Systems, methods, and apparatuses for storing energy in a mining machine

• US 10,377,225 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2018
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joy Global Longview Operations LLC (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Joy Global Longview Operations LLC (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Inventors: Dorsett, William A., Dillinger, James B., Lyten, Michael John, Barr, Marcus N., Neilson, Bradley Maxwell, Owings, Don F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuevas, Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US15/873,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20180141431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 290 45, 701 19, 105 2605, 105 35, 105 50
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/30 characterised by chargeable mechanical accumulators, e.g. flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2018 for braking on a slope
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/42 Fork lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/42 with use of more than one motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/46 Wheel motors, i.e. motor connected to only one wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/08 Controlling the braking effect B60L7/04, B60L7/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/02 acting by retarding wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/10 by utilising wheel movement for accumulating energy, e.g. driving air compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/586 the retarders being of the electric type
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/60 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/415 : Wheel loaders
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/3417 : Buckets emptying by tilting E02F3/342, E02F3/345 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/431 : for bucket-arms, front-end loaders, dumpers or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2041 : Automatic repositioning of implements, i.e. memorising determined positions of the implement for dipper-arms or bucket-arms E02F3/434, E02F3/437, E02F3/438, E02F3/439 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 : Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2075 : of the hybrid type for vehicles in general B60W20/00
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2091 : Control of energy storage means for electrical energy, e.g. battery or capacitors energy recovery arrangements in hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2217
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2217 : with energy recovery arrangements, e.g. using accumulators, flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 33/02 : with equipment for loading or unloading the machine on to or from the truck
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 61/00 : Brakes with means for making the energy absorbed available for use F16D57/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/025 : for power storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/96 : having chargeable mechanical accumulator

Abstract

A mining machine including a bi-directional electrical bus, a power source coupled to the bi-directional electrical bus, a motor coupled to the bi-directional electrical bus, the motor powered by energy available on the bi-directional electrical bus, a kinetic energy storage system coupled to the bi-directional electrical bus and a controller. The controller is configured to communicate with the kinetic energy storage system and the power source. Wherein the controller is configured to operate the kinetic energy storage system as a primary power source for the bi-directional electrical bus and to operate the power source as a secondary power source for the bi-directional electrical bus when the kinetic energy storage system cannot satisfy an energy demand on the bi-directional electrical bus.

Claims

1. A mining machine comprising:

a bi-directional electrical bus;

a power source coupled to the bi-directional electrical bus;

a motor coupled to the bi-directional electrical bus, the motor powered by energy available on the bi-directional electrical bus;

a kinetic energy storage system coupled to the bi-directional electrical bus; and

a controller configured to communicate with the kinetic energy storage system and the power source,

wherein the controller is configured to operate the kinetic energy storage system as a primary power source for the bi-directional electrical bus and to operate the power source as a secondary power source for the bi-directional electrical bus when the kinetic energy storage system cannot satisfy an energy demand on the bi-directional electrical bus.

2. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the power source includes an engine and a switched reluctance motor/generator.

3. The mining machine of claim 2, wherein the switched reluctance motor/generator increases a speed of a drive line associated with the engine during braking of the drive mechanism.

4. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the power source includes a trail cable.

5. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the power source includes a battery.

6. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the power source includes a fuel cell.

7. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the motor includes a second switched reluctance motor.

8. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to operate the kinetic energy storage system to store energy during braking of the drive mechanism.

9. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the kinetic energy storage system includes a switched reluctance motor.

10. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the kinetic energy storage system includes a flywheel and the flywheel operates from approximately 0 revolutions per minute to approximately 6500 revolutions per minute.

11. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the kinetic energy storage system outputs energy up to approximately 4000 horsepower per second.

12. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein a rotational speed of the flywheel decreases as a speed of the drive mechanism increases and the rotational speed of the flywheel increases as the speed of the drive mechanism decreases.

13. The mining machine of claim 1, further comprising a second kinetic energy storage system included in a common housing with the first kinetic energy storage system, wherein the second kinetic energy storage system includes a second flywheel.

14. The mining machine of claim 13, wherein a first flywheel of the first kinetic energy storage system rotates in a first direction and wherein the second flywheel rotates in a second direction opposite the first direction.

15. The mining machine of claim 1, further comprising a second kinetic energy storage system, a third kinetic energy storage system, and a fourth kinetic energy storage system, wherein the first kinetic energy storage system is positioned at a first cardinal direction along a plane, the second kinetic energy storage system is positioned at a second cardinal direction along the plane, the third kinetic energy storage system is positioned at a third cardinal direction along the plane, and the fourth kinetic energy storage system is positioned at a fourth cardinal direction along the plane.

16. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the kinetic energy storage system is coupled to the bi-directional electrical bus through a power converter, the power converter including a plurality of parallel power converters supplying energy to the kinetic energy storage system from the bi-directional electrical bus.

17. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the kinetic energy storage system is coupled to the bi-directional electrical bus through a power converter, the power converter including a plurality of parallel power converters supplying energy to the bi-directional electrical bus from the kinetic energy storage system.

18. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the controller communicates with the power source through an engine controller.

19. A method of operating a mining machine, the method comprising:

determining, with a controller configured to communicate with a kinetic energy storage system and a power source included in the mining machine, an energy demand on a bi-directional electrical bus included in the mining machine;

determining, with the controller, energy available through the kinetic energy storage system;

when the energy available through the kinetic energy storage system satisfies the energy demand, operating, with the controller, the kinetic energy storage system as a primary power source for the bi-directional electrical bus; and

when the energy available through the kinetic energy storage system cannot satisfy the energy demand, operating, with the controller, the power source as a secondary power source for the bi-directional electrical bus.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein operating the kinetic energy storage system includes controlling a rotational speed of a flywheel coupled to a switched reluctance motor.