Controlling a digging operation of an industrial machine

• US 9,080,316 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2014
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joy Global Surface Mining Inc. (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harnischfeger Technologies Inc. (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Inventors: Colwell, Joseph, Powers, William, Burant, John
• Primary Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US14/224,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/49, 414/685, 414/694, 414/699, 414/718, 414/726, 374/43, 37394-398, 373/48, 373/84, 702/41, 702/44, 702/174
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/304 with the dipper-arm slidably mounted on the boom E02F3/305 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/308 working outwardly
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/352 Buckets movable along a fixed guide
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/43 Control of dipper or bucket position; Control of sequence of drive operations
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/431 for bucket-arms, front-end loaders, dumpers or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/432 for keeping the bucket in a predetermined position or attitude
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/435 for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like
• 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 5/025 with scraper-buckets, dippers or shovels
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2025 Particular purposes of control systems not otherwise provided for E02F3/16, E02F3/26, sub-groups of E02F3/43, E02F3/651, sub-groups of E02F3/84, E02F3/907, E02F5/145 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2029 Controlling the position of implements in function of its load, e.g. modifying the attitude of implements in accordance to vehicle speed control for hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2203, E02F9/2221 and E02F9/2253 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/265 with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool)

Abstract

Systems, methods, devices, and computer readable media for controlling the operation of an industrial machine including one or more components. A method of controlling the industrial machine includes determining a position of at least one of the one or more components of the industrial machine during a digging operation, determining a hoist bail pull setting based on the position of the at least one of the one or more components and a relationship between component position and hoist bail pull, and setting a level of hoist bail pull to the hoist bail pull setting. The level of hoist bail pull early in the digging operation is greater than the level of hoist bail pull later in the digging operation.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a digging operation of an industrial machine, the industrial machine including a component and a hoist drive, the method comprising:

determining a first position of the component during the digging operation;

determining, using a processor, a first hoist force setting based on the first position of the component;

setting, using the processor, a first level of hoist force for the hoist drive to the first hoist force setting;

determining a second position of the component during the digging operation;

determining, using the processor, a second hoist force setting based on the second position of the component; and

setting, using the processor, a second level of hoist force for the hoist drive to the second hoist force setting,

wherein the first level of hoist force is greater than the second level of hoist force.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first position of the component corresponds to an earlier position in the digging operation than the second position of the component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first level of hoist force exceeds a normal operating value for hoist force.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the industrial machine is a rope shovel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hoist force setting is further determined based on a relationship between component position and hoist force, and wherein the relationship corresponds to a function for calculating a hoist force based on component position.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a center-of-gravity (“

CG”

) excursion of the industrial machine during the digging operation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the component is a dipper.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a tipping moment of the industrial machine at the first position is approximately equal to the tipping moment of the industrial machine at the second position.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the industrial machine is a hydraulic machine.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the hoist drive is configured to provide a first control signal to a hoist actuator based on the first level of hoist force and a second control signal to the hoist actuator based on the second level of hoist force.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the hoist drive is a hoist motor drive.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the hoist actuator generates a hoist force that is provided to the component, the generated hoist force being limited to one of the first level of hoist force and the second level of hoist force.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the hoist actuator is a hoist motor and the hoist force is a hoist motor torque generated by the hoist motor.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the hoist motor torque drives a winch drum to pay out or pull in a hoist rope to lower or raise the component.

15. An industrial machine comprising:

a dipper;

a hoist drive configured to generate a signal related to a force to be applied to the dipper as the dipper is moved through a digging operation; and

a controller connected to the hoist drive, the controller including a processor and executable instructions stored in a computer readable medium, the controller configured to retrieve and execute the instructions to

determine a first position of the dipper associated with the digging operation,

determine a first hoist setting based the first position,

set a first level of hoist for the hoist drive to the first hoist setting,

determine a second position of the dipper associated with the digging operation,

determine a second hoist setting based on the second position, and

set a second level of hoist for the hoist drive to the second hoist setting,

wherein the first level of hoist is different than the second level of hoist.

16. The industrial machine of claim 15, wherein the industrial machine is a rope shovel.

17. The industrial machine of claim 15, wherein the second level of hoist corresponds to a normal operating value for hoist.

18. The industrial machine of claim 17, wherein a tipping moment of the industrial machine at the first position is approximately equal to the tipping moment of the industrial machine at the second position, and wherein the tipping moment is less than or approximately equal to a tipping moment of a second industrial machine for which the first level of hoist and the second level of hoist are each set to the normal operating value for hoist.

19. The industrial machine of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to monitor the tipping moment of the industrial machine during the digging operation.

20. The industrial machine of claim 15, wherein the hoist drive is configured to provide a first control signal to a hoist actuator based on the first level of hoist and a second control signal to the hoist actuator based on the second level of hoist.

21. The industrial machine of claim 20, wherein the hoist drive is a hoist motor drive.

22. The industrial machine of claim 20, wherein the hoist actuator generates the force to be applied to the dipper, the generated force being limited to one of the first level of hoist and the second level of hoist.

23. The industrial machine of claim 22, wherein the hoist actuator is a hoist motor and the force is a hoist motor torque generated by the hoist motor.

24. The industrial machine of claim 23, wherein the hoist motor torque drives a winch drum to pay out or pull in a hoist rope to lower or raise the dipper.

25. A method of controlling the operation of an industrial machine, the industrial machine including a component, the method comprising:

determining, using a processor, a position of the component of the industrial machine during a digging operation of the industrial machine;

determining, using the processor, a hoist force setting based on the position of the component; and

setting, using the processor, a level of hoist force to the hoist force setting,

wherein the level of hoist force during the digging operation is reduced based on the position of the component in relation to the industrial machine, the level of hoist force having a greater value when the component is at a first position during the digging operation than when the component is at a second position during the digging operation.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the component is a dipper handle.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the component is a dipper.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the hoist force setting is further determined based on a relationship between dipper position and hoist force, and wherein the relationship corresponds to a function for calculating a hoist force based on dipper position.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the function reduces the level of hoist force during the digging operation.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the digging operation includes a digging envelope.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the digging envelope is divided into two or more sections corresponding to different levels of hoist force.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising monitoring a tipping moment of the industrial machine during the digging operation.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the level of hoist force early in the digging operation exceeds a normal operating value for hoist force.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein the industrial machine is a rope shovel.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the position of the component is determined based on a hoist rope wrap angle.

36. The method of claim 25, wherein the first position is closer to the industrial machine than the second position.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the first position corresponds to an earlier position in the digging operation than the second position.