Controlling a digging operation of an industrial machine

• US 9,103,097 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2014
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• 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, Hren, William, Emerson, Mark, Linstroth, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US14/474,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20140371997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 702/44, 702/174, 702/41, 177/147, 177/141, 177/139, 373/79, 414/696, 414/699
• 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 a digging operation of an industrial machine. A method includes determining a hoist bail pull associated with the industrial machine, determining a crowd torque limit value for a crowd drive based on the determined hoist bail pull of the industrial machine, and setting a crowd torque limit of the crowd drive to the crowd torque limit value to limit a torque associated with a crowd motor to the crowd torque limit value.

Claims

1. An industrial machine comprising:

a dipper;

a crowd drive configured to provide a control signal to a crowd actuator, the crowd actuator operable to provide a crowd force to the dipper to produce a crowd motion; and

a controller connected to the crowd drive, the controller configured to

determine a hoist force acting on the dipper,

determine a crowd force limit value based on the determined hoist force, the crowd force limit value being determined as a function of the determined hoist force, and

set a crowd force limit for the crowd drive to the determined crowd force limit value.

2. The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a state of the industrial machine.

3. The industrial machine of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to set the crowd force limit based on the determined state of the industrial machine.

4. The industrial machine of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to

determine a position of the dipper, and

set the crowd force limit based on the determined position of the dipper.

5. The industrial machine of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to determine one of a position of the dipper, a speed of the dipper, an acceleration of the dipper, an angle of a dipper handle, a position of the dipper handle, a wrap angle of a hoist rope, a rotations per minute of a hoist motor, and a rotations per minute of the crowd motor.

6. The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the crowd force limit value increases as the hoist force increases.

7. The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the industrial machine includes a rope shovel.

8. The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the industrial machine includes an AC industrial machine.

9. The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the industrial machines includes a DC industrial machine.

10. The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the crowd drive is a crowd motor drive.

11. The industrial machine of claim 10, wherein the crowd actuator is a crowd motor.

12. The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the force acting on the dipper includes a force creating a tipping moment on the industrial machine.

22. The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the crowd drive is configured to provide the control signal to the crowd actuator based on the crowd force limit.

23. The industrial machine of claim 22, wherein the crowd drive is a crowd motor drive.

24. The industrial machine of claim 22, wherein the crowd actuator generates the crowd force that is provided to the dipper, the generated crowd force being limited by the crowd force limit.

25. The industrial machine of claim 24, wherein the crowd actuator is a crowd motor and the crowd force is a crowd motor torque generated by the crowd motor.

26. The industrial machine of claim 25, wherein the crowd motor torque drives, through a transmission unit, a drive pinion of a saddle block, wherein a dipper handle engages the drive pinion, and wherein the crowd motor torque extends or retracts the dipper handle to produce the crowd motion.

13. A method of controlling a digging operation of an industrial machine, the industrial machine including a dipper and a crowd drive, the method comprising:

determining a force acting on the dipper;

determining a crowd force limit value for the crowd drive based on the determined force acting on the dipper; and

setting, with a controller, a crowd force limit of the crowd drive to the crowd force limit value to limit a crowd force associated with a crowd motion to the crowd force limit value,

wherein determining the crowd force limit value includes determining the crowd force limit value based on the force acting on the dipper.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining a force acting on the dipper includes determining a hoist bail pull.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the crowd force limit value increases as the hoist bail pull increases.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a state of the industrial machine.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein setting a crowd force limit value includes setting a crowd force limit based on the determined state of the industrial machine.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining a state of the industrial machine includes determining one of a dipper position, a dipper handle angle, and a dipper handle position, and wherein setting a crowd force limit includes setting a crowd force limit based on the determined one of a dipper position, a dipper handle angle, and a dipper handle position.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the force acting on the dipper includes a force creating a tipping moment on the industrial machine.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein determining a force acting on the dipper includes determining a force acting on a loadpin.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein determining a force acting on the dipper includes determining a tension in a suspension rope.

27. The method of claim 13, wherein the crowd drive is configured to provide a control signal to a crowd actuator based on the crowd force limit.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the crowd drive is a crowd motor drive.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the crowd actuator generates the crowd force that is provided to the dipper, the generated crowd force being limited by the crowd force limit.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the crowd actuator is a crowd motor and the crowd force is a crowd motor torque generated by the crowd motor.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the crowd motor torque drives, through a transmission unit, a drive pinion of a saddle block, wherein a dipper handle engages the drive pinion, and wherein the crowd motor torque extends or retracts the dipper handle to produce the crowd motion.