System and method for mining site production planning

• US 10,643,159 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Gates, Kevin Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US15/817,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20190153701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2045 Guiding machines along a predetermined path for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2054 Fleet management
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A system for mining site production planning includes a control system configured to specify a problem-solving technique and associated optimization problem for a mining site by setting production goals for each of loading tools, processors and production arcs of the mining site, sorting the production arcs in an order based on travel distances, and modifying the order of the sorted production arcs based on the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs. In addition, target values are set for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs according to the order of the sorted production arcs. The control system is further configured to solve the optimization problem to produce production values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs based on the target values.

Claims

1. A system for mining site production planning, comprising:

a mining site including loading tools, processors and production arcs; and

a control system configured to;

specify a problem-solving technique and associated optimization problem for the mining site by;

setting production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs;

sorting the production arcs in an order based on travel distances;

modifying the order of the sorted production arcs based on the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs; and

setting target values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs according to the modified order of the sorted production arcs; and

solve the optimization problem to produce production values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs based on the target values.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to determine route assignments for a plurality of mining machines based on the production values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the production arcs are sorted in an ascending order based on the travel distances.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to specify the problem-solving technique by:

associating a loading tool capacity and a processor capacity to each of the modified order of the sorted production arcs; and

setting the target values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs based on at least one of the loading tool capacity and the processor capacity.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs are set based on capacity of at least one of the loading tools, processors and production arcs.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs are set based on a number of mining machines available for the production arcs.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs are set based on a total production capacity.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the order of the sorted production arcs is modified based on an inverse priority ordering of the production goals.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein production restrictions are set for each of the modified order of the sorted production arcs.

10. A method for mining site production planning, wherein a mining site includes loading tools, processors and production arcs, the method comprising:

receiving production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs, at a controller;

sorting the production arcs in an order based on travel distances, using the controller;

modifying the order of the sorted production arcs based on the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs, using the controller;

setting target values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs according to the modified order of the sorted production arcs, using the controller; and

producing production values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs based on the target values, using the controller.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining route assignments for a plurality of mining machines based on the production values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

associating a loading tool capacity and a processor capacity to each of the modified order of the sorted production arcs; and

setting the target values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs based on at least one of the loading tool capacity and the processor capacity.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs are set based on capacity of at least one of the loading tools, processors and production arcs.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs are set based on a number of mining machines available for the production arcs.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs are set based on a total production capacity.

16. A control system for mining site production planning, wherein a mining site includes loading tools, processors and production arcs, the control system comprising:

a controller programmed to;

specify a problem-solving technique and associated optimization problem for the mining site by;

receiving production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs;

sorting the production arcs in an order;

modifying the order of the sorted production arcs based on the production goals for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs; and

setting target values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs according to the modified order of the sorted production arcs; and

solve the optimization problem to produce production values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs based on the target values.

17. The control system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further programmed to determine route assignments for a plurality of mining machines based on the production values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs.

18. The control system of claim 16, wherein the production arcs are sorted in an ascending order based on travel distances.

19. The control system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further programmed to:

associate a loading tool capacity and a processor capacity to each of the modified order of the sorted production arcs; and

set the target values for each of the loading tools, processors and production arcs based on at least one of the loading tool capacity and the processor capacity.

20. The control system of claim 16, wherein the order of the sorted production arcs is modified based on an inverse priority ordering of the production goals.