All electric powered mobile jumbo drill machine

• US 9,580,966 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2011
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: J.H. Fletcher & Company.
• Original Assignee: Lakeshore Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Rudinec, Stephen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bagnell, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODWIN, MICHAEL ALAN
• Application Number:
  US13/216,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20130048382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,015 Days
• Field of Search: 175/122, 175/162, 175/170, 175/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/025 Rock drills, i.e. jumbo drills
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 17/06 Distributing electric power; Cable networks; Conduits for cables circuit arrangements for supplying or distributing electric power in general H02J
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An all-electric powered mobile jumbo drill machine configured to use provided AC electric power and on board battery provided electric power and operated in a mining environment.

Claims

1. An all electric powered mobile jumbo drill machine operating in a mine configured to use provided AC electric power, the mobile jumbo drill comprising:

a support structure including a plurality of wheel sets;

a self-contained battery module removably mounted on the support structure;

at least one hydraulic hammer;

an AC motor mounted on the support structure and coupled to at least one wheel set and the battery module;

a DC/AC inverter and variable speed drive coupled to the AC motor and the battery module;

a battery charger in electrical communication with the battery module, with the battery charger mounted on the support structure;

a hydraulic pump coupled to the AC motor and one of one wheel set and the hydraulic hammer;

a hydraulic motor coupled to the hydraulic pump;

a cable reel mounted on the support structure and including an electric cable coupled in the mine to provided AC electric power; and

an electric switch device, coupled to a system controller, with the electric switch device configured to selectively connect the AC motor to one of the battery module and the electric cable in the mine,

wherein the provided AC power through the electric cable energizes one of the AC motor coupled to the hydraulic hammer to drill and the battery charger to charge the battery, and wherein the electric cable is configured to be reeled up on the cable reel and the battery module is configured to power the hydraulic motor for movement from a first location to a second location and subsequent to the movement from the first location to the second location the electric cable is configured to again be coupled to the mine provided AC electric power.

2. The all electric powered mobile jumbo drill machine of claim 1, further comprising a transformer coupled to the provided AC electric power and the AC motor.

3. The all electric powered mobile jumbo drill machine of claim 1, further comprising at least a second hammer and associated second hammer motor, with the second hammer motor coupled to a second hydraulic pump, wherein the second hydraulic pump is coupled to one of the battery module and the provided AC electric power.

4. The all electric powered mobile jumbo drill machine of claim 1, further comprising at least a second self-contained battery module removably mounted on the support structure and coupled to the AC motor.

5. The all electric powered mobile jumbo drill machine of claim 1, further comprising a force transfer apparatus coupled to a hydraulic motor and the at least one wheel set.

6. The all electric powered mobile jumbo drill machine of claim 5, wherein the force transfer apparatus is coupled to a second wheel set, with the force transfer apparatus configured to drive one of either wheel sets and both wheel sets at the same time.

7. The all electric powered mobile jumbo drill machine of claim 1, wherein the AC motor is an electric induction motor.

8. A system for powering a mobile mine jumbo drill with only electrical energy, the mobile mine jumbo drill including a support structure, a plurality of wheel sets, a hammer assembly, and an electrical cable mounted on a cable reel and removably coupled to mine provided AC power, the system comprising:

a self-contained battery module removably mounted on the support structure;

a battery charger mounted on the support structure and coupled to the battery module and the electrical cable, wherein the battery module is charged by electric power through the electrical cable;

a DC/AC inverter and variable speed drive coupled to the battery module;

an AC electric motor mounted on the support structure and coupled to at least one wheel set and the DC/AC inverter and variable speed drive, with the AC electric motor configured to transfer force to a hydraulic pump coupled to one of the wheel sets and the hammer assembly; and

a system controller coupled to the electric cable and AC electric motor, wherein the mobile mine jumbo drill is configured to move from a first position to a second position by electrical energy from the battery module or the mine provided AC power through the AC electric motor, and wherein the hammer assembly is powered by the hydraulic pump coupled to the AC electric motor;

wherein upon movement from the first position to the second position, the system controller is configured to control the system to charge the battery module for a predetermined period to replace the energy spent from the movement from the first position to the second position.

9. The system for powering a mobile mine jumbo drill with only electrical energy of claim 8, further comprising a transformer coupled to the provided AC electric power and the AC motor.

10. The system for powering a mobile mine jumbo drill with only electrical energy of claim 8, further comprising at least a second hammer and associated second hammer motor, with the second hammer motor coupled to a second hydraulic pump, wherein the second hydraulic pump is coupled to one of the battery module and the provided AC electric power.

11. The system for powering a mobile mine jumbo drill with only electrical energy of claim 8, further comprising at least a second self-contained battery module removably mounted on the support structure and coupled to the AC motor.

12. The system for powering a mobile mine jumbo drill with only electrical energy of claim 8, further comprising a force transfer apparatus coupled to a hydraulic motor and the at least one wheel set.

13. The system for powering a mobile mine jumbo drill with only electrical energy of claim 12, wherein the force transfer apparatus is coupled to a second wheel set, with the force transfer apparatus configured to drive one of either wheel sets and both wheel sets at the same time.

14. The system for powering a mobile mine jumbo drill with only electrical energy of claim 8, wherein the AC motor is an electric induction motor.