System and method for monitoring mining machine efficiency

• US 10,450,727 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joy Global Surface Mining Inc. (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Joy Global Surface Mining Inc. (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Inventors: Collins, Matthew R., Daniel, Kenneth J., Pan, Ray, Rikkola, Michael J., Wang, Desheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Abby Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wallace, Donald J
• Application Number:
  US15/586,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20170233985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/301 with more than two arms (boom included), e.g. two-part boom with additional dipper-arm
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/304 with the dipper-arm slidably mounted on the boom E02F3/305 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/4075 Dump doors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/46 with reciprocating digging or scraping elements moved by cables or hoisting ropes ; Drives or control devices therefor E02F3/205, E02F3/905 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/14 Booms only for booms with cable suspension arrangements for booms or manipulators with cable suspensions for suction pipes E02F3/905 takes precedence; for booms per se E02F3/38; E02F3/34 for bucket-arms; Cable suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2004 Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers control levers per se G05G
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2016 Winches winches per se B66D
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2054 Fleet management
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/267 Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A mining machine including a power monitor, a sensor, and a monitoring module. The power monitor is configured to measure a received power, and generate a total power consumption data based on the received power. The sensor senses payload of the mining machine to generate payload data. The monitoring module includes non-transitory computer readable media for comparing the total power consumption data and the payload data to generate mining machine efficiency data, determining an operator performance comparing the mining machine efficiency data and the operator performance, determining, based on the comparison of the mining machine efficiency data and the operator performance, at least one selected from the group consisting of a bank difficulty and a bank digability, and outputting the at least one selected from the group consisting of the bank difficulty and the bank digability.

Claims

1. A mining machine comprising:

a power monitor configured to

measure a received power, and

generate a total power consumption data based on the received power;

a sensor sensing payload of the mining machine to generate payload data; and

a monitoring module including non-transitory computer readable media for

comparing the total power consumption data and the payload data to generate mining machine efficiency data,

determining an operator performance,

comparing the mining machine efficiency data and the operator performance,

determining, based on the comparison of the mining machine efficiency data and the operator performance, at least one selected from the group consisting of a bank difficulty and a bank digability, and

outputting the at least one selected from the group consisting of the bank difficulty and the bank digability.

2. The mining machine of claim 1, further comprising a user-interface that indicates the at least one selected from the group consisting of the bank difficulty and the bank digability.

3. The mining machine of claim 1, further including a network for communicating the at least one selected from the group consisting of the bank difficulty and the bank digability.

4. The mining machine of claim 3, wherein the at least one selected from the group consisting of the bank difficulty and the bank digability is displayed at a remote location.

5. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the power monitor senses power consumption of the mining machine during further time periods to generate further total power consumption data of the mining machine, the sensor senses payload of the mining machine during the further time periods to generate further payload data, and the monitoring module compares the further total power consumption data and further payload data to generate further mining machine efficiency data.

6. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the operator performance is one selected from the group consisting of an average shovel dig cycle time, a total payload tonnage, a total power consumption, and a ratio of payload tonnage to power consumption.

7. A method for monitoring a mining machine, the method comprising:

receiving, via a monitoring module, data from the mining machine, the data including total power consumption data of the mining machine, including a measurement of a received power from an external power source coupled to the mining machine, received from a power monitor, and payload data of the mining machine received from a sensor;

comparing, via the monitoring module, the total power consumption data and the payload data to generate mining machine efficiency data;

determining, via the monitoring module, an operator performance;

comparing, via the monitoring module, the mining machine efficiency data and the operator performance;

determining, via the monitoring module and based on the comparison of the mining machine efficiency data and the operator performance, at least one selected from the group consisting of a bank difficulty and a bank digability; and

outputting the at least one selected from the group consisting of the bank difficulty and the bank digability.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mining machine efficiency data is associated with a mining machine operation cycle, the mining machine operation cycle being at least one selected from the group consisting of a hoist, a crowd, and a swing.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising

receiving, by the monitoring module, data from a second mining machine, the data including

a second total power consumption data of the second mining machine,

a second operator performance of the second mining machine, and

a second payload data of the second mining machine;

comparing, by the monitoring module, the second total power consumption data and the second payload data to generate second mining machine efficiency data;

comparing, via the monitoring module, the second mining machine efficiency data and the second operator performance;

determining, via the monitoring module and based on the comparison of the second mining machine efficiency data and the second operator performance, at least one selected from the group consisting of, a second bank difficulty and a second bank digability; and

outputting the at least one selected from the group consisting of the second bank difficulty and the second bank digability.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the steps of receiving and comparing the total power consumption data and the payload data are performed by a monitoring module on the mining machine.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the steps of receiving and comparing are performed by a monitoring module remote from the mining machine.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying the at least one selected from the group consisting of the bank difficulty and the bank digability on a display remote from the mining machine.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying the at least one selected from the group consisting of the bank difficulty and the bank digability on a user-interface of the mining machine.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the operator performance includes determining one selected from the group consisting of an average shovel dig cycle time, a total payload tonnage, a total power consumption, and a ratio of payload tonnage to power consumption.

15. A monitoring module for monitoring a mining machine, the monitoring module comprising:

a memory including a program storage area and a data storage area, the program storage area and the data storage area including at least one of a read-only memory, a random access memory, a flash memory, and a hard disk; and

a processor executing instructions stored on the memory, the instructions including

receiving a total power consumption data from the mining machine, including a measurement of a received power,

receiving payload data from the mining machine,

comparing the total power consumption data and the payload data to generate mining machine efficiency data,

determining an operator performance,

comparing the mining machine efficiency data and the operator performance,

determining, based on the comparison of the mining machine efficiency data and the operator performance, at least one selected from the group consisting of a bank difficulty and a bank digability, and

outputting the at least one selected from the group consisting of the bank difficulty and the bank digability.

16. The monitoring module of claim 15, further coupled to a user-interface of the mining machine that receives and indicates the at least one selected from the group consisting of the bank difficulty and the bank digability.

17. The monitoring module of claim 16, further coupled to a network for communicating the at least one selected from the group consisting of the bank difficulty and the bank digability to a remote device.

18. The monitoring module of claim 17, wherein the at least one selected from the group consisting of the bank difficulty and the bank digability is displayed on the remote device.

19. The monitoring module of claim 15, wherein the operator performance is one selected from the group consisting of an average shovel dig cycle time, a total payload tonnage, a total power consumption, and a ratio of payload tonnage to power consumption.