Vehicle management system

Abstract

To provide a management system for a transport vehicle capable of determining a deterioration state of an apparatus of the transport vehicle on the basis of highly versatile information and outputting a result of the determination.SOLUTION: A management system for a transport vehicle includes a processing unit that determines a deterioration state of the transport vehicle. The processing unit calculates vehicle energy that is energy consumption of the transport vehicle during traveling of the transport vehicle at least on the basis of vehicle speed of the transport vehicle, a road surface gradient and load capacity, calculates efficiency of a power train on the basis of vehicle energy when the power train is in operation and input energy of the transport vehicle, calculates auxiliary machine energy that is energy consumption of the transport vehicle when an auxiliary machine is in operation on the basis of efficiency of the power train and input energy of the transport vehicle when the auxiliary machine is in operation, determines a deterioration state of an auxiliary machine system including the auxiliary machine on the basis of the auxiliary machine energy, and outputs a determination result of the deterioration state of the auxiliary machine system to a notification device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a management system for managing transport vehicles such as dump trucks that transport ores and the like at a work site.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a technique for collecting operation information of work machines operating at a work site and calculating information regarding the timing of maintenance of devices mounted on the work machines (see Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a maintenance information management device that calculates an integrated work amount for at least one of an engine, a main pump, and a hydraulic actuator of a work machine, and calculates information regarding the timing of maintenance of the device based on the calculated integrated work amount.

[0003] This maintenance information management device calculates the work rate of the engine based on the output torque and the output rotational speed of the engine. Further, the maintenance information management device calculates the work rate of the hydraulic pump based on the discharge flow rate and the discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump. The maintenance information management device integrates each calculated work rate with the elapsed time to calculate the work amount (integrated work amount) of each device. When the integrated work amount exceeds the replacement reference work amount, the maintenance information management device causes a display device to display a message prompting replacement as maintenance information.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, engine output torque and output speed, as well as hydraulic pump discharge flow rate, are highly confidential information that can be used to analyze the characteristics of the equipment. For this reason, it may not be possible to collect this highly confidential information in the management system. In this case, the technology described in Patent Document 1 cannot calculate the power output of the equipment and therefore cannot calculate information regarding maintenance timing.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a transport vehicle management system that can determine the deterioration status of equipment in transport vehicles based on readily obtainable and highly versatile information, and output the determination results. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A transport vehicle management system according to one aspect of the present invention is: Consists of an engine or battery power source and a traction electric system driven by the aforementioned power source Powertrain including, The loading platform on which the goods are transported, Driven by the aforementioned power source Includes a hoist cylinder for raising and lowering the aforementioned loading platform. Auxiliary equipment system and , a hoist operating device operated to operate the hoist cylinder, In a transport vehicle management system for managing transport vehicles equipped with the transport vehicle The auxiliary equipment system and the electric drive system The apparatus includes a processing device for determining the state of deterioration, and the processing device ,before Vehicle speed and road gradient of the transport vehicle. ,product loading capacity , and acquire time-series data of control commands to the hoist cylinder in response to the operation of the hoist operating device, acquire time-series data of operating information indicating the amount of fuel injected into the engine of the transport vehicle or time-series data of electricity discharged from the battery, identify the period during which the transport vehicle was running empty based on time-series data of the vehicle speed and load of the transport vehicle, identify the period during which the transport vehicle was in the hoist-raised state based on the vehicle speed and time-series data of the control commands from the hoist operating device, calculate the energy input to the power source during the period when the transport vehicle was running empty and the period when the hoist-raised from the time-series data of operating information indicating the amount of fuel injected into the engine of the transport vehicle or time-series data of electricity discharged from the battery, The aforementioned transport vehicle Unloaded Driving A period of time appropriate for the condition The vehicle energy, which is the energy consumed by the transport vehicle in the above-mentioned transport vehicle, Based on the time-series data of the vehicle speed and road gradient of the transport vehicle calculation In addition, during the period in which the vehicle was in the unloaded driving state. The aforementioned vehicle energy During the period when the vehicle was in the unloaded driving state The input energy The value obtained by dividing by The efficiency of the powertrain as Calculate the efficiency of the powertrain. of , The period during which the transport vehicle was in the hoisted position. Energy input to the aforementioned transport vehicle The value multiplied by the hoist raising state The auxiliary energy is the energy consumed by the aforementioned transport vehicle. as Calculate the auxiliary energy If the value is greater than or equal to the first energy threshold, Auxiliary equipment system but deterioration If Determine, If the auxiliary energy is less than a second energy threshold which is smaller than the first energy threshold, it is determined that the traction motor system is degraded, and The result of the determination is output to the notification device.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a management system for a transport vehicle that can determine the deterioration state of the equipment of the transport vehicle based on highly versatile information that can be easily obtained and output the determination result.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall view of a mine management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mine management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a dump truck that is a management target of the mine management system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a processing device of the mine management system. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a state change of a dump truck. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a time-series change in the fuel injection amount during the raising operation of a hoist cylinder and the body angle. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a method for calculating vehicle energy. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a method for identifying deteriorated equipment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of deterioration determination processing executed by a processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A is an example of a screen displayed on a display terminal device, showing a bar graph of accessory energy of a plurality of dump trucks. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is an example of a screen displayed on a display terminal device, showing a bar graph of no-load power train efficiency of a plurality of dump trucks. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10A is an example of a screen displayed on a display terminal device, showing a trend of accessory energy. [Figure 10B]FIG. 10B is an example of a screen displayed on a display terminal device and shows the trend of no-load power train efficiency. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart showing an example of deterioration determination processing executed by a processing device according to Modification 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a dump truck that is a management target of a mine management system according to Modification 2 of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a dump truck that is a management target of a mine management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of deterioration determination processing executed by a processing device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing another example of deterioration determination processing executed by a processing device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of output of a determination result of a deterioration state, and shows auxiliary energy, no-load power train efficiency, and trolley power train efficiency of a plurality of transport vehicles. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of output of a determination result of a deterioration state, and shows deterioration parts of a plurality of transport vehicles.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] <First Embodiment> A mine management system 200 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figures 1 to 10B. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the overall structure of the mine management system 200 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The mine management system 200 manages a plurality of mining machines (working machines) 101 to 103. The mine management system 200 includes a database 201 (e.g., a database) that collects and stores location information and operational information from a plurality of mining machines 101 to 103 that travel in the same mining area 100 which are managed collectively, a processing device 202 (e.g., a server) that calculates a mine productivity index based on the location information and operational information of each mining machine 101 to 103 and determines the deterioration status of the equipment of the mining machines 101 to 103, and a display terminal device 203 (e.g., a laptop computer) that displays information such as the productivity index and deterioration status on a display screen in a dashboard format. The display terminal device 203 functions as a notification device that notifies the user of the mine management system 200 of the determination result of the deterioration status of the equipment of the mining machines 101 to 103.

[0011] Figure 1 shows an example where mining machine 101 is a dump truck, mining machine 102 is a hydraulic excavator, and mining machine 103 is a wheel loader. In the mining area 100, multiple dump trucks 101, multiple hydraulic excavators 102, and multiple wheel loaders 103 are working. The dump truck 101 is a transport vehicle equipped with a cargo bed (vessel) 109 on which transported materials such as ore are loaded, and which transports the loaded materials to a predetermined location. The hydraulic excavator 102 and wheel loader 103 excavate ore, for example, and load it onto the cargo bed 109 of the dump truck 101.

[0012] Here, it is desirable that the operating data (operating information) of each mining machine 101 to 103 be transmitted sequentially to the mining management system 200, but considering the communication conditions and communication costs, sequential transmission is not always possible. Therefore, the processing device 202 according to this embodiment buffers a certain amount of operating data before starting processing. A certain amount can be determined, for example, by the time equivalent to the longest cycle in the past from one load to the next, or by the amount of data equivalent to the longest cycle.

[0013] Users of the mine management system 200 can use the information displayed on the display terminal device 203 (dashboard information) to detect a decline in mine productivity early and maintain and manage mine productivity by implementing countermeasures based on the factors causing the decline in productivity. For example, the mine operations planner 301 can use the dashboard information to modify the operation plans of multiple dump trucks 101 located in the mine area 100. The operator supervisor 302 can use the dashboard information to identify operators whose driving needs improvement and provide them with driving instruction. The road surface inspector 303 can use the dashboard information to identify and repair road surface areas that are contributing to a decline in productivity early on. The equipment maintenance worker 304 can use the dashboard information to identify deterioration or malfunctions of mining machinery 101-103 and perform calibration or repairs. Furthermore, by combining weather information (history and forecast) and mineral prices (history and forecast) obtained via the internet 400 with the dashboard information, the mining manager 305 can modify the mining and maintenance plan. Furthermore, the mining manager 305 can issue improvement instructions to the operation planner 301, operator supervisor 302, road surface inspector 303, and equipment maintenance worker 304 to prevent a decline in production. The display format of the display terminal device 203 is not limited to a dashboard format; it may also be in report or email format.

[0014] Figure 1 shows an example in which the mining management system 200 is a system capable of displaying not only the results of determining the deterioration status of the mining machinery 101 to 103, but also productivity indicators on the display terminal device 203. However, a system that displays only the results of determining the deterioration status of the mining machinery 101 to 103 on the display terminal device 203 and a system that displays productivity indicators on the display terminal device 203 may be provided separately.

[0015] Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of the mine management system 200 and the dump truck 101 managed by the mine management system 200. As shown in Figure 2, the processing unit 202 of the mine management system 200 consists of a computer equipped with a processor 211 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory 212, input / output interface 213, and other peripheral circuits. These hardware components work together to operate the software and realize multiple functions. The processing unit 202 may consist of one computer or multiple computers.

[0016] Memory 212 includes non-volatile memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and flash memory, and volatile memory known as RAM (Random Access Memory). The non-volatile memory stores programs capable of performing various calculations. In other words, the non-volatile memory is a storage medium (device) from which programs that realize the functions of this embodiment can be read. The volatile memory is a storage medium (device) that temporarily stores the calculation results of the processor 211 and signals input from the input / output interface 213. The processor 211 is a device that expands the programs stored in the non-volatile memory into the volatile memory and performs calculations, and performs predetermined calculation processing on data taken in from the input / output interface 213 and memory 212 according to the program.

[0017] The processing unit 202 is connected to the display terminal device 203 and the communication device 204. The input / output interface 213 converts signals input from the display terminal device 203 and the communication device 204 into data that can be processed by the processor 211. The input / output interface 213 also generates an output signal according to the calculation result of the processor 211 and outputs that signal to the display terminal device 203 and the communication device 204.

[0018] The dump truck 101 is equipped with an on-board controller 140 that collects operational information of its own vehicle and transmits this operational information to the mine management system 200 via a communication device 131. The on-board controller 140, like the processing unit 202 of the mine management system 200, consists of a computer equipped with a processor 141 such as a CPU, memory 142, input / output interface 144, and other peripheral circuits. These hardware components work together to operate the software and realize multiple functions. The on-board controller 140 may consist of one computer or multiple computers.

[0019] The onboard controller 140 further includes an RTC (Real-Time Clock) 143 for measuring time. The communication device 131 of the dump truck 101 is a wireless communication device capable of wirelessly communicating with a repeater RP connected to the network NT, and has a communication interface including a communication antenna with a sensitivity band of, for example, the 2.1 GHz band. The communication device 131 exchanges information with the mine management system 200 via the network NT. The repeater RP is, for example, a wireless LAN access point, router, base station, etc. The network NT is, for example, the internet.

[0020] The onboard controller 140 transmits time-series data of its own vehicle's operational information, along with a vehicle ID unique to the dump truck 101, to the mine management system 200 via the communication device 131. The time-series data of operational information is data linked to time data measured by the RTC 32, including operational information such as vehicle speed, load capacity, road gradient, and fuel injection amount, which will be described later.

[0021] The processing unit 202 of the mine management system 200 acquires time-series data of the operation information of the dump trucks 101 via the communication device 204 connected to the network NT and stores it in the database 201. The database 201 stores time-series data of the operation information for each vehicle ID of the dump trucks 101. The processing unit 202 outputs information such as the result of the deterioration status determination (described later), the parameters used to determine the deterioration status (auxiliary energy, powertrain efficiency, etc.), and the vehicle ID of the dump truck 101 whose deterioration status was determined to be to the display terminal device 203.

[0022] Furthermore, the processing unit 202 transmits the same information that is output to the display terminal unit 203 to a mobile terminal 310 held by equipment maintenance personnel 304, etc., via the communication unit 204. The mobile terminal 310 can be a smartphone, smartwatch, tablet PC, etc. In other words, the communication unit 204 and the mobile terminal 310 function as notification devices that inform users of the mine management system 200 (equipment maintenance personnel 304, etc.) of the results of the assessment of the deterioration status of the mining machinery 101 to 103.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the dump truck 101 comprises several components (111-114) that constitute the powertrain 110 and several components (121-123) that constitute the auxiliary system (hydraulic system) 120.

[0024] The powertrain 110 comprises an engine 111, which is a power source; a fuel injector 119, which supplies fuel to the engine 111; a generator 112, which is mechanically connected to the engine 111 and driven by the torque output by the engine 111; an electric motor (hereinafter also referred to as a driving motor) 114, which is rotationally driven by the electricity generated by the generator 112; and an inverter (power converter) 113, which converts the input DC power into AC power and supplies it to the driving motor 114. The engine 111 is a prime mover composed of an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine. Although not shown in the figures, a rectifier circuit is provided between the generator 112 and the inverter 113 to convert the AC power generated by the generator 112 into DC power and output it. The inverter 113 converts the DC power output from the rectifier circuit into AC power and outputs it to the driving motor 114. The inverter 113 controls the torque of the driving motor 114 based on commands output from an on-board controller 140 mounted on the dump truck 101. The generator 112, inverter 113, and drive motor 114 constitute a drive electric system 115 that drives the dump truck 101 using the power of the engine 111.

[0025] The auxiliary system 120 includes a hydraulic pump 121 mechanically connected to the engine 111 and the generator 112, a hoist cylinder 123 which is a hydraulic cylinder that drives the cargo bed 109 of the dump truck 101 to be raised and lowered, and a control valve 122 which controls the flow rate and direction of the hydraulic fluid supplied from the hydraulic pump 121 to the hoist cylinder 123.

[0026] The hydraulic pump 121 is an auxiliary device that is driven by the torque output by the engine 111 to discharge hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic pump 121 is a variable displacement hydraulic pump whose discharge capacity can be changed by controlling the tilt angle of the swash plate or swash shaft. The discharge capacity of the hydraulic pump 121 is controlled by a regulator (not shown). The hydraulic fluid discharged from the hydraulic pump 121 is supplied to the hoist cylinder 123 through a control valve 122 provided in a hydraulic circuit (not shown). When hydraulic fluid is supplied to the bottom oil chamber of the hoist cylinder 123 and discharged from the rod oil chamber, the hoist cylinder 123 extends. This causes the loading platform 109 to dump, that is, the front of the loading platform 109 to rise, and the transported material such as ore is released from the rear of the loading platform 109.

[0027] The dump truck 101 includes an on-board controller 140 that controls a fuel injector 119, an inverter 113, a hydraulic pump 121, and a control valve 122; a plurality of sensors (vehicle speed sensor 132, load sensor 133, tilt angle sensor 134, fuel injection amount sensor 135) and a positioning device 136 connected to the on-board controller 140; and a communication device 131 that transmits information regarding vehicle speed, load, road gradient, fuel injection amount, and the position of the dump truck 101 to the mine management system 200.

[0028] The fuel injector 119 controls the fuel injection amount and operates the engine 111 based on the fuel injection command output from the on-board controller 140. The fuel injection amount sensor 135 is a sensor that detects parameters that can be used to calculate the fuel injection amount. The on-board controller 140 calculates the fuel injection amount based on the detection result of the fuel injection amount sensor 135.

[0029] The inverter 113 operates the travel motor 114 based on the motor drive command output from the on-board controller 140. The regulator of the hydraulic pump 121 controls the discharge capacity of the hydraulic pump 121 based on the pump drive command output from the on-board controller 140.

[0030] The control valve 122 includes an electromagnetic proportional valve that generates spool drive pressure in response to a control command from the on-board controller 140, and a spool (valve body) that displaces in accordance with the spool drive pressure generated by the electromagnetic proportional valve. The control valve 122 operates the spool provided in the oil passage connecting the hydraulic pump 121 and the hoist cylinder 123 in response to a control command output from the on-board controller 140 to the electromagnetic proportional valve.

[0031] The vehicle speed sensor 132 is a wheel speed sensor that detects the wheel speed of the vehicle (dump truck 101), or a millimeter-wave radar that detects the relative speed of the vehicle (dump truck 101) with respect to the driving surface using the Doppler effect, and outputs a signal representing the detection result to the on-board controller 140. The on-board controller 140 calculates the vehicle speed based on the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor 132.

[0032] The load sensor 133 is, for example, a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of the suspension cylinder and outputs a signal representing the detection result to the on-board controller 140. Alternatively, the load sensor 133 can use a strain gauge to detect the amount of deformation of the vehicle frame according to the weight of the loaded cargo. Based on the detection result of the load sensor 133, the on-board controller 140 calculates the load amount of cargo loaded on the cargo bed 109 of the dump truck 101.

[0033] The tilt angle sensor 134 detects the tilt angle (pitch angle) of the dump truck 101 in the longitudinal direction with respect to a reference plane (e.g., a horizontal plane) and outputs a signal representing the detection result to the on-board controller 140. For example, an acceleration sensor such as an IMU can be used as the tilt angle sensor 134. Based on the detection result of the tilt angle sensor 134, the on-board controller 140 calculates the road surface gradient, which is the gradient of the road surface on which the dump truck 101 travels.

[0034] The positioning device 136 is, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, and outputs antenna position data received from the artificial satellite ST to the on-board controller 140. The on-board controller 140 calculates the position of the reference point (e.g., the vehicle's center of gravity) of the dump truck 101 in the Earth coordinate system (or a proprietary coordinate system) from the antenna position and known vehicle dimensions data of the dump truck 101.

[0035] In the powertrain 110 shown in Figure 2, fuel is supplied to the engine 111 from the fuel injector 119, and the engine 111 is driven, which causes the generator 112 to rotate and generate electricity. The electricity generated by the generator 112 is supplied to the drive motor 114 via the inverter 113. The rotational torque of the drive motor 114 is transmitted to the wheels (drive wheels) via a power transmission device (not shown), causing the dump truck 101 to move.

[0036] In the auxiliary system 120, fuel is supplied to the engine 111 from the fuel injector 119, and the engine 111 is driven, which causes the hydraulic pump 121 to rotate and discharge hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump 121. The hydraulic fluid discharged from the hydraulic pump 121 is supplied to the hoist cylinder 123 through the control valve 122. When the hoist cylinder 123 extends, the dumping operation (hoisting operation) of the cargo bed 109 is performed.

[0037] When the dumping operation (hoisting operation) of the cargo bed 109 is performed, the dump truck 101 is stationary. In other words, the brakes (not shown) are applied so that the body of the dump truck 101 does not move relative to the road surface. Therefore, when the dumping operation of the cargo bed 109 is performed, most of the energy generated by the fuel supplied to the engine 111 is consumed by the hoist cylinder 123 via the hydraulic pump 121. On the other hand, after the cargo has been released by the dumping operation of the cargo bed 109, when the truck is traveling in an empty state (without cargo loaded on the cargo bed 109), most of the energy generated by the fuel supplied to the engine 111 is consumed by the drive motor 114 via the generator 112 and inverter 113.

[0038] In this embodiment, the processing unit 202 utilizes this difference in energy flow to determine the deterioration state of the equipment mounted on the dump truck 101 and to identify the deteriorated parts. The processing unit 202 calculates the vehicle energy, which is the energy consumed by the dump truck 101 when it is running, based on at least the vehicle speed, road gradient, and load capacity of the dump truck 101, using a method described later. The processing unit 202 calculates the efficiency of the powertrain 110 (vehicle energy ÷ input energy) based on the vehicle energy when the powertrain is operating and the energy input to the engine 111 (fuel amount × lower heating value). The processing unit 202 also calculates the energy input to the engine 111 during hoist-raising operation (when the auxiliary equipment is operating) based on a control command (hoist-raising command) to the auxiliary equipment system 120. Furthermore, the processing unit 202 calculates the auxiliary equipment energy consumed by the auxiliary equipment system 120 during hoist-raising operation (powertrain efficiency × input energy) based on the energy input during hoist-raising operation and the efficiency of the powertrain. The processing unit 202 then determines the degradation state of the powertrain 110 and the auxiliary system 120 based on the calculated efficiency of the powertrain 110 and the auxiliary energy. A feature of this embodiment is that the auxiliary energy is calculated using the efficiency of the powertrain 110, and the degradation state of the equipment and the identification of degraded equipment are performed using the results. The methods for calculating the auxiliary energy and the efficiency of the powertrain 110 used to determine the degradation state of the equipment, and the method for determining the degradation state of the equipment based on the auxiliary energy and the efficiency of the powertrain 110 will be described in detail below.

[0039] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the processing unit 202 of the mine management system 200. The processing unit 202 includes a state determination unit 202a, an input energy calculation unit 202b, a vehicle energy calculation unit 202c, an efficiency calculation unit 202d, an auxiliary equipment energy calculation unit 202e, a deterioration determination unit 202g, and a parameter calibration unit 202f. The processing unit 202 realizes the functions of each unit by executing a program stored in the memory 212.

[0040] The status determination unit 202a determines whether the dump truck 101 is moving or stopped based on the vehicle speed and sets a driving flag according to the determination result. If the vehicle speed is less than a predetermined vehicle speed threshold, the status determination unit 202a determines that the dump truck 101 is stopped and sets the driving flag to 0 (driving flag off). If the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined vehicle speed threshold, the status determination unit 202a determines that the dump truck 101 is moving and sets the driving flag to 1 (driving flag on). The vehicle speed threshold is stored in the memory 212 of the processing unit 202.

[0041] Figure 4 shows an example of the state changes of dump truck 101. The upper part of Figure 4 shows the time-series change in the amount of cargo (ore) loaded (loading weight), and the lower part of Figure 4 shows the time-series change in the setting state (0 or 1) of the driving flag.

[0042] As shown in Figure 4, the transport cycle of the dump truck 101 (hereinafter referred to as the cycle) can be divided into four states (operations): "loading," "loaded driving," "soil discharge," and "empty driving." In the loading phase, the cargo bed 109 of the stationary dump truck 101 is loaded with materials such as ore by a hydraulic excavator 102 or the like. In the loaded driving phase, the dump truck 101 with the cargo bed 109 loaded travels to its destination (soil discharge destination). In the soil discharge phase, the dumping operation (lifting operation of the hoist cylinder 123) of the cargo bed 109 is performed on the stationary dump truck 101, and the cargo is discharged. In the empty driving phase, the dump truck 101, without any cargo loaded on the cargo bed 109, travels to its destination (loading destination).

[0043] The state determination unit 202a determines one of four states of the dump truck 101 based on the load and the driving flag. When the driving flag is 0 and the load is greater than or equal to a predetermined load determination threshold W1, the state determination unit 202a determines the vehicle's state to be "loaded" (time T1). After the vehicle's state is determined to be "loaded," if the driving flag changes to 1, the state determination unit 202a determines the vehicle's state to be "driving with a load" (time T2). After the vehicle's state is determined to be "driving with a load," if the driving flag is set to 0 and the load is less than a predetermined soil discharge determination threshold W2, the state determination unit 202a determines the vehicle's state to be "discharged" (time T3). After the vehicle's state is determined to be "discharged," if the driving flag changes to 1, the vehicle's state is determined to be "driving empty" (time T4). When the driving flag is 0 and the load amount again exceeds the load determination threshold W1, the state determination unit 202a determines the vehicle's state as "loaded" (time T5). In addition to determining the vehicle's state, the state determination unit 202a also determines that one cycle has ended when the series of operations (4 states) from loaded to unloaded driving are completed, and counts the number of cycles.

[0044] Referring to Figure 5, an example of the time-series changes in fuel injection amount and body angle during the lifting operation of the hoist cylinder 123 will be explained. The upper part of Figure 5 shows the time-series changes of the hoist lifting command, which is a control command output from the on-board controller 140 to the control valve 122 in order to lift the hoist cylinder 123. The middle part of Figure 5 shows the time-series changes in the amount of fuel injected into the engine 111. The lower part of Figure 5 shows the body angle, which is the inclination angle of the cargo bed 109 from its reference position.

[0045] The driver's cab of the dump truck 101 is equipped with a hoist operating device (lever or switch) operated by the driver. The onboard controller 140 outputs control commands to the hydraulic pump 121 and control valve 122 according to the operating position of the hoist operating device. When the driver operates the hoist operating device to the raised position while the vehicle is stopped, the onboard controller 140 outputs a hoist raising command (control command) (time Ta).

[0046] When a hoist-raising command is input to the regulator of the hydraulic pump 121, the discharge capacity of the hydraulic pump 121 begins to increase from zero. Also, when a hoist-raising command is input to the electromagnetic proportional valve of the control valve 122, the spool of the control valve 122 is switched to the raised position, and the bottom oil chamber of the hoist cylinder 123 communicates with the hydraulic pump 121, as well as the rod-side oil chamber of the hoist cylinder 123 communicates with the tank. Therefore, when a hoist-raising command is output, the amount of fuel injected into the engine 111 increases, and the flow rate of hydraulic fluid discharged from the hydraulic pump 121 increases. As a result, the hoist cylinder 123 extends, and the body angle increases.

[0047] Furthermore, the fuel injection amount increases sharply after the hoist lifting command is issued, then gradually decreases as the hoist cylinder begins to move, and then drops sharply as much of the transported material is released.

[0048] After the unloading of the cargo from the loading platform 109 is complete, the driver operates the hoist control device to the lowered position, and the onboard controller 140 outputs a hoist lowering command (control command) (time Tb).

[0049] When a hoist lowering command is input to the regulator of the hydraulic pump 121, the discharge capacity of the hydraulic pump 121 decreases. Also, when a hoist lowering command is input to the electromagnetic proportional valve of the control valve 122, the spool of the control valve 122 is switched to the lowered position, and the rod-side oil chamber of the hoist cylinder 123 communicates with the hydraulic pump 121, and the bottom-side oil chamber of the hoist cylinder 123 communicates with the tank. Therefore, when a hoist lowering command is output, the amount of fuel injected into the engine 111 decreases, and the flow rate of hydraulic fluid discharged from the hydraulic pump 121 decreases. As a result, the hoist cylinder 123 contracts, and the body angle decreases.

[0050] The state determination unit 202a determines the state in which a hoist raising command has been output (hoist raising state). In the example shown in Figure 5, the state determination unit 202a identifies the period from time Ta to time Tb as the hoist raising state.

[0051] The input energy calculation unit 202b shown in Figure 3 calculates the input energy [MJ] to the engine 111 based on the fuel injection amount. The input energy calculation unit 202b also calculates the input energy in the state determined by the state determination unit 202a (unloaded driving state, hoist raised state). The specific calculation method is as follows.

[0052] The input energy calculation unit 202b calculates the total fuel amount during unloaded driving by accumulating the amount of fuel injected into the engine 111 when unloaded driving is being performed (from time T4 to time T5 in Figure 4). In addition, the input energy calculation unit 202b calculates the total fuel amount during hoist lifting operation by accumulating the amount of fuel injected into the engine 111 when a hoist lifting command is output (from time Ta to time Tb in Figure 5).

[0053] The input energy calculation unit 202b calculates the energy input to the engine 111 during unloaded driving (i.e., the total fuel energy) based on the amount of fuel consumed by the engine 111 during unloaded driving (total fuel amount) and the lower heating value of the fuel. Similarly, the input energy calculation unit 202b calculates the amount of fuel energy input to the engine 111 during hoist-lifting operation (total fuel energy) based on the amount of fuel consumed by the dump truck 101 during hoist-lifting operation (total fuel amount) and the lower heating value of the fuel.

[0054] The vehicle energy calculation unit 202c calculates the vehicle energy, which is the energy consumed by the dump truck 101 while it is in motion, based on at least the vehicle speed, road gradient, and load capacity of the dump truck 101. Vehicle energy corresponds to the kinetic energy of the vehicle while it is in motion. The method for calculating vehicle energy will be explained in detail below with reference to Figure 6.

[0055] Figure 6 shows an example of a method for calculating vehicle energy. The vehicle energy calculation unit 202c calculates the running resistance, which is the sum of air resistance, acceleration resistance, gradient resistance, and rolling resistance acting on the dump truck 101. The vehicle energy calculation unit 202c calculates the vehicle energy by adding the base energy consumption to the value obtained by multiplying the running resistance by the vehicle speed. Base energy consumption is obtained by adding the energy consumed by the dump truck 101 during engine idle operation and the base power (hereinafter also referred to as auxiliary power) required to operate auxiliary equipment such as the air cooling fan and cabin air conditioning system.

[0056] The vehicle energy calculation unit 202c calculates air resistance and acceleration resistance based on the vehicle speed. Note that air resistance depends not only on the vehicle speed but also on the air density, which changes depending on the weather. However, since the maximum speed of the dump truck 101 is approximately 50 km / h, the effect of air resistance is small compared to rolling resistance and base energy consumption. Therefore, in this embodiment, air resistance is set to a value determined solely by the vehicle speed. Alternatively, air resistance may be set to a constant value determined by the altitude along the dump truck 101's travel path.

[0057] The vehicle energy calculation unit 202c calculates gradient resistance based on the total vehicle weight (vehicle weight plus load) and the road surface gradient. In this embodiment, an example is described in which gradient resistance is calculated based on the road surface gradient detected from the inclination angle sensor 134 installed on the dump truck 101, but the method of calculating gradient resistance is not limited to this.

[0058] For example, the vehicle energy calculation unit 202c may calculate the road surface gradient from the time change of the altitude (vertical position information) of the dump truck 101, and calculate the gradient resistance based on the calculated road surface gradient. The altitude of the dump truck 101 can be calculated by matching the position coordinates of the dump truck 101 in a two-dimensional coordinate system transmitted from the dump truck 101 with an altitude map stored in a memory device beforehand. Alternatively, the altitude of the dump truck 101 may be calculated based on altitude information included in the position information of the dump truck 101 in a three-dimensional coordinate system transmitted from the dump truck 101. Furthermore, the altitude of the dump truck 101 may be calculated based on the atmospheric pressure detected by a pressure sensor installed on the dump truck 101.

[0059] The parameter calibration unit 202f shown in Figure 3 calibrates the road surface coefficient, a parameter used to calculate rolling resistance, and the auxiliary power, a parameter used to calculate base energy consumption, based on actual operating data. This improves the accuracy (estimation accuracy) of vehicle energy calculations, regardless of the dump truck 101 model.

[0060] The parameter calibration unit 202f corrects the road surface coefficient to an increase when, for example, the powertrain 110 is determined to be normal in the deterioration state determination process described later, and the efficiency of the powertrain 110 is less than the road surface coefficient increase correction determination value. On the other hand, the parameter calibration unit 202f corrects the road surface coefficient to a decrease when, for example, the powertrain 110 is determined to be normal in the deterioration state determination process, and the efficiency of the powertrain 110 is greater than or equal to the road surface coefficient decrease correction determination value. The road surface coefficient increase correction determination value and decrease correction determination value are thresholds for determining whether or not to correct the road surface coefficient, and are stored in the memory 212 in advance. It is preferable to perform the road surface coefficient correction in an operating range where the efficiency of the powertrain 110 is approximately constant. The parameter calibration unit 202f can correct the road surface coefficient based on the efficiency of the powertrain 110 when, for example, the vehicle is traveling uphill with goods loaded on the cargo bed 109 (loaded uphill driving). Whether dump truck 101 is driving uphill with a load can be determined from the dump truck 101's location information and load information.

[0061] The parameter calibration unit 202f corrects the auxiliary power to an increase if, for example, the degradation state determination process determines that it is normal and the efficiency of auxiliary equipment such as the air conditioning system during engine idle operation (hereinafter referred to as idle operation efficiency) is less than the auxiliary power increase correction determination value. On the other hand, the parameter calibration unit 202f corrects the auxiliary power to a decrease if, for example, the degradation state determination process determines that it is normal and the efficiency of auxiliary equipment such as the air conditioning system during engine idle operation is greater than or equal to the auxiliary power decrease correction determination value. The auxiliary power increase correction determination value and decrease correction determination value are threshold values ​​for determining whether or not to correct the auxiliary power, and are stored in the memory 212 in advance. It is preferable to correct the auxiliary power during idle operation when the power consumption of the auxiliary equipment is dominant.

[0062] The vehicle energy calculation unit 202c calculates the vehicle energy under a predetermined driving condition (for example, an unloaded driving condition) determined by the state determination unit 202a.

[0063] The efficiency calculation unit 202d calculates the efficiency of the powertrain 110 (hereinafter also referred to as powertrain efficiency) based on the vehicle energy and the energy input to the engine 111 of the dump truck 101 when the powertrain 110 is operating, that is, when the dump truck 101 is running.

[0064] The efficiency calculation unit 202d according to this embodiment calculates the powertrain efficiency during unloaded driving for each cycle using the following formula (1). Powertrain efficiency = Vehicle energy ÷ Input energy …(1) In equation (1), "vehicle energy" is the vehicle energy [MJ] during unloaded driving calculated by the vehicle energy calculation unit 202c, and "input energy" in equation (1) is the input energy [MJ] during unloaded driving calculated by the input energy calculation unit 202b. Hereafter, the powertrain efficiency calculated based on the vehicle energy and input energy during unloaded driving will also be referred to as the unloaded powertrain efficiency.

[0065] The method for calculating auxiliary equipment energy by the auxiliary equipment energy calculation unit 202e will now be explained. The auxiliary equipment energy consumed by the hydraulic pump 121, which is an auxiliary piece of equipment driven by the engine 111, can be calculated by multiplying the input energy (= total fuel amount × lower heating value) during the hoist lifting operation (between time points Ta and Tb in Figure 5) by the engine efficiency.

[0066] Engine torque is necessary to calculate engine efficiency. However, engine torque is highly confidential information that can be used to analyze engine characteristics. For this reason, engine torque may not be included in the operational information transmitted from the dump truck 101 to the mine management system 200. Furthermore, because it is technically difficult to accurately estimate transient engine torque, even if it is possible to obtain engine torque, it may not be possible to accurately estimate the auxiliary energy.

[0067] Therefore, in this embodiment, powertrain efficiency is used as a substitute for engine efficiency. The reason for this is that powertrain efficiency is the product of engine efficiency, power generation efficiency, inverter efficiency, and motor efficiency (powertrain efficiency = engine efficiency × power generation efficiency × inverter efficiency × motor efficiency), but since engine efficiency is the lowest compared to the other efficiencies, and the other efficiencies are close to 1, powertrain efficiency can be considered an approximation of engine efficiency.

[0068] The auxiliary energy calculation unit 202e calculates the auxiliary energy for each cycle when the hydraulic pump 121 is operating, that is, when the discharge flow rate of the hydraulic pump 121 is not 0 (zero). In the case of the dump truck 101, since the cargo bed 109 is operated with the vehicle body stopped, the energy consumed by the dump truck 101 corresponds to the auxiliary energy while the hoist lifting command is output.

[0069] The auxiliary energy calculation unit 202e calculates the auxiliary energy when the hydraulic pump 121 is operating, that is, when a hoist lifting command is output to cause the hoist cylinder 123 to dump the cargo bed 109 using the hydraulic fluid discharged from the hydraulic pump 121.

[0070] The auxiliary energy calculation unit 202e calculates the auxiliary energy [MJ] based on the power train efficiency and the energy input to the engine 111 during hoist lifting operation using the following formula (2). Auxiliary energy = Powertrain efficiency × Input energy …(2) In equation (2), "powertrain efficiency" is the powertrain efficiency calculated by the efficiency calculation unit 202d. In equation (2), "input energy" is the energy input (cumulative fuel heat) [MJ] to the engine 111 when the hydraulic pump 121 is operating (i.e., during hoist lifting operation), calculated by the input energy calculation unit 202b.

[0071] The deterioration determination unit 202g determines the deterioration state of the auxiliary system 120 and the traction electric system 115 of the powertrain 110 based on the auxiliary energy calculated by the auxiliary energy calculation unit 202e. Furthermore, the deterioration determination unit 202g determines the deterioration state of the engine 111 based on the auxiliary energy calculated by the auxiliary energy calculation unit 202e and the powertrain efficiency calculated by the efficiency calculation unit 202d. In other words, the deterioration determination unit 202g determines the deterioration state of the auxiliary system 120 and the powertrain 110 based on the auxiliary energy and powertrain efficiency.

[0072] Figure 7 illustrates a method for identifying degraded equipment. Figure 7 shows an example of the relationship between auxiliary energy and powertrain efficiency and the degradation of the traction electric system 115 and engine 111 of the powertrain 110, as well as the auxiliary system 120.

[0073] In Figure 7, the vertical axis represents auxiliary energy, and the horizontal axis represents the powertrain efficiency under load. When the hydraulic pump 121 deteriorates, its discharge efficiency decreases. When discharge efficiency decreases, the fuel injection amount increases, and the auxiliary energy becomes larger than under normal conditions. In addition, as each hydraulic component (hydraulic pump 121, control valve 122, and hoist cylinder 123) or hydraulic piping constituting the auxiliary system 120 deteriorates over time, hydraulic fluid leaks occur in the hydraulic components or hydraulic piping of the hydraulic system. When hydraulic fluid leaks occur in the hydraulic system, the fuel injection amount increases, and the auxiliary energy becomes larger than under normal conditions. For this reason, the deterioration determination unit 202g according to this embodiment determines that the auxiliary system 120 is deteriorated if the auxiliary energy is greater than or equal to a predetermined first energy threshold P1.

[0074] Deterioration of the generator 112 and the traction motor 114 of the traction electric system 115 can be caused by, for example, a decrease in the magnetic force of the magnets used in the generator 112 and the traction motor 114, and wear of the components of the generator 112 and the traction motor 114. When the generator 112 deteriorates, its efficiency (power generation efficiency) decreases. When the traction motor 114 deteriorates, its efficiency (motor efficiency) decreases. Also, when the inverter 113 of the traction electric system 115 deteriorates, its efficiency (inverter efficiency) decreases. Furthermore, deterioration of the inverter 113 increases its internal resistance and increases the amount of heat dissipated. Therefore, if the efficiency of any of the components of the traction electric system 115 decreases, the power trainer efficiency decreases, and the auxiliary energy (= input energy × power trainer efficiency) also decreases. For this reason, the deterioration determination unit 202g determines that the traction electric system 115 is deteriorated if the auxiliary energy is less than a predetermined second energy threshold P2.

[0075] The first energy threshold P1 is set considering the distribution of auxiliary energy due to variations in the auxiliary equipment system 120 and load capacity. The first energy threshold P1 is determined, for example, based on the upper limit of the auxiliary energy distribution obtained from the auxiliary energy calculated multiple times for several experimental dump trucks equivalent to new vehicles. The second energy threshold P2 is a smaller value than the first energy threshold P1 and is determined, for example, based on the lower limit of the aforementioned auxiliary energy distribution. The first energy threshold P1 and the second energy threshold P2 are pre-stored in the memory 212 of the processing unit 202.

[0076] Powertrain efficiency includes engine efficiency. Therefore, if engine 111 deteriorates and engine efficiency decreases, powertrain efficiency also decreases. However, when engine efficiency decreases, the fuel injection amount increases, so auxiliary energy does not decrease. For this reason, the deterioration determination unit 202g determines that engine 111 has deteriorated if auxiliary energy is less than the first energy threshold P1 and greater than or equal to the second energy threshold, and powertrain efficiency during unloaded driving is less than a predetermined first efficiency threshold η1.

[0077] The first efficiency threshold η1 is determined, for example, based on the lower limit of the powertrain efficiency distribution obtained from the powertrain efficiency during unloaded driving calculated multiple times for several experimental dump trucks equivalent to new vehicles, as described above. The first efficiency threshold η1 may also be determined from the specifications of the engine 111, generator 112, inverter 113, and drive motor 114. Alternatively, the first efficiency threshold η1 may be determined by referring to the powertrain efficiency distribution during unloaded driving obtained from the operating information of a dump truck 101 that is actually in operation, taking into account the productivity of the mine.

[0078] Thus, if auxiliary energy decreases along with a decrease in powertrain efficiency, it can be determined that the traction motor system 115 has deteriorated. Conversely, if powertrain efficiency decreases but auxiliary energy does not, it can be determined that the engine 111 has deteriorated.

[0079] The degradation determination unit 202g outputs the result of determining the degradation status of the auxiliary system 120 and the powertrain 110 to the communication device 204, and transmits the result of determining the degradation status to the mobile terminal 310 via the communication device 204. An example of the degradation determination process flow by the processing unit 202 (degradation determination unit 202g) will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 8.

[0080] As shown in Figure 8, in step S801, the degradation determination unit 202g determines whether the auxiliary energy is equal to or greater than the first energy threshold P1. If it is determined that the auxiliary energy is equal to or greater than the first energy threshold P1, the process proceeds to step S802. On the other hand, if it is determined that the auxiliary energy is less than the first energy threshold P1, the process proceeds to step S803.

[0081] In step S802, the deterioration determination unit 202g determines that the auxiliary system 120 is deteriorated, transmits the determination result and vehicle ID to the mobile terminal 310 via the communication device 204, and terminates the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 8. The mobile terminal 310 displays an image on its screen indicating that the auxiliary system 120 is deteriorated. In step S803, the deterioration determination unit 202g determines whether the auxiliary energy is less than the second energy threshold P2. If it is determined that the auxiliary energy is less than the second energy threshold P2, the process proceeds to step S804. On the other hand, if it is determined that the auxiliary energy is equal to or greater than the second energy threshold P2, the process proceeds to step S805.

[0082] In step S804, the deterioration determination unit 202g determines that the traction motor system 115 is deteriorated, transmits the determination result and vehicle ID to the mobile terminal 310 via the communication device 204, and terminates the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 8. The mobile terminal 310 displays an image on its screen indicating that the traction motor system 115 is deteriorated. In step S805, the deterioration determination unit 202g determines whether the powertrain efficiency is less than the first efficiency threshold η1. If it is determined that the powertrain efficiency is less than the first efficiency threshold η1, the process proceeds to step S806. On the other hand, if it is determined that the powertrain efficiency is equal to or greater than the first efficiency threshold η1, the process proceeds to step S807.

[0083] In step S806, the deterioration determination unit 202g determines that the engine 111 is deteriorated, transmits the determination result and vehicle ID to the mobile terminal 310 via the communication device 204, and terminates the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 8. The mobile terminal 310 displays an image on its screen indicating that the engine 111 is deteriorated. In step S807, the deterioration determination unit 202g determines that it is normal. That is, the deterioration determination unit 202g determines that there are no deteriorated components. In step S807, once the deterioration determination unit 202g determines that it is normal, it transmits the determination result and vehicle ID to the mobile terminal 310 via the communication device 204, and terminates the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 8. The mobile terminal 310 displays an image on its screen indicating that the dump truck 101 is normal. Note that the mobile terminal 310 may be configured not to display an image indicating that it is normal when it has obtained a determination result indicating that it is normal.

[0084] The method of notification (image display method) from the mobile terminal 310 to the equipment maintenance worker 304 may be a push notification or a pull notification. In this embodiment, the automatic notification function when it is determined that the equipment is deteriorating allows the equipment maintenance worker 304 to appropriately understand which part of which vehicle is deteriorating. This enables the equipment maintenance worker 304 to perform inspections and repairs at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner. The equipment maintenance worker 304 can prevent failures due to the progression of deterioration by confirming the deterioration state through inspection and performing maintenance or parts replacement. By preventing failure of the auxiliary equipment system 120, the occurrence of a malfunction that prevents the dump operation from being performed is prevented. By preventing failure of the drive electric system 115, the occurrence of a malfunction that prevents the dump truck 101 from being driven is prevented.

[0085] The processing unit 202 determines the deterioration status for each dump truck 101 based on operational information transmitted from multiple dump trucks 101. The deterioration status of the equipment can be determined based on cycle-by-cycle parameters (auxiliary energy, powertrain efficiency). However, in order to reduce the influence of load volume and driving variations, it is desirable to determine the deterioration status of the equipment using the average or median values ​​of the parameters (auxiliary energy, powertrain efficiency) over a predetermined period or a predetermined number of cycles.

[0086] Furthermore, while this section describes an example of determining deterioration based on auxiliary energy and powertrain efficiency, abnormalities may also be determined based on auxiliary energy and powertrain efficiency. Deterioration refers to a state where there are no problems with the operation of dump truck 101, but productivity has decreased, and maintenance (inspection, servicing, parts replacement) is required as a priority over other vehicles. An abnormality refers to a state where the productivity of dump truck 101 has decreased drastically, and there is a high probability of sudden breakdowns occurring soon, requiring urgent maintenance.

[0087] The processing unit 202 outputs data (auxiliary equipment energy, powertrain efficiency) used to determine the deterioration status of multiple dump trucks 101 to the display terminal device 203. The display terminal device 203 displays the auxiliary equipment energy and powertrain efficiency of the multiple dump trucks 101 on the display screen. At this time, the display terminal device 203 may also acquire location information of the dump trucks 101 at the site where they are operating from the positioning device 136, and display the icon representing the current location of the dump trucks 101 on the map information of the operating site in association with the above data (auxiliary equipment energy, powertrain efficiency) on the display screen. This makes it possible to centrally grasp information for each of the multiple dump trucks 101.

[0088] Referring to Figures 9A to 10B, an example of a screen displayed on the display terminal device 203 will be explained. In the example screen shown in Figure 9A, a bar graph of the auxiliary energy of multiple dump trucks 101 is displayed. On the screen, the vehicle ID and its auxiliary energy are displayed from left to right in descending order of the average value of the auxiliary energy over a predetermined period. In addition, the screen displays dashed lines indicating the first energy threshold P1 and the second energy threshold P2. Note that the specific numerical values ​​for each vehicle ID and auxiliary energy are not shown in Figure 9A. Of course, the display of numbers can be controlled arbitrarily. Alternatively, instead of dashed lines, for example, the color of the bar graph that exceeds the first energy threshold P1 and the second energy threshold P2 could be indicated by red, yellow, etc., respectively, and the degree of deterioration could be intuitively identified by color. Note that red and yellow are just examples, and other colors could be used as long as the urgency can be indicated. In other words, in the bar graph, the portion above the first energy threshold P1, the portion below the first energy threshold P1 but above the second energy threshold P2, and the portion below the second energy threshold P2 should each have a different color.

[0089] The equipment maintenance worker 304 can see from the screen shown in Figure 9A that the vehicles on the left are more deteriorated in the auxiliary equipment system 120 (hydraulic pump, hydraulic circuit, control valve, hoist cylinder), and the vehicles on the right are more deteriorated in the traction motor system 115 (generator, traction motor, inverter). This allows the equipment maintenance worker 304 to appropriately determine which vehicles should be prioritized for maintenance and narrow down the inspection locations. The maximum number of bar graphs corresponding to vehicle IDs that can be displayed can be set arbitrarily. As the number of displayed vehicle IDs increases, it becomes more difficult to distinguish them on a single screen. For this reason, when a target bar graph is selected on the display terminal device 203, the vehicle ID may be displayed in a pop-up window next to that bar graph. In addition, the display format of the screen may be arbitrarily changed according to the maximum number of displayed items.

[0090] The example screen shown in Figure 9B displays bar graphs of the empty powertrain efficiency of multiple dump trucks 101. The screen displays the vehicle IDs and their empty powertrain efficiency from left to right, in descending order of the average empty powertrain efficiency over a predetermined period. A dashed line indicating the first efficiency threshold η1 is also displayed on the screen. Note that the specific numerical values ​​for each vehicle ID and empty powertrain efficiency are omitted in Figure 9B.

[0091] The equipment maintenance worker 304 can see from the screen shown in Figure 9B that the vehicles on the right are more deteriorated in their powertrain 110 (engine, generator, inverter, and drive motor). The equipment maintenance worker 304 can determine that the engine 111 is deteriorated in vehicles that are smaller than the first efficiency threshold η1 (the two vehicles on the far right) and whose auxiliary energy is within the normal range.

[0092] In this embodiment, the display terminal device 203 simultaneously displays the auxiliary energy of multiple vehicles on a single screen. The display terminal device 203 also simultaneously displays the unloaded powertrain efficiency of multiple vehicles on a single screen. Alternatively, the bar graph shown in Figure 9A and the bar graph shown in Figure 9B may be displayed simultaneously on a single screen. This allows the equipment maintenance worker 304 to relatively understand the degree of deterioration by comparing the auxiliary energy and unloaded powertrain efficiency of multiple vehicles. As a result, the equipment maintenance worker 304 can appropriately determine which vehicles should be prioritized for maintenance.

[0093] Figure 10A is an example screen showing the trend of auxiliary energy, where the vertical axis represents auxiliary energy and the horizontal axis represents the number of cycles, which is highly correlated with the number of hoist operations (number of dump operations). As shown in Figure 10A, the current auxiliary energy levels (right end of the line graph) of vehicles A and B are at the same level. However, the number of cycles for vehicle B is lower than that of vehicle A. Moreover, the auxiliary energy of vehicle B is rising rapidly compared to vehicle A. In this way, by displaying the trend of auxiliary energy according to the number of cycles on the display screen of the display terminal device 203, the equipment maintenance worker 304 can appropriately determine whether or not to inspect the auxiliary system 120 of vehicle B earlier than that of vehicle A.

[0094] Figure 10B is an example screen showing the trend of unloaded powertrain efficiency, where the vertical axis represents unloaded powertrain efficiency and the horizontal axis represents mileage, which is highly correlated with powertrain degradation. As shown in Figure 10B, the current (right end of the line graph) unloaded powertrain efficiency of vehicles A and B are at the same level. However, the mileage of vehicle B is shorter than that of vehicle A. Moreover, the unloaded powertrain efficiency of vehicle B has decreased more rapidly compared to vehicle A. In this way, by displaying the trend of unloaded powertrain efficiency according to mileage on the display screen of the display terminal device 203, the equipment maintenance worker 304 can appropriately determine whether or not to inspect the powertrain 110 of vehicle B earlier than that of vehicle A. Note that the horizontal axis of Figure 10B may be replaced with mileage, or with driving time, which is highly correlated with powertrain 110 degradation, or with total fuel injection amount, which is highly correlated with powertrain 110 degradation, similar to mileage.

[0095] Figures 9A to 10B illustrate examples of screens displayed on the display terminal device 203, but a similar screen may be displayed on the mobile terminal 310. Furthermore, the display format is not limited to bar graphs or line graphs; a text message, for example, may be used as long as it can identify the vehicle experiencing deterioration. The display format can be arbitrarily set by the equipment maintenance personnel 304. For example, if the display medium is the mobile terminal 310, there are limitations on the display area. Therefore, the display format on the mobile terminal 310 may be a simplified format that displays only the IDs of the top three vehicles experiencing deterioration and the current location information obtained from the positioning device 136 and the on-board controller 140.

[0096] According to the above-described embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0097] (1) The mine management system (transport vehicle management system) 200 manages a dump truck (transport vehicle) 101 which includes a powertrain 110 including an engine (power source) 111 and a hydraulic pump (auxiliary equipment) 121 driven by the engine 111. The mine management system 200 includes a processing unit 202 that determines the deterioration status of the equipment of the dump truck 101. The processing unit 202 calculates the vehicle energy, which is the energy consumed by the dump truck 101 when it is running, based on at least the vehicle speed of the dump truck 101, the road gradient, and the load capacity of the dump truck 101. The processing unit 202 calculates the efficiency of the powertrain 110 based on the vehicle energy when the powertrain 110 is operating and the energy input to the dump truck 101. The energy input to the dump truck 101 (energy input to the engine 111) is calculated based on the amount of fuel consumed by the engine 111 and the lower heating value of the fuel. The processing unit 202 calculates the auxiliary energy, which is the energy consumed by the dump truck 101 when the hydraulic pump 121 is operating, based on the efficiency of the powertrain and the energy input to the dump truck 101 when the hydraulic pump 121 is operating. Based on the auxiliary energy, the processing unit 202 determines the deterioration state of the auxiliary system 120, including the hydraulic pump 121, and outputs the determination result of the deterioration state of the auxiliary system 120 to the notification device (display terminal device 203, communication device 204, mobile terminal 310).

[0098] The vehicle speed, road gradient, and load capacity used to calculate the vehicle energy of the dump truck 101 are highly versatile information that can be easily obtained in the mining management system 200. Similarly, the amount of fuel used to calculate the input energy is also highly versatile information that can be easily obtained. Based on this highly versatile information, the processing unit 202 of the mining management system 200 calculates the vehicle energy and input energy according to the driving conditions, and can calculate the efficiency of the powertrain 110 based on this information. Furthermore, the processing unit 202 calculates the auxiliary equipment energy by substituting the efficiency of the powertrain 110 for the efficiency of the engine 111, and determines the deterioration state of the auxiliary equipment system 120 based on the auxiliary equipment energy.

[0099] Thus, according to this embodiment, there is no need to use highly confidential information such as the output torque of the engine 111 to determine the deterioration state of the auxiliary equipment system 120. In other words, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a mine management system 200 that can determine the deterioration state of the equipment (auxiliary equipment system 120) of a transport vehicle based on easily obtainable and highly versatile information, and output the determination result.

[0100] (2) The processing unit 202 of the mine management system 200 determines the degradation state of the powertrain 110 based on the auxiliary energy and the efficiency of the powertrain 110, and outputs the determination result of the degradation state of the powertrain 110 to the notification device (display terminal device 203, communication device 204, mobile terminal 310).

[0101] This configuration makes it possible to provide a mine management system 200 that can determine the deterioration status of not only the auxiliary equipment system 120 but also the powertrain 110 based on easily obtainable and versatile information (vehicle speed, road gradient, and load capacity), and output the determination results.

[0102] (3) The processing unit 202 calculates the auxiliary equipment energy based on the energy input when a command (hoist lifting command) is output to the hoist cylinder (hydraulic cylinder) 123 to dump the cargo bed 109 using the hydraulic fluid discharged from the hydraulic pump 121. Since the dump truck 101 is kept stationary when the cargo bed 109 is dumping, the auxiliary equipment energy can be calculated accurately. As a result, the deterioration state of the equipment of the dump truck 101 can be determined accurately.

[0103] (4) The processing unit 202 calculates the vehicle energy used to calculate the powertrain efficiency of an empty dump truck based on the vehicle speed, road gradient, and load of the dump truck 101 when the dump truck 101 is running empty. Here, the processing unit 202 may also calculate the vehicle energy based on the vehicle speed, road gradient, and load when the dump truck 101 is running loaded, but in this case, if the calculation error of the load becomes large, the calculation errors of the vehicle energy and powertrain efficiency will also become large. In this embodiment, since the vehicle energy is calculated using the load when running empty, the calculation error of the vehicle energy can be reduced. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the calculation accuracy of the vehicle energy and powertrain efficiency can be improved compared to when the vehicle energy is calculated based on the load when running loaded.

[0104] As described above, the mine management system 200 according to this embodiment can determine the deterioration status of the powertrain 110 and auxiliary equipment system 120 from generally available information (data) and identify deteriorated parts. The result of the deterioration status determination is notified to the user of the mine management system 200 via a notification device (display terminal device 203 or mobile terminal 310). This allows the user to maintain or improve the productivity of the mine by promptly performing maintenance, replacing parts, etc., on transport vehicles 101 with deteriorated equipment. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by promptly inspecting and repairing vehicles with reduced powertrain efficiency, it is possible to prevent powertrain 110 failures that would render transport vehicles inoperable. In addition, by improving powertrain efficiency through inspection and repair, fuel loss and CO2 emissions of the vehicle can be reduced. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent malfunctions and other abnormalities associated with the deterioration of the auxiliary equipment system 120. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in productivity caused by malfunctions and other abnormalities of the auxiliary equipment system 120. Furthermore, the mine management system 200 according to this embodiment can prevent unnecessary inspections and parts replacements by collecting the results of the deterioration status of equipment on multiple transport vehicles 101 present in the mine area (work site) 100, and can easily create an efficient maintenance plan for the entire mine area 100.

[0105] <Modification 1 of the first embodiment> The method for determining the state of deterioration is not limited to the examples described above. For example, as shown in Figure 11, the process may proceed to step S803 after it is determined in step S802 that the auxiliary system 120 is deteriorated. In other words, the processing unit 202 determines that both the auxiliary system 120 and the engine 111 are deteriorated when the auxiliary energy is greater than or equal to the first energy threshold P1 and the power trainer efficiency is less than the first efficiency threshold η1, and outputs the determination result to the display terminal device 203 and the communication device 204. With this configuration, it is possible to determine that both the auxiliary system 120 and the engine 111 are deteriorated.

[0106] <Modification 2 of the first embodiment> In the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, a dump truck 101 was described in which the generator 112 of the traction electric system 115 and the hydraulic pump 121 of the auxiliary system 120 are driven by the engine 111. However, the configuration of the dump truck 101 is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 12, the dump truck 101 may have a powertrain 510 and an auxiliary system 520 with a battery 519 as the power source. The powertrain 510 includes a rechargeable battery (power source) 510, a DC / DC converter 511 that steps down the voltage of the battery 510, an inverter 113 that converts the DC power output from the DC / DC converter 511 into three-phase AC power and supplies it to the traction motor 114, and a traction motor 114 that rotates using the power supplied by the inverter 113. The auxiliary system 520 includes an electric motor (hereinafter also referred to as the pump motor) 525 that drives the hydraulic pump 121, and an inverter (power converter) 524 that converts the DC power output from the DC / DC converter 511 into three-phase AC power and supplies it to the pump motor 525.

[0107] In this modified example, the processing unit 202 calculates the input energy to the dump truck 101 based on the amount of power in the battery 510, and calculates the power train efficiency and auxiliary equipment energy based on the calculated input energy. Thus, according to this modified example, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be achieved in a dump truck 101 in which the auxiliary equipment system 520 is electrified.

[0108] <Second Embodiment> The mining management system 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 17. Note that the same reference numerals are used for configurations that are identical or equivalent to those described in the first embodiment and modification 1 of the first embodiment, and the differences will be primarily explained. Figure 13 shows an example of the configuration of a dump truck 101 that is managed by the mining management system 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0109] The dump truck 101 according to this second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a current collector (pantograph) 610 is provided in the traction motor system 115. In this second embodiment, the traction motor 114 is driven by power supplied from the trolley wire via the current collector 610. In other words, the transport vehicle 101 according to the second embodiment is a dump truck that can run by receiving power from the trolley wire, with a liftable current collector 610 provided on the vehicle body in contact with the trolley wire provided along the road. Below, a deterioration determination method focusing on the fact that the engine 111 stops or idles when running using this current collector 610 (trolley running) will be described.

[0110] Figure 14 is similar to Figures 8 and 11, and is a flowchart showing an example of the degradation determination process performed by the processing apparatus 202 (degradation determination unit 202g) according to the second embodiment. In the flowchart of Figure 14, the processes of steps S1401 to S1403 are performed instead of the process of step S804 in the flowchart of Figure 11.

[0111] As shown in Figure 14, if it is determined in step S803 that the auxiliary energy is less than the second energy threshold P2, the process proceeds to step S1401. In step S1401, the degradation determination unit 202g determines whether the trolley powertrain efficiency, described later, is less than the second efficiency threshold η2. If it is determined that the trolley powertrain efficiency is less than the second efficiency threshold η2, the process proceeds to step S1402. On the other hand, if it is determined that the trolley powertrain efficiency is greater than or equal to the second efficiency threshold η2, the process proceeds to step S1403.

[0112] In step S1402, the deterioration determination unit 202g determines that at least one of the current collector 610, inverter 113, and running motor 114 is deteriorated, transmits the determination result and vehicle ID to the mobile terminal 310 via the communication device 204, and terminates the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 14. In step S1403, the deterioration determination unit 202g determines that the generator 112 is deteriorated, transmits the determination result and vehicle ID to the mobile terminal 310 via the communication device 204, and terminates the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 14.

[0113] The trolley powertrain efficiency is the efficiency of the powertrain 110 when the dump truck 101 is running on trolley, and is calculated by the efficiency calculation unit 202d as follows.

[0114] The efficiency calculation unit 202d according to this second embodiment calculates the trolley powertrain efficiency based on the vehicle energy and input energy of the dump truck 101 when the dump truck 101 is running, that is, when the dump truck 101 is running on trolley wire via the current collector 610 to the running motor 114 of the powertrain 110. Specifically, the efficiency calculation unit 202d calculates the trolley powertrain efficiency for each cycle using equation (1). Here, "vehicle energy" in equation (1) is the vehicle energy during trolley running calculated by the vehicle energy calculation unit 202c, and "input energy" in equation (1) is the input energy during trolley running calculated by the input energy calculation unit 202b.

[0115] The input energy calculation unit 202b calculates the cumulative fuel heat amount based on the amount of fuel consumed by the engine 111 (cumulative fuel amount) and the lower heating value of the fuel during trolley operation. Furthermore, the input energy calculation unit 202b calculates the cumulative trolley power by integrating the trolley power supplied from the trolley wire via the current collector 610 during trolley operation. The input energy calculation unit 202b calculates the energy input to the dump truck 101 during trolley operation by adding the cumulative fuel heat amount and the cumulative trolley power amount during trolley operation.

[0116] In other words, the trolley powertrain efficiency is calculated by dividing the vehicle energy during trolley operation by (cumulative fuel amount × lower heating value + cumulative trolley power). The second efficiency threshold η2 is determined, for example, based on the lower limit of the trolley powertrain efficiency distribution obtained from the powertrain efficiency during trolley operation calculated multiple times for several experimental dump trucks equivalent to new vehicles. The second efficiency threshold η2 may also be determined from the specifications of the inverter 113 and the travel motor 114. Furthermore, the second efficiency threshold η2 may be determined by referring to the powertrain efficiency distribution during trolley operation obtained from the operating information of a dump truck 101 that is actually in operation, taking into account the productivity of the mine.

[0117] Similar to the first embodiment, the empty-load powertrain efficiency is used to calculate the auxiliary energy. If the auxiliary energy is less than the second energy threshold P2, it is considered that a decrease in the empty-load powertrain efficiency is the cause, and therefore it can be determined that at least one of the generator 112, inverter 113, and traction motor 114 has deteriorated. Here, since the generator 112 is not used when the trolley is running, the trolley powertrain efficiency is not affected by the efficiency of the generator 112. Therefore, if the trolley powertrain efficiency falls below the second efficiency threshold η2, the cause lies elsewhere than the generator 112. In other words, if the auxiliary energy is less than the second energy threshold P2 and the trolley powertrain efficiency is equal to or greater than the second efficiency threshold η2, then it can be said that the generator 112 is the cause of the decrease in auxiliary energy.

[0118] In the flowchart of the degradation determination process shown in Figure 14, the load capacity is taken into account when calculating the vehicle energy. In the dump truck 101, if the load capacity sensor is malfunctioning or the load capacity detected by the load capacity sensor is an abnormal value, for example, if the load capacity is detected as a value smaller than the actual value, a positive determination will be made in step S1401 due to the malfunction of the load capacity sensor. For this reason, it is preferable to determine whether the load capacity sensor is functioning correctly before executing the degradation determination process shown in Figure 14.

[0119] Furthermore, the flow of the degradation determination process according to the second embodiment is not limited to the example shown in the flowchart of Figure 14. For example, the degradation determination process may be performed based on the flowchart shown in Figure 15. Figure 15 is a diagram similar to Figure 14, and is a flowchart showing another example of the degradation determination process performed by the processing device 202 according to the second embodiment. In the flowchart of Figure 15, the processes of steps S1404 to S1406 are performed instead of the process of step S1402 in the flowchart of Figure 14.

[0120] As shown in Figure 15, if it is determined in step S1401 that the trolley powertrain efficiency is less than the second efficiency threshold η2, the process proceeds to step S1404. In step 1404, the degradation determination unit 202g determines whether the empty powertrain efficiency is less than the first efficiency threshold η1. If it is determined that the empty powertrain efficiency is less than the first efficiency threshold η1, the process proceeds to step S1405. On the other hand, if it is determined that the empty powertrain efficiency is equal to or greater than the first efficiency threshold η1, the process proceeds to step S1406.

[0121] In step S1405, the deterioration determination unit 202g determines that at least one of the inverter 113 and the travel motor 114 is deteriorated, transmits the determination result and the vehicle ID to the mobile terminal 310 via the communication device 204, and terminates the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 15. In step S1406, the deterioration determination unit 202g determines that the current collector 610 is deteriorated, transmits the determination result and the vehicle ID to the mobile terminal 310 via the communication device 204, and terminates the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 15.

[0122] In the deterioration detection process shown in Figure 15, if the trolley powertrain efficiency is below the second efficiency threshold η2, further processing is performed to identify deteriorated equipment. This is because the current collector 610 is not used during unloaded operation, and if the trolley powertrain efficiency is low despite high unloaded powertrain efficiency, it can be determined that the current collector 610 is deteriorated. Possible deterioration of the current collector 610 includes wear of the current collector plates. If the equipment maintenance worker 304 determines that the current collector 610 is deteriorated, they can inspect the current collector 610 and replace parts at an appropriate time.

[0123] Figure 16 shows an example of the output of the deterioration status determination result. Figure 16 shows the deterioration status determination result output on the display screen of the display terminal device 203. As diagnostic indicators for identifying deteriorated areas, the auxiliary equipment energy is shown in the upper part of the display screen, the empty power trailer efficiency in the middle part, and the trolley power trailer efficiency in the lower part, for each vehicle. In addition, dashed lines indicating the first energy threshold P1, the second energy threshold P2, the first efficiency threshold η1, and the second efficiency threshold η2 are displayed on the screen.

[0124] The auxiliary equipment energy of vehicle A is between the first energy threshold P1 and the second energy threshold P2. Furthermore, the unloaded power traction efficiency of vehicle A is greater than the first efficiency threshold η1, and the trolley power traction efficiency of vehicle A is greater than the second efficiency threshold η2. Therefore, the equipment maintenance worker 304 can determine that each piece of equipment in vehicle A is functioning normally.

[0125] The auxiliary energy of vehicle B is within the normal range (greater than or equal to the second energy threshold P2 and less than the first energy threshold P1), but the unloaded powertrain efficiency is lower than the first efficiency threshold η1. Therefore, the equipment maintenance worker 304 can determine that the engine 111 of vehicle B is degraded. Note that the trolley powertrain efficiency is hardly affected by the engine 111. For this reason, the trolley powertrain efficiency of vehicle B is greater than the second efficiency threshold η2.

[0126] The auxiliary energy of vehicle C exceeds the first energy threshold P1. Therefore, the equipment maintenance worker 304 can determine that the auxiliary system 120 (hydraulic system) of vehicle C is deteriorating.

[0127] The auxiliary energy of vehicle D is less than the second energy threshold P2, the unloaded powertrain efficiency is greater than the first efficiency threshold η1, and the trolley powertrain efficiency is greater than the second efficiency threshold η2. Therefore, the equipment maintenance worker 304 can determine that the generator 112 of vehicle D is deteriorating. The reason for this is that, as mentioned above, although the decrease in auxiliary energy is due to a decrease in the efficiency of the electric system, the trolley powertrain efficiency has not decreased, so the current collector 610, the running motor 114, and the inverter 113 can be judged to be normal, and the remaining generator 112 can be judged to be deteriorating.

[0128] The auxiliary energy of vehicle E is less than the second energy threshold P2. Therefore, the equipment maintenance worker 304 can determine that the traction motor system 115 is degraded in vehicle E, similar to vehicle D. Also, the trolley powertrain efficiency of vehicle E is lower than the second efficiency threshold η2. Therefore, the equipment maintenance worker 304 can determine that the degradation is due to one of the remaining components of the traction motor system 115, not the generator 112, but rather the current collector 610, the traction motor 114, or the inverter 113. Furthermore, the unloaded powertrain efficiency of vehicle E is greater than the first efficiency threshold η1. Therefore, the equipment maintenance worker 304 can determine that the current collector 610 of the traction motor system 115 is degraded.

[0129] In the output example shown in Figure 16, the parameters used to determine the deterioration state are shown for each vehicle ID, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 17, the deteriorated parts identified by the processing device 202 may be displayed on the display screen of the display terminal device 203 or the mobile terminal 310. With this configuration, the equipment maintenance worker 304 can easily recognize the deteriorated parts.

[0130] As described above, in this second embodiment, if the auxiliary equipment energy is less than the second energy threshold P2 and the trolley power train efficiency is less than the second efficiency threshold η2, it is determined that any of the current collector 610, inverter 113, or travel motor 114 is degraded. Furthermore, if the auxiliary equipment energy is less than the second energy threshold P2 and the trolley power train efficiency is equal to or greater than the second efficiency threshold η2, it is determined that the generator 112 is degraded. Therefore, it is possible to notify users of the mine management system 200, such as equipment maintenance personnel 304, that the generator 112 is degraded. As a result, users can properly perform maintenance on the generator 112 and order parts. In addition, by preventing the continued use of the degraded generator 112, it is expected that fuel loss and CO2 emissions will be reduced.

[0131] Furthermore, in this second embodiment, if the auxiliary equipment energy is less than the second energy threshold P2, the trolley power train efficiency is less than the second efficiency threshold η2, and the empty power train efficiency is less than the first efficiency threshold η1, it is determined that either the inverter 113 or the travel motor 114 is degraded. Also, if the auxiliary equipment energy is less than the second energy threshold P2, the trolley power train efficiency is less than the second efficiency threshold η2, and the empty power train efficiency is equal to or greater than the first efficiency threshold η1, it is determined that the current collector 610 is degraded. Therefore, it is possible to notify users of the mine management system 200, such as equipment maintenance personnel 304, that the current collector 610 is degraded. As a result, users can appropriately perform maintenance on the current collector 610 and order parts. In addition, by preventing the continued use of the degraded current collector 610, a reduction in the amount of power supplied from the trolley wire can be expected.

[0132] As described above, the processing device 202 according to this second embodiment determines the deterioration state of the generator 112 or the current collector 610 based on the trolley power train efficiency and outputs the determination result to a notification device (display terminal device 203, mobile terminal 310). This allows the user of the mine management system 200 to appropriately manage the deterioration state of the equipment mounted on the dump truck 101 that runs on power supplied from the trolley wire.

[0133] The following modifications are also within the scope of the present invention, and it is possible to combine the configurations shown in the modifications with the configurations described in the embodiments described above, or to combine the configurations described in the different embodiments described above, or to combine the configurations described in the following different modifications.

[0134] <Example 1> In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the amount of fuel injected during a dump operation to release the transported goods from the cargo bed 109 is accumulated, and the energy input during the dump operation is calculated based on the accumulated fuel flow rate and lower heating value. However, when a hoist lifting operation is performed with an empty load, the accumulated fuel amount decreases, and the auxiliary equipment energy becomes smaller than during a normal dump operation. Therefore, it may not be possible to properly determine the deterioration state using the operating information when a hoist lifting operation is performed with an empty load.

[0135] Therefore, the processing device 202 according to this modified example calculates the auxiliary energy only when the load (load weight) of the transported goods is equal to or greater than a predetermined weight threshold. The weight threshold is stored in advance in the memory 212.

[0136] For example, the state determination unit 202a shown in Figure 3 determines that a dumping operation to release the transported goods has started when a hoist-raising command (control command) is output when the load is above a weight threshold (time Ta in Figure 5), and then determines that the dumping operation has ended when the hoist-raising command is no longer output (time Tb in Figure 5).

[0137] The input energy calculation unit 202b calculates the fuel heat amount (cumulative fuel heat amount), which is the energy input to the engine 111 during the hoist lifting operation, based on the amount of fuel consumed by the dump truck 101 during the hoist lifting operation (cumulative fuel amount) and the lower heating value of the fuel, when a hoist lifting command is output while the load is above the weight threshold.

[0138] The auxiliary energy calculation unit 202e calculates the auxiliary energy based on the cumulative fuel used during hoist lifting when the load is above the weight threshold. However, in this modified example, if a hoist lifting command is issued when the load of the transported goods is below the weight threshold, the hoist lifting operation is treated as if it were performed with an empty load, and the input energy and auxiliary energy during the hoist lifting operation are not calculated.

[0139] As described above, the processing unit 202 according to this modified example 1 determines whether the load is above a weight threshold. Furthermore, when the load is above the weight threshold and a command to dump the cargo bed 109 (hoist lifting command) is output, the processing unit 202 calculates the auxiliary energy based on the empty power train efficiency and the energy input to the dump truck 101 when the auxiliary system 120 is operating (when the hydraulic pump 121 is operating). On the other hand, when the load is below the weight threshold and a command to dump the cargo bed 109 (hoist lifting command) is output, the processing unit 202 does not calculate the auxiliary energy. With this configuration, the deterioration state can be accurately determined using the auxiliary energy.

[0140] <Modification 2> If the mining management system 200 can acquire detailed information about the mining machinery 101-103 (engine torque, engine output rotational speed, etc.), the processing unit 202 can further incorporate the acquired detailed information to make a more detailed determination of the deterioration state. The processing unit 202 of the mining management system 200 may also compare the deterioration determination result estimated from the acquired detailed information with the deterioration determination result estimated from generally obtainable information, and output the comparison result to a notification device (display terminal device 203, mobile terminal 310). This allows the user of the mining management system 200 to recognize that there may be a malfunction in the sensors (vehicle speed sensor 132, load sensor 133, tilt angle sensor 134, fuel injection amount sensor 135) that detect generally obtainable information (vehicle speed, load, road gradient, fuel amount).

[0141] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments only represent a portion of the applications of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the embodiments described above. Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown in the figures are those deemed necessary for explanation and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines required in the product. In practice, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0142] 100...Mining area (work site), 101...Dump truck (transport vehicle, mining machinery), 102...Hydraulic excavator (transport vehicle, mining machinery), 103...Wheel loader (transport vehicle, mining machinery), 109...Cargo bed (vessel), 110...Powertrain, 111...Engine (power source), 112...Generator, 113...Inverter (power converter), 114...Traction motor (electric motor), 115...Traction electric system, 119...Fuel injection system, 120...Auxiliary system, 121...Hydraulic pump (auxiliary), 122...Control valve, 123...Hoist cylinder (hydraulic cylinder), 131...Communication device, 132...Vehicle speed sensor, 133...Load sensor, 134...Incline angle sensor, 135...Fuel injection amount sensor, 136...Positioning device, 140...On-board controller, 141...Processor, 142... Memory, 144... Input / Output Interface, 200... Mine Management System, 201... Database, 202... Processing Unit, 202a... State Determination Unit, 202b... Input Energy Calculation Unit, 202c... Vehicle Energy Calculation Unit, 202d... Efficiency Calculation Unit, 202e... Auxiliary Equipment Energy Calculation Unit, 202f... Parameter Calibration Unit, 202g... Degradation Determination Unit, 203... Display Terminal Device (Notification Device), 204... Communication Device (Notification Device), 211... Processor, 212... Memory, 213... Input / Output Interface, 310... Mobile Terminal (Notification Device), 510... Powertrain, 510... Battery (Power Source), 511... DC / DC Converter, 519... Battery (Power Source), 520... Auxiliary Equipment System, 524... Power Converter, 525... Pump Motor (Electric Motor), 610... Current Collector (Pantograph)

Claims

1. A transport vehicle management system for managing a transport vehicle comprising: a powertrain including a power source consisting of an engine or a battery and a traction electric system driven by the power source; a cargo bed on which transported goods are loaded; an auxiliary equipment system including a hoist cylinder driven by the power source for raising and lowering the cargo bed; and a hoist operating device operated to operate the hoist cylinder, The transport vehicle is equipped with a processing device for determining the deterioration state of the auxiliary equipment system and the electric drive system of the transport vehicle, The aforementioned processing apparatus is The vehicle speed of the transport vehicle, the road surface gradient, the load capacity, and time-series data of control commands to the hoist cylinder corresponding to the operation of the hoist operating device are acquired. The system acquires time-series data of operating information indicating the amount of fuel injected into the engine of the transport vehicle, or time-series data of power discharged from the battery. Based on time-series data of the vehicle speed and load of the transport vehicle, the period during which the transport vehicle was running without a load is identified, and based on time-series data of the vehicle speed and the control commands from the hoist operating device, the period during which the transport vehicle was in the hoist-raised state is identified. The energy input to the power source during the period when the transport vehicle was in the unloaded driving state and the period when it was in the hoisted-up state is calculated from time-series data of operating information indicating the amount of fuel injected into the engine of the transport vehicle or from time-series data of electricity discharged from the battery. The vehicle energy, which is the energy consumed by the transport vehicle during the period when the transport vehicle was running unloaded, is calculated based on time-series data of the transport vehicle's speed and road gradient. The efficiency of the powertrain is calculated by dividing the vehicle energy during the period when the transport vehicle was running unloaded by the energy input during the same period. The efficiency of the powertrain is multiplied by the energy input to the transport vehicle during the period when the transport vehicle was in the hoist-raised state, and this value is calculated as the auxiliary energy, which is the energy consumed by the transport vehicle in the hoist-raised state. If the auxiliary energy is greater than or equal to a first energy threshold, it is determined that the auxiliary system is degraded. If the auxiliary energy is less than a second energy threshold, which is smaller than the first energy threshold, it is determined that the traction motor system is degraded. The determination result is then output to the notification device. A transport vehicle management system characterized by the following features.

2. In the transport vehicle management system according to claim 1, The transport vehicle is a dump truck that can run by receiving power from a trolley wire installed along the road, with a liftable current collector mounted on the vehicle body in contact with the trolley wire. The powertrain comprises an engine as a power source, a current collector, a generator driven by the engine, and a drive motor driven by the electricity generated by the generator. The aforementioned processing apparatus is Time-series data of operational information indicating the fuel injection amount and time-series data of trolley power supplied from the trolley wire via the current collector are acquired. The energy input during trolley operation, when the transport vehicle is running by power supplied to the powertrain from the trolley wire via the current collector, is calculated from the time-series data of operational information indicating the fuel injection amount and the time-series data of trolley power supplied from the trolley wire via the current collector. The vehicle energy, which is the energy consumed by the transport vehicle during trolley operation, is calculated based on time-series data of the transport vehicle's speed, road gradient, and load capacity. The value obtained by dividing the vehicle energy during trolley operation by the input energy during trolley operation is calculated as the trolley powertrain efficiency, which is the efficiency of the powertrain of the transport vehicle during trolley operation. If the auxiliary energy is less than the second energy threshold and the trolley power train efficiency is less than the second efficiency threshold, it is determined that the current collector or the traction motor is degraded. If the auxiliary energy is less than the second energy threshold and the trolley power train efficiency is greater than or equal to the second efficiency threshold, it is determined that the generator is degraded. The determination result is output to the notification device. A transport vehicle management system characterized by the following features.

Images