Battery-powered vehicle with AC driven traction and pump motors for mining applications

• US 7,053,568 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joy Global Underground Mining LLC (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Oldenburg Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Rudinec, Stephen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): IP, SHIK LUEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US10/945,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20060061309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 318/254, 318/362, 318/762, 318/799, 318/60, 318/139, 701/22, 307/10.1, 320/101, 320/104, 290/32, 180/65.4, 180/6.28, 180/243
• US Class Current: 318/139
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 3/02 with electric accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A battery-powered vehicle for transporting a mined payload or supplies over the roadways existing in or around an underground mine, includes variable voltage, variable frequency drivers that convert DC voltage from a battery into an AC voltage for driving AC induction motors of a front wheel drive system of the vehicle, and a further variable frequency driver that converts DC voltage from the battery into an AC voltage for driving an AC pump motor for supplying hydraulic fluid to hydraulically operated components of the vehicle. A controller controls the operation of the variable voltage variable frequency drivers in response to commands supplied to the controller by an operator of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A battery-powered apparatus adapted to be driven over the roadways existing in and around an underground mine, said apparatus comprising:

a wheeled vehicle including a first set of wheels and a second set of wheels, said first set of wheels including at least first and second wheels;

a battery carried by said vehicle, said battery being the primary power source for said vehicle; and

a drive system supported on said vehicle, said drive system including

a first AC induction motor coupled to said first wheel;

a second AC induction motor coupled to said second wheel;

a drive assist means coupled to said second set of wheels;

a first DC/AC conventer for converting DC voltage from said battery into an AC voltage for driving said first AC induction motor, said first DC/AC converter having an input connected directly to said battery and an output connected directly to said first induction motor; and

a second DC/AC converter for converting DC voltage from said battery into an AC voltage for driving said second AC induction motor, said second DC/AC converter having an input connected directly to said battery and an output connected directly to said second induction motor.

2. A battery-powered apparatus adapted to be driven over the roadways existing in and around an underground mine, said apparatus comprising:

a wheeled vehicle including a first set of wheels and a second set of wheels, said first set of wheels including at least first and second wheels;

a battery carried by said vehicle, said battery being the primary power source for said vehicle; and

a drive system supported on said vehicle, said drive system including

at least one AC induction motor coupled to at least said first wheel;

a drive assist means coupled to said second set of wheels;

a drive circuit including a DC/AC converter having an input connected directly to said battery and an output connected directly to said AC induction motor, said DC/AC converter converting DC voltage from said battery into an AC voltage for driving said AC induction motor; and

a controller coupled to said drive circuit to control said DC/AC converter to thereby control the operation of said AC induction motor.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said controller is responsive to command signals to control said DC/AC converter, and including an operator interface coupled to said controller to allow an operator of the vehicle to provide command signals to said controller.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said controller provides at least speed and direction references to said drive circuit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, including a second AC induction motor coupled to said second wheel;

said drive circuit including a second DC/AC converter having an input connected directly to said battery and an output connected directly to said second AC induction motor, said second DC/AC converter converting DC voltage from said battery into an AC voltage for driving said second AC induction motor.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said drive circuit includes an encoder for producing a speed feedback signal indicative of the speed of the vehicle, and a processor for comparing said speed feedback signal with a speed setpoint value and controlling said AC induction motor to maintain the speed of the vehicle at said speed setpoint value;

and wherein said controller is responsive an operator input to change the speed setpoint value, thereby changing the speed of the vehicle.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the speed of said AC induction motor is variable from 0 rpm to about 5000 rpm.

8. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said vehicle includes at least one hydraulically operated component, said drive assist means including a hydraulic pump for supplying hydraulic fluid to said hydraulically operated component;

a further AC induction motor for driving said hydraulic pump, and a further DC/AC converter coupled between said battery and said further AC induction motor for converting DC voltage from said battery into an AC voltage for driving said further AC induction motor.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said controller provides an on/off reference to said further drive circuit.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the speed of said further AC induction motor is maintained substantially constant.

11. A battery-powered apparatus adapted to be driven over the roadways existing in and around an underground mine, said apparatus comprising:

a wheeled vehicle including a first set of wheels and a second set of wheels, the vehicle including at least one hydraulically operated component;

a hydraulic pump carried by said vehicle for supplying hydraulic fluid to the hydraulically operated component;

a drive system supported on said vehicle, said drive system including

a battery, the battery being the primary power source for the vehicle;

a first AC induction motor coupled to a first wheel of said first set of wheels and a second AC induction motor coupled to a second wheel of said first set of wheels;

a drive assist coupled to said second set of wheels;

a third AC induction motor for driving said hydraulic pump,

a drive circuit coupled to said battery, said drive circuit including a plurality of DC/AC converters for converting DC voltage from said battery into an AC voltage for driving said first, second and third AC induction motors; and

a controller for controlling the DC/AC converters to control the operation of said first, second and third AC induction motors; and

an operator interface coupled to said controller to allow an operator of the vehicle to provide command signals to said controller.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said drive assist includes at least one hydraulic motor coupled to at least one of wheel of said second set of wheels, said hydraulic pump supplying hydraulic fluid to said hydraulic motor for driving said hydraulic motor.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said drive circuit includes an encoder for producing a speed feedback signal indicative of the speed of the vehicle, the drive circuit maintaining the speed of the vehicle at a setpoint value, and wherein said controller is responsive to an operator input to change the speed setpoint value, thereby causing the drive circuit to vary the speed of the vehicle.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the speed of said drive motor is varied from 0 rpm to about 5000 rpm.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said drive circuit includes at least one variable voltage, variable frequency drive circuit for controlling the speed and torque of said AC induction motor, said variable voltage, variable frequency drive circuit having an input connected directly to said battery and an output connected directly to said first AC induction motor.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said drive circuit includes an encoder producing a speed feedback signal indicative of the speed of the vehicle, and wherein said variable voltage, variable frequency drive circuit is responsive to a change in the speed setpoint value to effect a corresponding change in the speed of the vehicle.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the operator interface includes controls to enable an operator of the vehicle to provide at least start, stop, direction of travel, speed of travel, steering, and braking commands to said controller.

18. A battery-powered apparatus for transporting a mined payload over the roadways existing in and around an underground mine, said apparatus comprising:

a wheeled vehicle having first and second front wheels and first and second rear wheels;

a battery carried by said vehicle, said battery being the primary power source for said vehicle; and

a drive system including

a first AC induction motor coupled to said first front wheel and a second AC induction motor coupled to said second front wheel;

a drive assist including at least one hydraulic motor coupled to at least one of said rear wheels;

a hydraulic fluid pump for supplying hydraulic fluid to said hydraulic motor for driving said hydraulic motor of said drive assist;

a third AC induction motor coupled to said hydraulic fluid pump;

first and second drive circuits including first and second DC/AC converters, respectively, for converting DC voltage from said battery into an AC voltage for said first and second AC induction motors;

a third drive circuit including a third DC/AC converter for converting DC voltage from said battery into an AC voltage for said third AC induction motor; and

a controller coupled to said drive circuits for controlling said drive circuits to cause the AC voltage provided by said first and second drive circuits to varied in accordance with said command signals to control the operation of said AC induction motors.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said controller provides speed and direction commands to said first and second drive circuits for controlling the operation of said first and second AC induction motors.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said controller provides an on/off command to said third drive circuit for controlling said third AC induction motor.

21. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said first drive circuit and said second drive circuit each include an encoder for producing a speed feedback signal indicative of the speed of the vehicle and a processor for comparing said speed signal with a speed setpoint value and maintaining the speed of the vehicle at said speed setpoint value;

and wherein said controller is responsive an operator input to change the speed setpoint value, thereby changing the speed of the vehicle.

22. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said controller is responsive to command signals to control said DC/AC converters, and including an operator interface coupled to said controller to allow an operator of the vehicle to provide command signals to said controller.

23. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein at least said first and second drive circuits include a variable voltage, variable frequency drive circuit for controlling the speed and torque of said AC induction motor.

24. A drive system for a battery-powered wheeled vehicle that is adapted to be driven over the roadways existing in and around an underground mine, the vehicle including first and second sets of wheels and a battery, the battery being the primary power source for the vehicle, said drive system comprising:

a first AC induction motor coupled to a first wheel of said first set of wheels and a second AC induction motor coupled to a second wheel of said first set of wheels;

a drive assist coupled to said set of wheels;

a hydraulic pump for supplying hydraulic fluid to a hydraulically operated component of said drive assist;

a third AC induction motor for driving said hydraulic pump

a drive circuit including a plurality of DC/AC converters coupled to said battery for converting DC voltage from said battery into an AC voltage for driving said first, second and third AC induction motors; and

a controller for controlling the DC/AC converters to control the operation of said first and second AC induction motors.

25. The drive system according to claim 24, wherein said controller is responsive to command signals to control said DC/AC converters, and including an operator interface coupled to said controller to allow an operator of the vehicle to provide command signals to said controller.

26. A drive system for a battery-powered wheeled vehicle that is adapted to be driven over the roadways existing in and around an underground mine, the vehicle including first and second sets of wheels and a battery carried by the vehicle, the first set of wheels including a first and second wheels, the battery being the primary power source for the vehicle, said drive system comprising:

a first AC induction motor coupled to said first wheel;

a second AC induction motor coupled to said second wheel;

a drive assist means coupled to said second set of wheels;

a first DC/AC converter for converting DC voltage from said battery into an AC voltage for driving said first AC induction motor, said first DC/AC converter having an input connected directly to said battery and an output connected directly to said first induction motor;

a second DC/AC converter for converting DC voltage from said battery into an AC voltage for driving said second AC induction motor, said second DC/AC converter having an input connected directly to said battery and an output connected directly to said second induction motor; and

a controller coupled to said drive circuit to control said first and second DC/AC converters to thereby control the operation of said first and second AC induction motors.