Controlling a digging operation of an industrial machine

• US 9,957,690 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2016
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joy Global Surface Mining Inc. (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Harnischfeger Technologies Inc. (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Inventors: Colwell, Joseph, Powers, William, Burant, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y
• Application Number:
  US15/237,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20160348337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 701 50
• 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 controller including a processor and executable instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the controller operable to retrieve from the memory and execute the instructions to:

determine, using the processor, a first hoist setting when a component of an industrial machine is at a first position during a digging operation;

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

determine, using the processor, a second hoist setting when the component of the industrial machine is at a second position during the digging operation, the first position of the component corresponding to an earlier position in the digging operation than the second position of the component; and

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

wherein the first level of hoist force is greater than the second level of hoist force, and the first level of hoist force exceeds a normal operating value for hoist force.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the industrial machine is a rope shovel.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the second level of hoist force corresponds to the normal operating value for hoist force.

4. The controller of claim 3, 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.

5. The controller of claim 4, further operable to retrieve from the memory and execute the instructions to monitor the tipping moment of the industrial machine during the digging operation.

6. The controller of claim 1, wherein the hoist drive is a hoist motor drive.

7. A controller including a processor and executable instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the controller operable to retrieve from the memory and execute the instructions to:

determine, using the processor, an operational state associated with an industrial machine during a digging operation based on signals from a plurality of sensors;

determine, using the processor, a first hoist force setting for a hoist drive based on the operational state associated with the industrial machine; and

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

wherein, low in a digging envelope of the digging operation, the first level of hoist force exceeds a normal operating value for hoist force.

8. The controller of claim 7, wherein the plurality of sensors includes a strain gauge.

9. The controller of claim 7, wherein the hoist drive is a hoist motor drive.

10. The controller of claim 7, further operable to retrieve from the memory and execute the instructions to

determine a second operational state associated with the industrial machine during the digging operation based on signals from the plurality of sensors;

determine a second hoist force setting for the hoist drive based on the second operational state associated with the industrial machine; and

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

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

11. The controller of claim 10, wherein the first hoist force setting for the hoist drive corresponds to a component of the industrial machine being at a first position during the digging operation, and wherein the second hoist force setting for the hoist drive corresponds to the component of the industrial machine being at a second position during the digging operation.

12. The controller of claim 11, 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.

13. The controller of claim 12, further operable to retrieve from the memory and execute the instructions to monitor the tipping moment of the industrial machine during the digging operation.

14. The controller of claim 13, wherein the industrial machine is a rope shovel.

15. A control system for an industrial machine, the control system comprising:

a plurality of sensors;

a hoist drive operable to generate a signal related to a hoist force to be applied to a component of the industrial machine as the component is moved through a digging operation;

a controller connected to the hoist drive, the controller including a processor and executable instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the controller operable to retrieve from the memory and execute the instructions to

determine an operational state associated with the industrial machine during the digging operation based on signals from the plurality of sensors,

determine a first hoist force setting for the hoist drive based on the operational state associated with the industrial machine, and

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

wherein, low in a digging envelope of the digging operation, the first level of hoist force exceeds a normal operating value for hoist force; and

a hoist actuator operable to receive the drive signal from the hoist drive based on the first level of hoist force and generate the hoist force that is applied to the component of the industrial machine, the generated hoist force being limited to the first level of hoist force.

16. The control system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of sensors includes a strain gauge.

17. The control system of claim 15, wherein the hoist drive is a hoist motor drive.

18. The control system of claim 17, wherein the hoist actuator is a hoist motor and the hoist force is a hoist motor torque generated by the hoist motor.

19. The control system of claim 18, wherein the hoist motor torque drives a winch drum to pay out or pull in a hoist rope to lower or raise the component.

20. The control system of claim 15, wherein the controller is further operable to retrieve from the memory and execute the instructions to

determine a second operational state associated with the industrial machine during the digging operation based on signals from the plurality of sensors;

determine a second hoist force setting for the hoist drive based on the second operational state associated with the industrial machine; and

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

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

21. The control system of claim 20, wherein the hoist actuator is further operable to receive a second drive signal from the hoist drive based on the second level of hoist force and generate a second hoist force that is applied to the component of the industrial machine, the generated second hoist force being limited to the second level of hoist force.

22. The control system of claim 21, wherein the first hoist force setting for the hoist drive corresponds to the component of the industrial machine being at a first position during the digging operation, and wherein the second hoist force setting for the hoist drive corresponds to the component of the industrial machine being at a second position during the digging operation.

23. The control system of claim 22, 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.

24. The control system of claim 23, wherein the controller is further operable to retrieve from the memory and execute the instructions to monitor the tipping moment of the industrial machine during the digging operation.

25. The control system of claim 24, wherein the industrial machine is a rope shovel.