System and method for reinjection of retard energy in a trolley-based electric mining haul truck

• US 8,550,007 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2009
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Large Drives LLC
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Mazumdar, Joy, Kllner, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jason C
• Application Number:
  US12/604,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20110094841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 104/287, 104/288, 104/289, 104/291, 104/292, 191/22.R, 191/29.R, 191/29.DM, 191/33.R, 191/35, 191/36, 191/22.C
• US Class Current: 104/289
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/44 Industrial trucks or floor conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/10 Dynamic electric regenerative braking B60L7/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 3/06 Arrangements for consuming regenerative power
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/00 Power lines or rails specially adapted for electrically-propelled vehicles of special types, e.g. suspension tramway, ropeway, underground railway
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/28 using magnetic devices with controllable degree of saturation in combination with controlled discharge tube or controlled semiconductor device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]

Abstract

Retard energy regenerated from an electrical motor during braking action is reinjected into a power system via trolley lines. The retard energy may be transmitted to a bidirectional electric substation and returned to a utility grid. The retard energy may also be transmitted to an auxiliary energy storage system, such as an ultracapacitor system or a battery system. Installing trolley lines for mining haul trucks on a downhill slope may be used to capture and re-use substantial quantities of retard energy.

Claims

1. An electrical power system for reinjecting retard energy regenerated from an electrical motor on a mining haul truck, the electrical power system comprising an inverter that:

receives at least a portion of the retard energy regenerated during at least one retard interval, wherein the at least one retard interval occurs while the mining truck is travelling downhill; and

transmits via trolley lines at least a portion of the retard energy to a bidirectional substation while the mining truck is travelling downhill.

2. The electrical power system of claim 1, wherein the inverter receives electrical power via the trolley lines from the bidirectional substation.

3. The electrical power system of claim 1, wherein the inverter supplies at least a portion of the retard energy to an on-board electrical energy storage system.

4. The electrical power system of claim 3, wherein:

the on-board electrical energy storage system comprises at least one ultracapacitor.

5. The electrical power system of claim 3, wherein:

the on-board electrical energy storage system comprises at least one battery.

6. The electrical power system of claim 3, wherein the inverter receives electrical power from the on-board electrical energy storage system.

7. The electrical power system of claim 3, wherein:

the on-board electrical energy storage system transmits electrical power to the trolley lines.

8. An electrical power system for storing retard energy regenerated from an electrical motor on a vehicle, the electrical power system comprising:

an inverter that

receives at least a portion of the retard energy

an on-board electrical energy storage system operably coupled to the inverter;

an auxiliary electrical energy storage system operably coupled to the inverter via trolley lines; and

a computational system operably coupled to the inverter that;

determines whether the on-board electrical energy storage system is fully charged;

upon determining that the on-board electrical energy storage system is not fully charged;

directs the inverter to transmit at least a portion of the retard energy to the on-board electrical energy storage system and to charge the on-board electrical energy storage system with at least a portion of the retard energy; and

upon determining that the on-board electrical energy storage system is fully charged;

directs the inverter to transmit via the trolley lines at least a portion of the retard energy to the auxiliary electrical energy storage system and to charge the auxiliary electrical energy storage system with at least a portion of the retard energy.

9. The electrical power system of claim 8, wherein:

the auxiliary electrical energy storage system comprises at least one ultracapacitor.

10. The electrical power system of claim 8, wherein:

the auxiliary electrical energy storage system comprises at least one battery.

11. The electrical power system of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary electrical energy storage system supplies electrical power to the trolley lines.

12. The electrical power system of claim 8, wherein the inverter transmits via the trolley lines at least a portion of the retard energy to a unidirectional electrical substation.

13. The electrical power system of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary electrical energy storage system transmits at least a portion of the retard energy to a unidirectional electrical substation.

14. The electrical power system of claim 13, wherein the auxiliary electrical energy storage system receives electrical power from the unidirectional electrical substation.

15. The electrical power system of claim 8, wherein the inverter transmits via the trolley lines at least a portion of the retard energy to a bidirectional electrical substation.

16. The electrical power system of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary electrical energy storage system transmits at least a portion of the retard energy to a bidirectional electrical substation.

17. The electrical power system of claim 16, wherein the auxiliary electrical energy storage system receives electrical power from the bidirectional electrical substation.

18. The electrical power system of claim 8, wherein:

the on-board electrical energy storage system comprises at least one ultracapacitor.

19. The electrical power system of claim 8, wherein:

the on-board electrical energy storage system comprises at least one battery.

20. The electrical power system of claim 8, wherein:

the on-board electrical energy storage system supplies electrical power to the electrical motor.

21. The electrical power system of claim 8, wherein:

the on-board electrical energy storage system transmits electrical power to the trolley lines.