Rail Conveyance system for mining

• US 20100114404A1
• Filed: 10/19/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RHT Railhaul Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Frank Donnelly
• Inventors: Donnelly, Frank Wegner
• Granted Patent: US 8,428,796 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 11/00 Mine cars B61D5/00 - B61D9/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 15/00 Other railway vehicles, e.g. scaffold cars; Adaptations of vehicles for use on railways conveyor frames mounted for movement on rail tracks B65G41/02; wheeled machines used in permanent way construction or maintenance E01B
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 3/16 adapted for carrying special loads
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/04 Automatic systems, e.g. controlled by train; Change-over to manual control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

A rail-based system is disclosed for moving materials and is applicable to a number of industries. The invention describes a system of automated self-powered rail cars operating independently to transport material such as ore from a work face in a mine or cargo from a marine port to a major transportation hub.

Claims

1. A rail car, comprising:

(a) a structure for carrying cargo;

(b) a plurality of truck assemblies, each truck assembly comprising one or more axles;

(c) an on-board power source to provide propulsion power to at least one of the axles; and

(d) a control interface operable to receive and process commands, to execute selected functions, the selected functions comprising a plurality of start, brake, speed setting, gear setting, power source activation, power source deactivation, load cargo, and unload cargo, wherein the commands are received from a remotely located operator or computer and/or from an on-board processor executing automation logic.

2. The rail car of claim 1, wherein the power source is at least one of at least one engine, a battery pack, and a power grid current collector, wherein a ratio of driver axles to total axles in the plurality of truck assemblies is at least about 0.167, and wherein the rail car is configured to ascend, without wheel slippage, a grade of at least about 10 degrees.

3. The rail car of claim 1, wherein the commands are received from a remotely located operator or computer, wherein the control interface is configured to collect a plurality of measured parameters from on board sensors and provide the measured parameters to the remote operator or computer, wherein the measured parameters comprise engine temperature, fluid pressure, engine revolutions per minute, rail car speed, rail car acceleration, currently traversed grade, fuel level, and available stored energy, and wherein the control interface is configured to collect at least one of still and video images of at least one of a portion of the rail car and an object near the rail car.

4. The rail car of claim 1, further comprising a remotely located or on-board memory including an electronic representation of a section of a rail way, wherein the commands are received from a remotely located or on-board processor executing automation logic, wherein the remotely located or on-board processor receives at least one of current location information from a satellite positioning system and a rail-side signal emitter, wherein the on board processor, based on the current location information and electronic representation, determines, from the automation logic, a value of the selected function.

5. The rail car of claim 4, wherein a first value of the selected function is automated state and a second value of the selected function is one of manual and remote control state and wherein the second value is selected when the rail car is engaged in one of cargo load and cargo unload operations.

6. The rail car of claim 4, wherein the electronic representation comprises one of rail section length, rail section grade, rail section configuration, rail section type, speed setting, maximum emission level, identity of power source to be used, and distance to a destination.

7. The rail car of claim 1, wherein the power source is a power grid current collector that receives power from at least one of an overhead wire and an electrified third rail, wherein a ratio of driver axles to total axles in the plurality of trucks is at least about 0.167, and wherein the rail car is configured to ascend, without wheel slippage, a grade of at least about 10 degrees.

8. The rail car of claim 1, wherein all of the axles of the rail car are powered.

9. The rail car of claim 1, further comprising a gear box and a cardon shaft, the cardon shaft engaging the gear box and the at least one powered axle.

10. The rail car of claim 1, further comprising at least one traction motor engaging at least one axle, wherein the on-board power source is at least one of at least one engine, an energy storage system and a power grid current collector, wherein the power source drives at least one of a generator, an alternator, and a hydraulic pump to power the at least one traction motor.

11. The rail car of claim 1, wherein the rail car is part of a consist comprising multiple rail cars and wherein, for all of the rail cars in the consist, a ratio of driver axles to total axles is at least about 0.167.

12. A method, comprising:

(a) providing a haulage railway, the railway having at least one loading point and at least one unloading point;

(b) providing a plurality of rail cars traversing the haulage railway, each of the rail cars comprising;

(B1) a structure for carrying cargo;

(B2) a plurality of truck assemblies, each truck assembly comprising one or more axles;

(B3) an on board power source to provide propulsive power to at least one of the axles; and

(B4) a control interface operable to receive and process commands, to execute selected functions, the selected functions comprising a plurality of start, brake, speed setting, gear setting, power source activation, power source deactivation, load cargo, and unload cargo, wherein the commands are received from a remotely located operator and/or from an on board processor executing automation logic; and

(c) loading each rail car with cargo at the at least one loading point and unloading, from each rail car, the cargo at the at least one unloading point.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the railway is a raceway or a switchback or a single track with turnouts or a combination these to permit rail cars to move back and forth between the loading and unloading points, wherein the cargo is excavated material, wherein a mine face near the loading point moves, wherein the railway comprises panel track section, and wherein the panel track is reconfigured to maintain the loading point in spatial proximity to the mine face as the mine face moves.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the railway is a raceway or a switchback or a single track with turnouts or a combination these to permit rail cars to move back and forth between the loading and unloading points, wherein the railway has at least one section with a grade of at least about 10 degrees, wherein the railway comprises a plurality of switchbacks, each switchback comprising a spur to permit at least two rail cars to park on the spur while a loaded railcar ascends the railway.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the loading point is nearby a ship docking facility and the unloading point is nearby a rubber tired truck loading facility or a railroad terminus and wherein the railway is a loop to permit rail cars to move back and forth between the loading and unloading points without emissions.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the rail cars are at least one of remotely operated and automated along at least most of a first section of the railway, the first section extending between the loading and unloading points, and wherein the rail cars are at least one of manually and remotely operated at each of the loading and unloading points.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the railway crosses over or under a roadway and wherein a grade of the crossover is at least about 10 degrees.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the commands are received from a remotely located operator and further comprising:

collecting, by the control interface of a selected railcar, a plurality of measured parameters from on board sensors;

collecting, by the control interface of the selected rail car, at least one of still and video images of at least one of a portion of the rail car and an object near the rail car; and

providing, by the control interface of the selected rail car, the measured parameters to the remote operator, wherein the measured parameters comprise engine temperature, fluid pressure, engine revolutions per minute, speed, acceleration, currently traversed grade, fuel level, and available stored energy;

position of electrical current collector apparatus; and

receiving and processing, by the control interface of the selected rail car, commands from the operator.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein a selected rail car comprises a remotely located or on-board memory including an electronic representation of a section of a rail way and wherein the commands are received from an on board processor executing automation logic and further comprising:

receiving, by the on board processor, at least one of current location information from a satellite positioning system and a rail-side signal emitter;

determining, by the on board processor and based on the current location information and electronic representation, a value associated with the selected function; and

inputting, by the on board processor, the value in the automated logic to generate a command.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a first value of the selected function is automated state and a second value of the selected function is one of manual and remote control state and wherein the second value is selected when the rail car is engaged in one of cargo load and cargo unload operations.

21. The rail car of claim 19, wherein the electronic representation comprises one of rail section length, rail section grade, rail section configuration, rail section type, speed setting, maximum emission level, identity of power source to be used, and distance to a destination.

22. A system, comprising:

a railway having at least one controllable rail element;

a plurality of self-propelled rail cars on the railway, each of the self-propelled rail cars comprising a cargo carrying structure, at least one driver axle, a transceiver, and a control interface, the control interface being operable to control selected operations of the respective rail car; and

a central controller operable to;

receive, from a selected rail car a current spatial location of the selected rail car;

identify a controllable rail element in a path of travel of the selected rail car;

determine whether the selected rail car is loaded or unloaded; and

in response, provide a command to the controllable rail element prior to arrival of the selected rail car.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the controllable rail element is one of a switch, rail/road crossing, rail traffic control light, turn table, transfer table and elevator.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising a plurality of signal emitters, each signal emitter being associated with a predetermined section of the railway and providing to a passing rail car at least one of rail car configuration instructions for the corresponding predetermined section of the railway and section information for at least one characteristic of the corresponding predetermined section of the railway.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein a signal emitter provides to a passing rail car rail car configuration instructions and wherein the rail car configuration instructions comprise at least one of the following settings to be employed over the corresponding predetermined railway section:

a speed setting, a gear setting, a notch setting, a power source type, and a state setting.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein a signal emitter provides to a passing rail car section information for at least one characteristic of the corresponding predetermined section of the railway, the section information comprising rail section length, rail section grade, rail section configuration, rail section type, speed setting, maximum emission level, distance from a selected point on the railway, and distance to a selected point on the railway.