System and method for remote monitoring of drilling equipment

• US 10,662,752 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2017
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joy Global Surface Mining Inc. (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Joy Global Surface Mining Inc. (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shanmugam, Saravana Manickam Malayappalayam, Rikkola, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wallace, Donald J
• Application Number:
  US15/485,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20170218746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/30 with a dipper-arm pivoted on a cantilever beam , i.e. boom
• 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 9/264 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: E21B 44/00 Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 47/00 Machines for obtaining or the removal of materials in open-pit mines obtaining peat E21C49/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 17/18 Special adaptations of signalling or alarm devices for mine lifts B66B; gas-sensitive devices per se G01N
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A system and method for capturing information related to mining machine performance and making the information accessible to remote maintenance staff. The information can be used to generate alarms, determine a state of the machine, determine performance statistics for the machine, and identify problems with the machine that may require attention. The information can be provided in a state message and the data can be packaged as XML data or in a string format. The data associated with a message can be particular to the current state or context of the mining machine. That is, in the case of a rope shovel, different data may be included in a message generated in a swing state versus a message generated in a tuck state. In some instances, a message is generated when progress thresholds are satisfied, such as for each foot of drilling performed by a mining drill.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a mining drill, the method comprising:

monitoring mining machine parameters of the mining drill;

determining, with a processor of the mining drill, a current operational state for the mining drill;

selecting, with the processor of the mining drill, a first set of parameter types based on the current operational state;

generating, with the processor of the mining drill, a state message indicating the current operational state of the mining drill and a parameter value for each parameter type of the first set of parameter types; and

transmitting, with the processor of the mining drill, the state message from the mining drill to a device for display to a user;

when the current operational state of the mining drill is a drill state;

determining, with the processor of the mining drill, when the mining drill reaches a plurality of progress thresholds while drilling a hole, each progress threshold representing a depth of the hole, and

each time the mining drill is determined to reach one of the progress thresholds;

selecting, with the processor of the mining drill, a second set of parameter types based on the drill state of the mining drill, wherein the second set of parameter types and the first set of parameter types are different,

generating, with the processor of the mining drill, a drill context message including an indication of the drill state of the mining drill and a parameter value for each parameter type of the second set of parameter types, and

transmitting, with the processor of the mining drill, the drill context message from the mining drill to the device for display to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the drill context message includes the parameter value for each parameter type of the second set of parameter types structured as one of markup language data and string data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of parameter types includes at least one selected from a group consisting of the depth of the hole, pull down force, rotational speed of a drill bit of the mining drill, torque of the drill bit, rate of penetration of the drill bit, weight on the drill bit, air pressure of the drill bit, feed rate, horizontal vibration, and vertical vibration.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current operational state of the mining drill includes determining that the mining drill has completed drilling the hole and wherein generating the state message includes generating a hole end message indicating that the hole has been drilled.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current operational state of the mining drill includes determining that the mining drill is operating in a new operation state and wherein generating the state message includes generating a state start message indicating a start of the new operation state.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing calculations, with a pre-processor on the mining drill, on a series of data values collected over a period of time for each parameter type of the first set of parameter types, the calculations generating calculated data;

generating a processed-data message including the calculated data; and

outputting the processed-data message to the device via a network, wherein the device is a remote device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the calculations include at least one of an average computation, maximum determination, minimum determination, root mean squared (rms) calculation, and a fourier transform.

8. A mining machine monitor for monitoring a mining drill, the mining machine monitor comprising:

a monitoring module that monitors mining machine parameters of the mining drill;

a state machine module that determines that a current operational state for the mining drill; and

a message generating module, implemented by a processor of the mining drill, that

monitors progress of the mining drill in drilling a hole,

selects a first set of parameter types based on the current operational state,

generates a state message indicating the current operational state of the mining drill and a parameter value for each parameter type of the first set of parameter types, and

transmits the state message from the mining drill to a device for display to a user,

when the current operational state of the mining drill is a drill state;

determines when the mining drill reaches a plurality of progress thresholds while drilling the hole, each progress threshold representing a depth of the hole, and

each time the mining drill is determined to reach one of the progress thresholds;

selects, with the processor of the mining drill, a second set of parameter types based on the drill state of the mining drill, wherein the second set of parameter types and the first set of parameter types are different,

generates, with the processor of the mining drill, a drill context message including an indication of the drill state of the mining drill and a parameter value for each parameter type of the second set of parameter types, and

transmits, with the processor of the mining drill, the drill context message from the mining drill to a device for display to a user.

9. The mining machine monitor of claim 8, wherein the drill context message includes the parameter value for each parameter type of the second set of parameter types structured as one of markup language data and string data.

10. The mining machine monitor of claim 8, wherein the second set of parameter types includes at least one selected from a group consisting of the depth of the hole, pull down force, rotational speed of a drill bit of the mining drill, torque of the drill bit, rate of penetration of the drill bit, weight on the drill bit, air pressure of the drill bit, feed rate, horizontal vibration, and vertical vibration.

11. The mining machine monitor of claim 8, wherein

the state machine module determines the current operational state of the mining drill by determining that the mining drill has completed drilling the hole;

and

the message generating module generates the state message by generating a hole end message indicating that the hole has been drilled.

12. The mining machine monitor of claim 8, wherein

the state machine module determines the current operational state of the mining drill by determining that the mining drill is operating in a new operation state;

and

the message generating module generates the state message by generating a state start message indicating a start of the new operation state.

13. The mining machine monitor of claim 8, further comprising a pre-processor on the mining machine, the pre-processor

performing calculations on a series of data values collected over a period of time for each parameter type of the first set of parameter types, the calculations generating calculated data;

generating a processed-data message including the calculated data; and

outputting the processed-data message to the device via a network, wherein the device is a remote device.

14. The mining machine monitor of claim 13, wherein the calculations include at least one of an average computation, maximum determination, minimum determination, root mean squared (rms) calculation, and a fourier transform.

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

a memory storing instructions; and

a processor of the mining drill, the processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to perform a set of functions, the set of functions including;

monitoring mining machine parameters of a mining drill;

determining a current operational state for the mining drill;

selecting a first set of parameter types based on the current operational state;

generating a state message indicating the current operational state of the mining drill and a parameter value for each parameter type of the first set of parameter types; and

transmitting the state message from the mining drill to a device for display to a user;

when the current operational state of the mining drill is a drill state;

monitoring progress of the mining drill in drilling the hole,

determining when the mining drill reaches a plurality of progress thresholds while drilling a hole, each progress threshold representing a depth of the hole, and

each time the mining drill is determined to reach one of the progress thresholds;

selecting a second set of parameter types based on the drill state of the mining drill, wherein the second set of parameter types and the first set of parameter types are different,

generating a drill context message including an indication of the drill state of the mining drill and a parameter value for each parameter type of the second set of parameter types, and

transmitting the drill context message from the mining drill to a device for display to a user.

16. The mining machine monitor of claim 15, wherein the memory is part of the mining drill.

17. The mining machine monitor of claim 15, wherein the second set of parameter types includes at least one selected from a group consisting of the depth of the hole, pull down force, rotational speed of a drill bit of the mining drill, torque of the drill bit, rate of penetration of the drill bit, weight on the drill bit, air pressure of the drill bit, feed rate, horizontal vibration, and vertical vibration.

18. The mining machine monitor of claim 15, wherein determining the current operational state of the mining drill includes determining that the mining drill has completed drilling the hole and wherein generating the state message includes generating a hole end message indicating that the hole has been drilled.

19. The mining machine monitor of claim 15, wherein determining the current operational state of the mining drill includes determining that the mining drill is operating in a new operation state and wherein generating the state message includes generating a state start message indicating a start of the new operation state, wherein the state start message includes a third set of parameter types associated with the new operation state.

20. The mining machine monitor of claim 15, wherein the set of functions further includes

performing calculations on a series of data values collected over a period of time for each parameter type of the first set of parameter types, the calculations generating calculated data,

generating a processed-data message including the calculated data, and

outputting the processed-data message to the device via a network, wherein the device is a remote device.