Service for improving haulage efficiency

• US 20070078579A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Schricker, David, Sprock, Christopher, Greiner, Jon, Fratini, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,945,364 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A process of enabling and providing a service for improving haulage efficiency in a haulage system includes identifying a customer who may benefit from the service. Haulage vehicles of a fleet of haulage vehicles are equipped with a system for monitoring haulage parameters of the haulage vehicles. Equipment for gathering data on the monitored haulage parameters and for gathering information on haulage vehicle location along haul roads is provided. Target haulage parameters which result in desired haulage system performance are determined. The data is analyzed and deviations of actual haulage system performance from desired haulage system performance are determined.

Claims

1. A process of enabling and providing a service for improving haulage efficiency in a haulage system comprising:

identifying a customer who may benefit from the service;

equipping haulage vehicles of a fleet of haulage vehicles with a system for monitoring haulage parameters of the haulage vehicles, including haulage vehicle location along haul roads of the haulage system;

providing equipment for gathering data on the monitored haulage parameters;

determining target haulage parameters which result in desired haulage system performance;

analyzing the data and determining deviations of actual haulage system performance from desired haulage system performance.

2. The process of claim 1, further including providing at least one of equipment or services to the customer for making modifications to the haulage system based on determined deviations from desired haulage system performance.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein determining target haulage parameters includes drawing an economically efficient balance among minimum fuel usage, minimum equipment wear, minimum time for a haulage cycle, and minimum cost per unit weight of haulage, while meeting any haulage production quotas.

4. The process of claim 2, wherein providing at least one of equipment or services includes providing machinery for improving the haul roads.

5. The process of claim 2, wherein providing at least one of equipment or services includes one of advising the customer that a change in equipment assigned to a given task is needed to reach desired haulage system performance and advising the customer that more or less personnel are needed to reach desired haulage system performance.

6. The process of claim 2, wherein providing at least one of equipment or services includes creating short and long term management reports to improve haulage system performance based on the analyzing of the data to determine deviations from desired haulage system performance.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein determining target haulage parameters includes employing simulation software to determine which fleet selection, which gear selection pattern, which payload or payload variation, which grade or grade variation, and which rolling resistance or rolling resistance variation will yield desired haulage system performance.

8. The process of claim 1, further including equipping at least some of the haulage vehicles with a torque estimator system.

9. The process of claim 8 further including estimating the torque output of each haulage vehicle, and evaluating the impact of torque variations on relative life of equipment components.

10. The process of claim 8, further including estimating the torque output of each haulage vehicle, and identifying torque variations in haulage vehicle operation due to grade and rolling resistance variation.

11. The process of claim 8, further including estimating the torque output of each haulage vehicle, and identifying torque variations due to payload variations.

12. The process of claim 1, including providing a positioning system associated with the fleet of haulage vehicles for determining the location of vehicles in the fleet.

13. The process of claim 1, including providing a payload monitoring system for monitoring haulage vehicle payload.

14. The process of claim 1, including determining the location of haul road segments with inefficient grade and rolling resistance characteristics and recommending equipment and actions to be taken to modify the haul road segments to achieve desired haulage system performance.

15. The process of claim 1, further including instrumenting the haulage vehicle fleet to determine machine rimpull and actual power to the ground for haulage vehicles in the fleet.

16. The process of claim 1, further including modifying haulage system components or haulage system design to achieve site specific haulage performance targets.

17. A system for enabling an entity to provide a service for improving haulage efficiency in a haulage system comprising:

monitoring equipment for monitoring parameters associated with the operation of a haulage vehicle and for generating current data related to the parameters during operation of the haulage vehicle;

on-board computer systems adapted for installation on haulage vehicles of a fleet of haulage vehicles and configured to receive and process data generated by the monitoring equipment;

an off-board computer system configured to receive and process information from the on-board computer systems and compare the information with predetermined data to yield results;

the off-board computer system being further configured to generate at least one report presenting an analysis of the results yielded by the comparison made by the off-board computer system; and

a report forming the basis for a recommendation for modification of the haulage system tending to improve haulage efficiency.

18. The system of claim 17, further including equipment resources available to the entity and sufficient for the entity to provide a service for enabling modification of the haulage system in accordance with the recommendation.

19. The system of claim 17, including torque estimators adapted to be associated with at least some of the haulage vehicles of the fleet.

20. The system of claim 17, including a positioning system adapted to be associated with the fleet of haulage vehicles for determining the location of vehicles in the fleet.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein one of the plurality of elements for monitoring includes a payload monitoring system for monitoring haulage vehicle payload.

22. A process for enabling an entity to provide a service for improving haulage efficiency in a haulage system comprising:

identifying a fleet of haulage vehicles;

providing a plurality of elements for monitoring parameters associated with the operation of haulage vehicles in the fleet of haulage vehicles and for generating current data related to the parameters during operation of the haulage vehicles;

providing on-board computer systems on the haulage vehicles of the fleet of haulage vehicles, each computer system configured to receive and process the current data generated by the plurality of elements;

providing an off-board computer system configured to receive and process information from the on-board computer systems and for comparing the information with predetermined data to yield results;

generating at least one report by the off-board computer system presenting an analysis of the results yielded by the comparison made, generating recommendations for modification of the haulage system tending to improve haulage efficiency based on the at least one report generated by the off-board computer system;

identifying and locating at least one of equipment and personnel resources sufficient for the entity to provide a service for enabling modification of the haulage system in accordance with the recommendations.

23. The process of claim 22, further including making the at least one of equipment and personnel resources available for improvement of the haulage system.

24. The process of claim 22, including identifying and locating both equipment and personnel resources and making both available for improvement of the haulage system.

25. The process of claim 22, further including modifying haulage system components or haulage system design to achieve site specific haulage performance targets.