System and method for monitoring mining machine efficiency

• US 9,650,762 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joy Global Surface Mining Inc. (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Harnischfeger Technologies Inc. (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Inventors: Collins, Matthew R., Daniel, Kenneth J., Pan, Ray, Wang, Desheng, Rikkola, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALLACE, DONALD JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US13/747,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20130190966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 701 291, 701 293, 701 321, 701 334
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/301 with more than two arms (boom included), e.g. two-part boom with additional dipper-arm
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/304 with the dipper-arm slidably mounted on the boom E02F3/305 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/4075 Dump doors; Control thereof
• 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 9/14 Booms only for booms with cable suspension arrangements for booms or manipulators with cable suspensions for suction pipes E02F3/905 takes precedence; for booms per se E02F3/38; E02F3/34 for bucket-arms; Cable suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2004 Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers control levers per se G05G
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2016 Winches winches per se B66D
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2054 Fleet management
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/267 Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A mining machine comprising a power monitor sensing power consumption of the mining machine during a select time period to generate power consumption data; a sensor sensing payload of the mining machine during the select time period to generate payload data; and a monitoring module. The monitoring module including computer readable media for comparing the power consumption data and the payload data to generate shovel efficiency data, and outputting the shovel efficiency data.

Claims

1. A mining machine comprising:

a power monitor sensing power consumption of the mining machine during a select time period to generate power consumption data;

a sensor sensing payload of the mining machine during the select time period to generate payload data; and

a monitoring module including non-transitory computer readable media for

comparing the power consumption data and the payload data to generate shovel efficiency data, and

outputting the shovel efficiency data;

wherein the select time period and shovel efficiency data are associated with a mining machine operation cycle, the mining machine operation cycle being at least one selected from the group consisting of a hoist, a crowd, and a swing.

2. The mining machine of claim 1, further comprising a user-interface that indicates the shovel efficiency data.

3. The mining machine of claim 1, further including a network for communicating the shovel efficiency data.

4. The mining machine of claim 3, wherein the shovel efficiency data is displayed at a remote location.

5. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the power monitor senses power consumption of the mining shovel during further time periods to generate further power consumption data, the sensor senses payload of the mining shovel during the further time periods to generate further payload data, and the monitoring module compares the further power consumption data and further payload data to generate further shovel efficiency data.

6. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the operator performance is one selected from the group consisting of an average shovel dig cycle time, a total payload tonnage, a total power consumption, and a ratio of payload tonnage to power consumption.

7. A method for monitoring a mining machine, the method comprising:

receiving data from the mining machine, the data including

power consumption data of the mining machine received from a power monitor, and

payload data of the mining machine received from a sensor;

comparing the power consumption data and the payload data to generate shovel efficiency data; and

outputting the shovel efficiency data;

wherein the shovel efficiency data are associated with a mining machine operation cycle, the mining machine operation cycle being at least one selected from the group consisting of a hoist, a crowd, and a swing.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising

receiving data from a second mining machine, the data including

second power consumption data of the second mining machine, and

second payload data of the second mining machine;

comparing the second power consumption data and the second payload data to generate second shovel efficiency data;

outputting the second shovel efficiency data.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of comparing the power consumption data and the payload data is performed by a monitoring module on the mining machine.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the steps of comparing are performed by a monitoring module remote from the mining machine.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying the shovel efficiency data on a display remote from the mining machine.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying the shovel efficiency data on a user-interface of the mining machine.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the operator performance includes determining one selected from the group consisting of an average shovel dig cycle time, a total payload tonnage, a total power consumption, and a ratio of payload tonnage to power consumption.

14. A monitoring module for monitoring a mining machine, the monitoring module comprising:

a memory including a program storage area and a data storage area, the program storage area and the data storage area including at least one of a read-only memory, a random access memory, a flash memory, and a hard disk; and

a processor executing instructions stored on the memory, the instructions including

receiving power consumption data from the mining machine,

receiving payload data from the mining machine,

comparing the power consumption data and the payload data to generate shovel efficiency data, and

outputting the shovel efficiency data;

wherein the shovel efficiency data is associated with a mining machine operation cycle, the mining machine operation cycle being at least one selected from the group consisting of a hoist, a crowd, and a swing.

15. The monitoring module of claim 14, further coupled to a user-interface of the mining machine that receives and indicates the shovel efficiency data.

16. The monitoring module of claim 14, further coupled to a network for communicating the shovel efficiency data to a remote device.

17. The monitoring module of claim 16, wherein the shovel efficiency data is displayed on the remote device.

18. The monitoring module of claim 14, wherein the operator performance is one selected from the group consisting of an average shovel dig cycle time, a total payload tonnage, a total power consumption, and a ratio of payload tonnage to power consumption.