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

• US 8,550,008 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Large Drives LLC (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Mazumdar, Joy, Koellner, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jason C
• Application Number:
  US13/425,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20120175209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 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. A method for reinjecting retard energy regenerated from an electrical motor on a mining haul truck, the method comprising the steps of:

operably coupling the mining haul truck to trolley lines before the mining haul truck travels downhill; and

transmitting via the trolley lines at least a portion of the retard energy regenerated during at least one retard interval to a bidirectional electric substation, wherein the at least one retard interval occurs while the mining haul truck is travelling downhill.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

charging an on-board electrical energy storage system with at least a portion of the retard energy.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

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

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

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

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

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

6. A method for storing retard energy regenerated from an electrical motor on a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether an on-board electrical energy storage system is fully charged;

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

transmitting at least a portion of the retard energy to the on-board electrical energy storage system; and

charging 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;

transmitting via trolley lines at least a portion of the retard energy to an auxiliary electrical energy storage system; and

charging the auxiliary electrical energy storage system with at least a portion of the retard energy.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the vehicle comprises a mining haul truck.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the step of transmitting via trolley lines at least a portion of the retard energy to an auxiliary electrical energy storage system occurs while the mining haul truck is travelling downhill.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein:

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

10. The method of claim 6, wherein:

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

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

transmitting at least a portion of the retard energy to a unidirectional electric substation via at least one of;

the trolley lines;

or

the auxiliary electrical energy storage system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

charging the auxiliary electrical energy storage system with electrical power supplied from the unidirectional electric substation.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

transmitting at least a portion of the retard energy to a bidirectional electric substation via at least one of;

the trolley lines;

or

the auxiliary electrical energy storage system.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

charging the auxiliary electrical energy storage system with electrical power supplied from the bidirectional electric substation.

15. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of:

supplying electrical power to the trolley lines from the auxiliary electrical energy storage system.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein:

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

17. The method of claim 6, wherein:

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

18. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

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