, Δm.

Δ{dot over (m)}=({dot over (m)}_in−{dot over (m)}_snow)  Eqn. 6

The calculation for rate of snow being expelled is described above. The rate of snow being collected is measured by the snow flow rate sensor which measures the rate of snow being collected as a function of the blower fan speed, ω__blower, and some measure of restraining force or torque on the blower mount, R__blower Of τ__blower as described herein. Thus, the rate of snow being collected is a function of auger speed, ω_auger, and torque, τ__auger.

If the amount of collected snow consistently exceeds the amount of expelled snow, the control system 150 reduces the amount of collected snow by decreasing a cutting depth of the snow blower, reducing the rotational speed of the auger 112, or reducing a speed of the vehicle 102 until the snow accumulation within the system, Δm in Eqn. 6, equals approximately zero. Similarly, if the amount of collected snow is consistently less than or equal to the amount of expelled snow, the control system 150 may increase the amount of collected snow by increasing a cutting depth of the snow blower, increasing the rotational speed of the auger 112, or increasing a speed of the vehicle 102 until the snow accumulation within the system, Δm in Eqn. 6, equals approximately zero.

Furthermore, the system 100 may include other environmental sensors such as visual sensors for detecting terrain and/or road conditions, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, wind speed sensors, and/or any other sensor for detecting the environment of the system 100 and establishing safety criteria for the system 100.

The control system 150 operates the system 100 to minimize snow accumulation in the system 100 as described above. Additionally, the control system 150 may also optimize other operating parameters of the system 100 if snow accumulation remains within a predetermined level. For example, the control system 150 may increase the speed of the vehicle 102 to maintain a set speed of the vehicle 102. If the snow accumulation in the system 100 remains within the predetermined level, the control system 150 may increase the speed of the vehicle 102 to reduce the total operating time. For example, if the snow accumulation in the system 100 remains within the predetermined level, the optimal controller 154 may calculate a new vehicle speed set point as shown in Eqn. 7 below and the PID controller 160 may increase or decrease the speed of the vehicle to match the new vehicle speed set point. The vehicle speed set point may be a function of the rate of snow collected by the system 100, the snow accumulation in the system 100, the rate of snow expelled by the system 100, and safety criteria established by the environmental sensors.

{dot over (m)}_snow−max=f({dot over (m)}_in,{dot over (m)}_snow,Δ{dot over (m)},v,safety criteria)  Eqn. 7

Additionally, if the snow accumulation in the system 100 remains within the predetermined level, the optimal controller 154 may calculate a new maximum snow flow rate set point as shown in Eqn. 8 below and the auger controller 156 may increase or decrease the rotational speed of the auger 112 until the rate of snow being expelled out of the blower, m__snow, equals the new maximum snow flow rate set point. The maximum snow flow rate set point may be a function of the rate of snow collected by the system 100, the snow accumulation in the system 100, the rate of snow expelled by the system 100, the speed of the vehicle 102, and safety criteria established by the environmental sensors.

v_set=f({dot over (m)}_snow-max,{dot over (m)}_in,{dot over (m)}_snow,{dot over (m)},safety criteria)  Eqn. 8

Finally, the control system 150 may also optimize the various operating parameters based on power consumption and energy storage of the system 100. More specifically, the system 100 may be powered by any propulsion system including an electric vehicle and/or an internal combustion engine. Both propulsion systems have a finite amount of energy storage, and the various operating parameters may be optimized based on power consumption and energy storage of the system 100.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method 600 of automatically controlling a snow blower. The snow blower includes an auger housing, an auger rotatably positioned within the auger housing and configured to blow snow, a shaft attached to the auger and the auger housing, a chute attached to the auger housing and configured to direct the snow blown by the auger away from the snow blower, and at least one sensor. The method 600 includes rotating 602 the shaft and the auger within the auger housing. The method 600 also includes blowing 604 snow using the auger within the auger housing. The method 600 further includes directing 606 the snow out of the auger housing using the chute. The method 600 also includes detecting 608 at least one operating parameter of the snow blower using the at least one sensor. The method 600 further includes automatically controlling 610 the snow blower based on the at least one operating parameter.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and systems for controlling a snow blower. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and systems for controlling a snow blower flow using a direct sensor-based measurement system. Large-scale snow blower systems typically include a vehicle and a snow blower attached to the vehicle. The vehicle typically includes a drive train including an engine or motor and a plurality of gears, belts, shaft(s), and/or other components that transmit power from the engine to the snow blower. The snow blower also includes an auger, an auger housing, at least one bearing for rotatably maintaining the auger within the auger housing, and a chute for discharging snow from the auger housing.

The systems and methods described herein include a control system including a plurality of sensors that detect various operating parameters of the snow blower and automatically operate the snow blow based on the operating parameters. Specifically, in some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein include at least four sensors configured to measure a speed of the vehicle, a load on the auger, a rotational speed of the auger, and a flow rate of snow expelled by the snow blower. The control system described herein receives operating data from the sensors and automatically operates the snow blower based on data received from the sensors.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the control system is configured to optimize the performance of the snow blower based on operating data received from the sensors. Specifically, in some embodiments, the control system calculates snow accumulation in the snow blower and determines whether the snow blower can blow more snow or can go faster to clear the designated area in quicker amount of time. Finally, the control system described herein may optimize the performance of the snow blower based on other operating variables such as environmental conditions, safety considerations, energy storage, power consumption, and/or any other operating variable. Accordingly, the systems and methods described herein include a control system configured to automatically operate and optimize the performance of a snow blower.

The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present systems and methods and their practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present systems and methods and various embodiments with various modifications as may be suited to the particular use contemplated.

Unless otherwise noted, the terms “a” or “an,” as used in the specification and claims, are to be construed as meaning “at least one of.” In addition, for ease of use, the words “including” and “having,” as used in the specification and claims, are interchangeable with and have the same meaning as the word “comprising.” In addition, the term “based on” as used in the specification and the claims is to be construed as meaning “based at least upon.”

Claims

1. A snow blower comprising:

an auger housing;

an auger rotatably positioned within the auger housing and configured to blow snow;

a shaft attached to the auger and the auger housing;

a chute attached to the auger housing and configured to direct the snow blown by the auger away from the snow blower; and

a control system comprising at least one sensor configured to detect at least one operating parameter of the snow blower, wherein data collected by the at least one sensor is used to automatically control the snow blower.

2. The snow blower of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a first sensor configured to detect the rotational speed of the auger or the shaft.

3. The snow blower of claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a second sensor configured to detect a load, torque, and/or thrust on the shaft or the auger housing.

4. The snow blower of claim 3, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a third sensor configured to detect an angle of the chute.

5. The snow blower of claim 4, wherein the control system is configured to calculate the instantaneous flow rate of snow based on the data collected by the at least one sensor.

6. The snow blower of claim 5, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a fourth sensor configured to detect a speed of the snow blower.

7. The snow blower of claim 6, wherein the control system is configured to calculate a snow accumulation within the snow blower.

8. The snow blower of claim 6, wherein the control system is configured to increase at least one of a rotational speed of the auger, a depth of a cut of snow, or a speed of the snow blower if the snow accumulation is below a predetermined value.

9. The snow blower of claim 6, wherein the control system is configured to decrease at least one of a rotational speed of the auger, a depth of a cut of snow, or a speed of the snow blower if the snow accumulation is above a predetermined value.

10. A snow blower system comprising:

a vehicle; and

a snow blower attached to the vehicle, the snow blower comprising: an auger housing; an auger rotatably positioned within the auger housing and configured to blow snow; a shaft attached to the auger and the auger housing; a chute attached to the auger housing and configured to direct the snow blown by the auger away from the snow blower; and a control system comprising at least one sensor configured to detect at least one operating parameter of the snow blower, wherein data collected by the at least one sensor is used to automatically control the snow blower.

11. The snow blower of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a first sensor configured to detect the rotational speed of the auger or the shaft.

12. The snow blower of claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a second sensor configured to detect a load, torque, and/or thrust on the shaft or the auger housing.

13. The snow blower of claim 12, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a third sensor configured to detect an angle of the chute.

14. The snow blower of claim 13, wherein the control system is configured to calculate the instantaneous flow rate of snow based on the data collected by the at least one sensor.

15. The snow blower of claim 16, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a fourth sensor configured to detect a speed of the snow blower.

16. The snow blower of claim 15, wherein the control system is configured to calculate a snow accumulation within the vehicle.

17. The snow blower of claim 16, wherein the control system is configured to increase at least one of a rotational speed of the auger, a depth of a cut of snow, or a speed of the vehicle if the snow accumulation is below a predetermined value.

18. The snow blower of claim 16, wherein the control system is configured to decrease at least one of a rotational speed of the auger, a depth of a cut of snow, or a speed of the vehicle if the snow accumulation is above a predetermined value.

19. A method of automatically controlling a snow blower, the snow blower comprising an auger housing, an auger rotatably positioned within the auger housing and configured to blow snow, a shaft attached to the auger and the auger housing, a chute attached to the auger housing and configured to direct the snow blown by the auger away from the snow blower, and a control system comprising at least one sensor, the method comprising:

rotating the shaft and the auger within the auger housing;

blowing snow using the auger within the auger housing;

directing the snow out of the auger housing using the chute;

detecting at least one operating parameter of the snow blower using the at least one sensor; and

automatically controlling the snow blower based on the at least one operating parameter.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein automatically controlling the snow blower based on the at least one operating parameter comprises:

increasing at least one of a rotational speed of the auger, a depth of a cut of snow, or a speed of the snow blower if a snow accumulation is below a predetermined value; and

decreasing at least one of a rotational speed of the auger, a depth of a cut of snow, or a speed of the snow blower if a snow accumulation is above the predetermined value.