Power control system, method of controlling power consumption of an industrial vehicle connected to a power supply installation, and use of the power control system

Abstract

A power control system for controlling electric power consumption of an industrial vehicle electrically connected to a power supply installation is described. The power supply installation is adapted to supply the electric power to the industrial vehicle while the industrial vehicle is moving. The power control system includes a positioning module configured for receiving position data indicative of a position of the industrial vehicle within an industrial site, and a controller. The controller is configured for retrieving power availability data, the power availability data being indicative of power consumption constraints at the position of the industrial vehicle, associating the position of the industrial vehicle with the power availability data, and, based on the associating, generating a power consumption control output indicative of a power to be consumed by the industrial vehicle at the position.

Description

[0001] Power control system, method of controlling power consumption of an industrial vehicle connected to a power supply installation, and use of the power control system

[0002] Aspects of the invention relate to providing power to an industrial electric vehicle. In particular, the invention relates to power delivery to mining vehicles from a power supply installation having e.g. trolley lines or powered rails. Further aspects of the invention relate to controlling power consumption of the industrial vehicle to reduce deterioration of the power supply installation and components of the industrial electric vehicle.

[0003] Technical background:

[0004] Industrial vehicles, such as mining vehicles and / or haul trucks, are known in the art. Conventional mining vehicles often include a diesel-electric drivetrain, in which a diesel engine powers a generator to provide electric power for powering one or more electric motors driving wheels or axles of the industrial vehicle.

[0005] Due to the increased focus on fleet decarbonization, electric-powered vehicles and in-motion energy transfer systems (such as trolley lines) are often utilized to reduce carbon emissions. Typically, the energy transfer system is provided as a power supply installation at an industrial site, such as a mine, and may include trolley lines and / or powered rails suitable for transferring electric energy to the industrial vehicle while the industrial vehicle is in motion.

[0006] The electric power supplied by the power supply installation can reduce the consumption of fossil fuel and thereby carbon emission. In some instances, a mining vehicle may even be devoid of a diesel motor, and instead utilize an on-board battery which may be chargeable by power received from the power supply installation.

[0007] Maximizing the utilization and availability of the vehicle and the power supply installation is beneficial. Ideally, the industrial vehicle should be operable with no or limited downtime while having zero or near-zero carbon emission. However, the availability may be affected by maintenance downtime of system components such as line conductors, section insulators, and vehicle current collectors such as pantographs. Likewise, it is beneficial to reduce interruptions caused by non-maintenance related cases, e.g. due to voltage drops within the power supply installation.

[0008] Industrial vehicles often have higher power characteristics compared to other applications, such as passenger vehicles or on-highway vehicles. The power supply installation, e.g. trolley lines, and components of the industrial vehicle engaging with the power supply installation, e.g. a current collector, may be subjected to stresses caused by localized heating or arcing. Due to the high power draw of industrial vehicles, these stresses may more easily cause deterioration or damage to the power supply installation and / or the industrial vehicle, requiring additional maintenance or even causing an undesirable downtime of the industrial vehicle or even the power supply installation.

[0009] The present invention solves the above-stated problem at least in part.

[0010] Summary of the invention:

[0011] In view of the above, the invention as set out in the appended set of claims is provided.

[0012] According to an aspect, a power control system for controlling electric power consumption of an industrial vehicle electrically connected to a power supply installation is described. The power supply installation is adapted to supply the electric power to the industrial vehicle while the industrial vehicle is moving. The power control system includes a positioning module configured for receiving position data indicative of a position of the industrial vehicle within an industrial site, and a controller. The controller is configured for retrieving power availability data, the power availability data being indicative of power consumption constraints at the position of the industrial vehicle, associating the position of the industrial vehicle with the power availability data, and, based on the associating, generating a power consumption control output indicative of a power to be consumed by the industrial vehicle at the position.

[0013] According to an aspect, a method of controlling power consumption of an industrial vehicle connected to a power supply installation is described. The power supply installation is adapted to supply electric power to the industrial vehicle while the industrial vehicle is moving. The method includes determining a position of the industrial vehicle, retrieving power availability data indicative of power consumption constraints at the location corresponding to the position of the industrial vehicle, based on the retrieved power availability data, generating a power consumption control output indicative of a power to be consumed by the industrial vehicle at the position, and controlling a power consumption of the industrial vehicle based on the power consumption control output.

[0014] According to an aspect, an industrial vehicle is described. The industrial vehicle may be a mining vehicle. The industrial vehicle may be, for example, a load, haul and dump (LHD) machine, a mining truck, a bolter, a driller and / or a pickup truck. Passenger vehicles, such as road cars, trains, aircraft or boats are not considered industrial vehicles in the context of this disclosure. The industrial vehicle may be a diesel-electric truck. The industrial vehicle may be a battery electric vehicle. Accordingly, the industrial vehicle may include an on-board battery. The battery may essentially be the sole source of on-board traction power of the vehicle, or the battery may be provided in addition to a drivetrain including a combustion engine, such as in a diesel electric vehicle, particularly a hybrid diesel electric vehicle. The on-board battery may be a battery providing power to a traction motor. According to an aspect, the industrial vehicle may be controlled by an operator, such as a driver. Additionally, or alternatively, the mining vehicle may be remote controlled, semi-autonomous or even fully autonomous and / or self-driving.

[0015] According to an aspect, the industrial vehicle is operated in an industrial site and / or industrial structure, such as a mine, and / or in or in between an industrial site associated with a mine, such as a processing plant, a logistics installation, a shipping yard or the like. The industrial structure may herein be referred to as a mine. A mine may be an underground mine or an open pit mine. The mine may have a layout, such one or more pathways and / or roads, particularly a network of roads. The industrial vehicle may operate along paths on the network. During operation, a vehicle may travel along a road, e.g. to perform a task, such as hauling material from a first location to a second location.

[0016] According to an aspect, a power supply installation is described. The present disclosure is not limited to any type of power supply installation, and at least some of the benefits of the disclosure may be obtained in various types of power supply installations. Power supply installations may include catenary systems, such as systems in which a current collector and / or connector such as a pantograph contacts a catenary line, trolley line, or other type of suspended conductor, and receives an electric power from or provides an electric power to the power supply installation. Alternative systems may include electrified rails, in which a current collector and / or connector contacts one or more electrified rails of the power supply installation, which may be provided below the vehicle, or at a side of a road or pathway on which an industrial vehicle may travel.

[0017] According to an aspect, a power control system is provided. The power control system controls electric power consumption of the industrial vehicle, particularly power received by the industrial vehicle from a power supply installation. In the context of this disclosure, unless specified otherwise, power consumption is considered at the contact point between the industrial vehicle and the power supply installation. Accordingly, the underlying infrastructure, such as the type of converter feeding power e.g. from a substation into the power supply installation, is not critical. Furthermore, it should be understood that, while in typical cases, the industrial vehicle consumes and / or utilizes power provided by the power supply installation, the industrial vehicle may likewise provide power to the power supply installation, e.g. when feeding recuperated energy into the power supply installation, and this disclosure is applicable for either case.

[0018] A benefit of the present disclosure is a reduction in wear-and-tear, downtime and / or damage caused by detrimental effects such as arcing, localized overheating and / or undesirable voltage drops within the power supply installation to either the power supply installation or the industrial vehicle.

[0019] Further advantages, features, aspects and details that can be combined with embodiments described herein are evident from the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

[0020] Brief description of the Figures:

[0021] The details will be described in the following with reference to the figures, wherein

[0022] Fig. 1 is schematic side view of an industrial vehicle traveling in an industrial site while receiving power from a power supply installation;

[0023] Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a power control system according to embodiments;

[0024] Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view of localized power consumption control outputs in an industrial site according to embodiments; and

[0025] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a method of controlling power consumption according to embodiments.

[0026] Detailed description of the Figures and of embodiments:

[0027] Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments, one or more examples of which are illustrated in each figure. Each example is provided by way of explanation and is not meant as a limitation. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used on or in conjunction with any other embodiment to yield yet a further embodiment. It is intended that the present disclosure includes such modifications and variations.

[0028] Within the following description of the drawings, the same reference numbers refer to the same or to similar components. Generally, only the differences with respect to the individual embodiments are described. Unless specified otherwise, the description of a part or aspect in one embodiment applies to a corresponding part or aspect in another embodiment as well. Referring now to Fig. 1 , a portion of an industrial site 100 is schematically depicted. The industrial site 100 includes a road 150 or similar pathway on which an industrial vehicle 120 can travel, e.g. as indicated by the arrow 124. The industrial site 100 and / or the industrial vehicle 120 may include and / or be communicatively connected to a power control system according to embodiments, such as the power control system 200 described with reference to Fig. 2.

[0029] The industrial site 100 includes a power supply installation. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 , the power supply installation includes one or more trolley lines 110 supported by beams 112 above the road 150. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 , the industrial vehicle 120 includes one or more connectors 122, shown in Fig. 1 as pantograph-style connectors, suitable for engaging the trolley lines 110 so that an electric power may be transferred from the power supply installation to the industrial vehicle 120, e.g. to power an electric motor or charge an on-board battery of the industrial vehicle 120.

[0030] While embodiments described herein may depict the power supply installation as a catenary system including trolley lines 110 and / or catenary lines, other or different types of power supply installations may be equally suitable. For example, instead of an overhead line, the power supply installation may include one or more electrified rails provided e.g. within or adjacent a road, e.g. at the side of the road and engageable by a corresponding current collector, such as a contact shoe, of the industrial vehicle 120. The solutions proposed in this disclosure are equally suitable for such alternative configurations.

[0031] According to embodiments, the power supply installation may be provided along portions of the road 150, or even several roads, such as a network of roads within the industrial site 100.

[0032] In some embodiments, the power supply installation may include one or more section insulators 130. For example, in a trolley line or powered rail, different portions of power supply installation may be powered by different substations or other power supply devices. For example, additionally, or alternatively, portions of the road 150 may not have a power supply installation provided, so that a connector 122 of the industrial vehicle 120 would disengage from the power supply installation when leaving a first powered section, travel through a nonpowered section, and then re-engage in a second powered section. For example, additionally, or alternatively, as shown in Fig. 1 , a trolley line 110 may be formed by powered sections divided by section insulators 130, e.g. for electrically separating the trolley line between independent electrical feeds. When traversing section insulators 130, the connector 122 may remain in the raised position. While a connector 122 such as the pantograph-style connector shown in Fig. 1 travels through a section insulator 130, and / or when the industrial vehicle 120 travels past a non-powered section and disengages or re-engages the power supply installation before or after traversing a non-powered section, arcing may occur. A power of the arc is typically related to the amount of current flowing from the power supply installation to the connector 122. A high-power arc is often more likely to cause damage and / or deterioration to the power supply installation, such as section insulators 130 of the power supply installation, and / or the connector 122.

[0033] According to some embodiments, the road 150 may include one or more portions 140 having uneven or otherwise bad road conditions, such as bumps, potholes, rough terrain, debris or other obstructions, a washboard-like surface or other structures or features which may cause the industrial vehicle 120 to bump or swerve when traversing the portion 140. Accordingly, when traveling over the road portion 140, the connector 122 may move up, down or sideways with the industrial vehicle 120 and, at least briefly, lose contact with the trolley line 110. Accordingly, such movement of the connector 122 may cause disengagement and reengagement of the connector 122, and / or may cause arcing.

[0034] According to some embodiments, pathways of the industrial site may include positions at which the industrial vehicle 120 is expected to travel at reduced speeds, or even stop, while drawing power from the power supply installation. Such positions may include e.g. crossings or other points at which the industrial vehicle 120 is expected to stop and, following the stop, accelerate. Sections of the road may have a strong inclination or curvature, causing the vehicle to slow down. Such positions may further include break and / or hold positions, in which the vehicle may stop for e.g. loading, unloading, or idling, while drawing power e.g. for charging an on-board battery. At such positions, while the industrial vehicle 120 is traveling at low speed or even stopped, a high power draw of the vehicle may result in localized heating of the contact point between the connector 122 and the trolley line 110 due to electrical resistance.

[0035] According to some embodiments, power may be fed into the power supply installation, e.g. from substations or converters, at defined feed positions. An electric resistance of the power supply installation may increase the further the industrial vehicle 120 is located away from the feed position. Accordingly, with increasing vehicle distance, a voltage drop in the power supply installation may increase, and a high power draw of the industrial vehicle 120 at a position having such an increased distance may cause increased resistive losses and / or added stress on the power supply installation, or cause an undervoltage at the point of power delivery which may e.g. negatively affect the industrial vehicle 120 or even further industrial vehicles connected to the same power supply installation. Referring now to Fig. 2, to overcome the problems described with reference to Fig. 1 , i.e. arcing, localized (over)heating, voltage drops and / or resistive losses, a power control system 200 for controlling electric power consumption by an industrial vehicle 120 connected to the power supply installation is described.

[0036] The power control system 200 may be provided within the industrial site 100, e.g. in a centralized location such as a control room, remotely, such as in an off-site server-based infrastructure, or may be provided localized, e.g. onboard the industrial vehicle 120. Accordingly, in some embodiments, a plurality of power control systems 200 may be provided in an industrial site. A localized power control system 200 may be configured for controlling power consumption of a limited number of industrial vehicles 120, such as the industrial vehicle 120 onboard which it is installed, while a centralized and / or remote power control system 200 may control power consumption of a plurality of industrial vehicles, such as industrial vehicles 120 in a fleet of vehicles travelling in the industrial site 100.

[0037] The power control system 200 includes a positioning module 210. The positioning module 210 is configured for receiving position data indicative of a position of the industrial vehicle 120 within the industrial site 100. In some embodiments, the position data may be indicative of a global position of the vehicle, and / or include coordinates, such as coordinates received by a positioning system, such as GPS. In some embodiments, the position data may be generated by a localized positioning system associated with the industrial site, such as an Ultra-wideband (UWB) locationing system, which may beneficially be provided even in covered industrial sites such as underground mines. In some embodiments, the position data may be generated relative to the industrial vehicle, e.g. by sensors mounted on the vehicle, such as LiDAR or RADAR sensors, or one or more beacon sensors configured for reading and / or receiving localized beacons provided about the industrial site and / or the power supply installation. In some embodiments, the positioning module 210 may be configured for evaluating the position data, particularly position data from multiple sources, to determine a position of the industrial vehicle 120. For example, data indicative of a global position of the vehicle may indicate an absolute position of the vehicle within the site, while data indicating a relative position of the vehicle obtained by a vehicle sensor may indicate a position of the vehicle e.g. relative to the power supply installation, such as a relative position of a connector 122 to a trolley line 110, such as a left, right, up and / or down offset. Accordingly, the positioning module may be configured for evaluating the data from multiple sources to accurately determine the position of the industrial vehicle 120 within the industrial site 100. According to some embodiments, the power control system 200 may include a mapping module 220. The mapping module 220 is configured for accessing a map and / or data representing a map, such as map data stored as a data construct, file, database, or the like. The map may include power availability data. The power availability data is indicative of location-dependent power consumption constraints of the power supply installation and / or the industrial vehicle connected to the power supply installation. For example, the map may include data defining and / or linking a position within the industrial site to power delivery constraints of the power supply installation and / or power consumption constraints of the industrial vehicle.

[0038] For example, the map may define a position of the power supply installation, such as a position of one or more trolley lines 110 and / or one or more electrified rails. The map may define features of the power supply installation. For example, the map may define the position of section insulators 130, or positions at which the trolley lines 110 and / or electrified rails are not present or interrupted, e.g. in a non-powered section. For example, the map may define the position of one or more road portions 140 along the road at which the industrial vehicle is expected to e.g. bump or swerve due to the conditions of the road 150 while traversing the road portion 140. For example, the map may define positions or portions of the power supply installation at which an industrial vehicle 120 is expected to travel at low speed or stop. For example, the map may define positions or portions of the power supply installation at which a distance from a feed position causes an increase in voltage drop in the industrial vehicle. Likewise, the map may, additionally or alternatively to defining the features of the power supply installation, define localized power consumption constraints, which may be related to the presence of the features and / or a result of the presence of the features.

[0039] In some embodiments, the map may represent the industrial site 100 and / or the power supply installation of most or all of the industrial site 100. For example, the map may represent roads 150 of the industrial site, and include data for defining some or all of the power supply installations associated with the roads 150. For example, and not limited thereto, a map may be built based on a road map, and further include the location of trolley lines 110 and / or electrified rails as an overlay of the road map. Further data, such as the position of features such as section insulators 130, may be likewise included in the map.

[0040] In some embodiments, the map may represent a limited portion of the industrial site 100, such as a section in front of an industrial vehicle 120 traveling on a road 150 in the industrial site 100. For example, an industrial vehicle 120 may include sensors, such as a LiDAR, RADAR or optical sensor, and utilize the sensor data to generate a local map based on sensor data received by the sensor. For example, the mapping module may be configured for generating a (transient) map of a section of a road 150 and / or the power supply installation associated with the road based on the sensor data, e.g. by identifying the power supply installation and features of the power supply installation, such as the presence of section insulators 130, and / or by identifying the road and features of the road, such as the presence of a road portion 140, based on the sensor data. The transient map may be localized, and / or may be limited to the active range of the sensor(s) for map data defining potential future positions of the industrial vehicle 120, and / or a travel history of the industrial vehicle 120 for map data defining past positions of the industrial vehicle 120.

[0041] According to some embodiments, the mapping module may be configured for utilizing map data from multiple sources, such as map data received from a mapping database representing a complete map of the industrial site, and a localized map generated by sensor data by one or more industrial vehicles.

[0042] Further aspects of the map will be described herein in further detail with reference to Fig. 3.

[0043] The power control system 200 further includes a controller 260 communicatively connected to the positioning module 210 and, optionally, the mapping module 220. The controller 260 is configured for retrieving power availability data indicative of power consumption constraints at the position of the industrial vehicle. The power availability data may be retrieved from a mapping module, e.g. by accessing a map including the power availability data. Additionally, or alternatively, the power availability data may be retrieved by reading sensor data, such as data provided by optical or radio frequency sensors, such as RADAR, LiDAR, or image data, e.g. to identify features, such as the presence of section insulators 130 or deteriorated portions 140 of the road, in front of the vehicle. For example, and not limited thereto, the power availability data may indicate the presence of a section insulator 130 in front of the vehicle, and the controller may derive a power consumption control output from the indicated presence of the section insulator 130.

[0044] In some embodiments, the power supply installation may include beacons, such as radio beacons, such as close-range beacons or RFID tags, to provide power availability data and optionally position data. For example, a beacon may be provided at or near a section insulator, and the controller 260 may be connected to a beacon sensor provided onboard the industrial vehicle configured for detecting the beacon. Accordingly, when the beacon sensor detects that the industrial vehicle is close to the beacon, the controller 260 may retrieve power availability data from the beacon indicating that the vehicle is about to traverse a section insulator 130, and generate the power consumption control output based on the power availability data.

[0045] In some embodiments, the beacon sensor may be connected to and / or form a portion of the positioning module 210. For example, the position of the industrial vehicle may be derivable from the presence of a beacon detected in the vicinity of the beacon sensor.

[0046] According to some embodiments, the power availability data may define absolute power consumption constraints, such as an absolute maximum power value defining the power consumable by the industrial vehicle at the position as defined by power availability data directly defining the power consumption constraint. According to some embodiments, the power availability data may indirectly define power consumption constraints. Additionally, or alternatively, in case the controller 260 retrieves power availability data from a mapping module 220, some features represented in the map, such as non-powered sections, section insulators 130 or portions 140 with certain road conditions, may constitute power availability data from which the controller 260 may derive power consumption constraints at the position.

[0047] Based on the associating, the controller 260 is configured for generating a power consumption control output 270 indicative of a power, particularly a maximum power, to be consumed by the industrial vehicle 120 at the position. The power consumption control output 270 may be, for example, a control value and / or signal to be communicated to the industrial vehicle 120 and / or components of the industrial vehicle 120, particularly a system related to controlling the power received by the vehicle from the power supply installation through the connector 122, such as a power management system, a charging system and / or a propulsion system.

[0048] Based on the control output 270, the industrial vehicle 120 may regulate the power consumed from the power supply installation at the position of the industrial vehicle. In particular, the control output 270 may define a maximum power to be consumed by industrial vehicle 120 from the power supply installation.

[0049] Beneficially, the power availability data is localized and indicative of power consumption constraints due to e.g. expected arcing, overheating, resistive losses, or other potentially detrimental or undesired effects which may occur when the industrial vehicle 120 consumes a high or even maximum amount of power at the location. By generating a control output 270 based on the position of the industrial vehicle 120 and power consumption constraints indicated by the power availability data at the position, and communicating the control output 270 to the industrial vehicle 120, the power consumption of the vehicle may be limited so that no or less powerful arcs, a reduced voltage drop, and / or no or less undesired resistive heating occurs at positions while the vehicle travels through the position for which power consumption constraints are determined. Accordingly, the power control system 200 may allow the power supply installation and / or the industrial vehicle 120 to operate more efficiently, with less maintenance and / or less downtime.

[0050] Referring now to Fig. 3, localized power consumption control outputs in an exemplary industrial site 300 according to embodiments are shown in a schematic plan or top-down view. The industrial site 300 may correspond, at least in part, to the industrial site 100 shown in Fig. 1. In particular, the industrial site 300 includes a road 150 and a power supply installation including two trolley lines 110 suspended above the road.

[0051] An industrial vehicle (not shown), such as the industrial vehicle 120 shown in Fig. 1 , may travel on the road 150 in the direction indicated by the arrow 324 while a connector 122 engages the trolley lines 110 and power supplied by the power supply installation is received by the industrial vehicle.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 3, different zones 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370 (collectively 320-370) may be defined or definable for the industrial site 300. In the exemplary embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the zones 320-370 represent different power consumption control outputs that may be generated by the power control system 200 in case the industrial vehicle 120 has a position within one of the zones 320-370. For example, in case the positioning module determines that the vehicle is at a position corresponding to zone 320, the power control system 200 may generate a power consumption control output 270 having a value as described in the following for zone 320.

[0053] In the following, exemplary and / or illustrative power control outputs are described as a percentage of the maximum available power consumable by the industrial vehicle, e.g. a control output 270 of 100 % may indicate that there are no limits to the power the industrial electric vehicle may consume, while a control output of 50 % may indicate that the industrial vehicle is allowed to consume half of the maximum consumable power the industrial vehicle may be configured to receive from the power supply installation. Additionally, or alternatively, a control output 270 may be represented as a maximum power (e.g. represented as a megawatt value) and / or a maximum current (e.g. represented as an Ampere value) or any other suitable type of value or data.

[0054] Two zones 370 border the zones 320-260. An industrial vehicle may enter one of the zones 370 when traveling offset from the trolley lines 110, i.e. too far left or right from the trolley lines 110. Accordingly, when the industrial vehicle enters one of the zones 370, there is an increased risk of the connector, e.g. a pantograph, losing contact with the trolley lines 110, which may result in an increased risk of arcing. To reduce the risk of arcing and / or reduce a potential damage caused by arcing, a control output 270 for the zone 370 may indicate that no power should be consumed by the industrial vehicle, i.e. while within zone 370, a control output 270 may be generated indicating a maximum power of 0 %. Thus, even when contact between the connector and the power supply installation is lost, no arcing occurs, since no current is flowing between the connector and the power supply installation.

[0055] Zones 320 represent sections of the road and / or the power supply installation at which nominal performance is allowed and / or expected, e.g. zones 320 in which no detrimental effects such as arcing or localized heating are expected. While the vehicle is positioned within zones 320, a control output 270 may be generated indicating a maximum power of 100 %.

[0056] Zone 330 includes section insulators 130. In the example shown in Fig. 3, the section insulators 130 are provided in the trolley lines 110, e.g. to electrically separate two powered sections. Likewise, additionally, or alternatively, non-powered sections of the power supply installation, such as the beginning or end of a powered trolley line, may be identified in a similar manner as described for the section insulators 130 and / or the zone 330. Arcing may be expected when the industrial vehicle travels through the zone 330, e.g. when a connector of the industrial vehicle moves over the section insulator 130. To reduce wear on the connector, the section insulators 130 and / or the trolley lines 110, a control output 270 may be generated while the vehicle is positioned with the zone 330, indicating a limited power lower than the power in the zone 320, such as a maximum power of 25 % to 90 %, such as 50 % to 75 %, such as about 75%.

[0057] The zone 330 may be defined by the presence of features of the power supply installation, such as the section insulators 130, or the transition into or from a non-powered section. For example, it may be desirable to limit the maximum power when an industrial vehicle traverses section insulators 130 in the industrial site 300 in the same or similar fashion as when entering or leaving a powered section. Accordingly, power availability data retrieved e.g. from a sensor and / or a map accessed by a mapping module 220 may indicate the presence of such features defining the non-powered sections and / or section insulators 130 as power availability data, and the controller 260 may infer the presence of a zone 330 in which the control output 270 defines a limited maximum power based on the presence of the features. Additionally, or alternatively, the map may directly define a zone 330, e.g. by storing location-dependent power consumption constraints which resemble the zone 330 and the limited maximum power associated with the zone. As explained with reference to Fig. 1 , the road 150 shown in Fig. 3 includes a road portion 140 in which the industrial vehicle is likely to bump or swerve, which may cause arcing. The presence of the road portion 140 causes two zones 340, 350 to replace the zone 320. If the vehicle travels in zone 340, the vehicle is likely to slow down to avoid driving over the portion 140, and would only experience limited bumping. Accordingly, the zone 340 may define a limited power of 25 % to 90 %, such as 50 % to 75 %, such as about 75 %. If the vehicle travels in zone 350, the vehicle is likely to bump and cause arcing. Accordingly, the zone 350 may define a maximum power of 0 % to 25 %, such as about 0 %. The zones 340 and / or 350 may be defined in a map similar to the zone 330, e.g. by recording a presence of the portion 140 and deducting the presence of the zones 340 and / or 350 from the presence of the portion 140, and / or by directly defining the zones 340 and / or 350.

[0058] In the example shown in Fig. 3, power is fed (not shown) into the trolley lines 110 close to the section insulator 130, e.g. on either side of the section insulators 130. Zone 360 is located further away from the section insulator 130 and / or the feed point I feed position than any of the zones 320. Accordingly, a line resistance of the trolley line may cause a voltage drop and / or resistive losses for a vehicle at a position within the zone 360 larger than those in either zone 320. To prevent an excessive voltage drop and / or resistive losses, the zone 360 may define a maximum power lower than that of the zone 320, such as 50 % to 90 %, such as 50 % to 75 %, such as about 75 %. While zone 360 has been shown in Fig. 3 as a single zone, the zone 360 may be split up into several zones defining e.g. decreasing maximum available powers with increasing distance from the feed point. Additionally, or alternatively, the zone 360 may define a gradual decrease of the maximum power with increasing distance from the feed point. A map may include information about the position of the feed point, and / or the zone 360 may be derived by the controller 260 based on a calculated distance of the vehicle position from the feed point. Additionally, or alternatively, the map may directly define one or more zones 360, e.g. by storing location-dependent power consumption constraints which resemble the zone 360 and the limited maximum power associated with the zone.

[0059] Referring again to Fig. 2, the power control system 200 according to embodiments may include a communication module configured for transmitting the power consumption control output 270 to one or more industrial vehicles 120. For example, a centralized or off-vehicle control system 200 may be communicatively connected to the vehicle, a fleet control system, or other systems controlling functions of one or more vehicles which may influence a power received by the vehicle, e.g. via a wireless communication interface implemented in the industrial site. In some embodiments, the power control system 200 may be an on-board system and communicate with components of the vehicle e.g. via an on-board control interface and / or control bus.

[0060] According to embodiments, the industrial vehicle 120 is configured for controlling the amount of power received from the power supply installation. For example, electric power received from the power supply installation may be utilized for powering one or more traction motors of the industrial vehicle 120 for propulsion. Accordingly, the amount of power received by the industrial vehicle 120 may be lowered by decreasing a vehicle’s speed and / or acceleration. Additionally, or alternatively, particularly in case additional power sources are provided for the industrial vehicle 120, such as a diesel-electric generator or an on-board battery, the amount of power received by the industrial vehicle 120 may be reduced by consuming additional power from the additional power source instead of the power supply installation. In some embodiments, the industrial vehicle 120 may include an on-board battery, which may be configured to be charged, at least intermittently, with power received from the power supply installation. Accordingly, the amount of power received by the industrial vehicle 120 may be reduced by decreasing the amount of power utilized for charging an on-board battery of the industrial vehicle with power received from the power supply installation.

[0061] According to embodiments, the industrial vehicle 120 may include one or more controllers configured for on-board power management, such as a propulsion controller, a charging controller, a power management controller, and / or a converter controller. The control output 270 may be provided to one or more of the controllers to define e.g. a power limit, which may be utilized by the one or more controllers to check and, if necessary, modify one or more control values to reduce the amount of power received by the industrial vehicle 120 from the power supply installation until e.g. a limit defined by the control output 270 is met.

[0062] In a non-limiting, simplified example, the industrial vehicle 120 may include a converter configured for converting a power, such as a high voltage DC power received from the power supply installation by the connector 122, into a low voltage DC power to be fed into a DC bus of the industrial vehicle 120, which may be connected to and configured for distributing power between a propulsion system, a diesel-electric generator and / or an on-board battery of the industrial vehicle 120. A converter controller may be configured for receiving and / or evaluating the power consumption control output 270 and controlling the converter, i.e. a power converted by the converter, according to power control limits defined by the control output 270.

[0063] Effects such as arcing, e.g. due to (brief) disconnections of the connector 122 and the power supply installation, localized (over)-heating, as well as localized decreased power availability and / or voltage drops due to an increased distance from a feed position have been described as undesirable. Such and similar undesirable occurrences may be described as events in which power delivery and / or power consumption of the industrial vehicle from the power supply installation was impeded (“events”). In particular, an event may occur any time when power delivery from the power supply installation to the industrial vehicle is impeded, interrupted, and / or falls outside of predefined and / or expected parameters.

[0064] According to embodiments, the power control system 200 may include an event detector module 230. The event detector module 230 may be connected to one or more sensors configured for sensing data indicative of events, such as a voltage sensor, current sensor, optical sensor such as a camera, a thermal sensor, a speed sensor, or other sensor types, such as a virtual thermal sensor implemented as an electro-thermal model of the power supply installation and connector interface. In some embodiments, the sensors may be provided on one or more industrial vehicles 120. An event may be detectable by voltage or current spikes or drops, unexpected regulator values of e.g. a component of an on-board charging or propulsion control system, overheating of the connector 122, unexpected driver inputs such as strong braking or acceleration, or the like.

[0065] According to some embodiments, the event detector module 230 may be, directly or indirectly, communicatively connected to the mapping module 220. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the event detector module 230 is connected to the mapping module 220 via the controller 260. In case the event detector module 230 detects an event, the controller 260 and / or the event detector module 230 may communicate event data indicative of the event to the mapping module, and may further communicate additional data, such as data indicative of the position of the industrial vehicle 120, and / or descriptive information indicative of the type of the event and / or the underlying sensor data.

[0066] According to some embodiments, the mapping module 220 may be configured for modifying the map to generate and / or modify power availability data of the map based on the event data. For example, and not limited thereto, an industrial vehicle traveling on a road 150 may experience arcing at a location where the map does not indicate any power consumption constraints, e.g. due to the formation of a bad road portion 140. To prevent arcing in the future, the map may be altered in response to the mapping module having received event data to include additional power availability data for the location corresponding to the event data, e.g. to record power consumption constraints for the location. Beneficially, in case the map is a localized map, the industrial vehicle 120 may automatically reduce power consumption and subsequently damage due to arcing when again traveling at the position for which the arcing event was detected. Even more beneficially, in case the map is stored e.g. in a centralized database, additional vehicles, such as further or even all vehicles within the fleet of the industrial site, may reduce power consumption at the position, thus quickly reacting to e.g. changes of the road 150.

[0067] According to some embodiments, the map may include time-dependent power availability data. For example, some event data may only be recorded at certain times of day, e.g. and not limited thereto, arcing due to an overnight buildup of ice at certain locations may be recorded such that the time-resolved power availability data defines power consumption constraints only for certain timeframes within a day. For example, in case a portion 140 of the road 150 is scheduled to be repaired, the time-dependent power availability data may define that power consumption constraints should be lifted after the scheduled repairs have been completed.

[0068] According to embodiments, the control output 270 may be based on further information, and the controller 260 may be configured for utilizing the further information when generating the control output 270.

[0069] According to embodiments, the power control system 200 may include a connection interface module 240 configured for providing data to the controller 260 about a status of the electrical connection between the industrial vehicle 120 and the power supply installation. The connection interface module may further be configured for providing data to the controller 260 about connection interface characteristics and / or characteristics of the power supply installation.

[0070] Connection interface characteristics may include data representing characteristics of the connector 122 interfacing with the power supply installation, and may be vehicle specific. For example, connection interface characteristics may define a time required for connecting and / or disconnecting the connector, e.g. for raising or lowering a pantograph connector. A connection interface module 240 may provide data to the controller 260 indicating that, e.g. when raising a pantograph to connect with a power supply installation following e.g. the traversal of a nonpowered section, an arcing event would likely occur at a specific position as derived from the connection interface characteristics at which the connector first engages the power supply installation, which may allow a more precise locationing of a position at which the maximum power to be consumed by the vehicle should be lowered. Characteristics of the power supply installation may be vehicle-independent characteristics and / or may be attributes of the power supply installation. For example, as explained with reference to Fig. 3, a voltage drop may result from a length of the conductor of the power supply installation causing an increased resistance between the vehicle and the feed position. Accordingly, the connection interface module 240 may provide data to the controller 260 indicative of such a characteristic, such as an allowable voltage drop, an allowable current draw depending on the distance from the feed position, a current rating of the power supply installation at the position, or the like. The data provided by the connection interface module 240 may allow the controller to more accurately generate a control output 270 based on characteristics and / or limits of the power supply installation. In particular, the connection interface module may be integrated into and / or receive data from a power management system or fleet control system, and provide such data to the controller 260 to be evaluated by the controller. For example, the allowable power consumption in a zone such as zone 360 may be higher in case only a single industrial vehicle is connected to the power supply installation, while the allowable power consumption should be lower in case further industrial vehicles are present e.g. further downstream the vehicle for which the control output is generated, to prevent brown-outs for the further vehicle.

[0071] According to embodiments, the power control system 200 may include a vehicle module 250 configured for providing data to the controller about characteristics of the power system of the industrial vehicle and / or dynamic characteristic of the vehicle.

[0072] For example, the vehicle module 250 may provide data describing characteristics of the power system of the industrial vehicle to the controller 260. Such data may include a maximum power rating of the industrial vehicle, and / or data indicative of a power system configuration of the industrial vehicle which may affect the maximum power rating, such as e.g. whether the industrial vehicle includes a battery charging system in addition to a propulsion system. For example, a low-power vehicle may have power system characteristics which, despite the power availability data indicating some power consumption constraints, cause the controller 260 to generate a control output 270 which imposes no limits on the maximum power to be consumed by the vehicle, while for a high-power vehicle, the control output would indicate a power limit lower than what may be received by the high-power industrial vehicle when no limit is defined.

[0073] For example, the vehicle module 250 may provide data describing dynamic characteristics of the industrial vehicle to the controller 260. Dynamic characteristics may describe non-constant states of the vehicle which may affect the power draw of the vehicle, such as vehicle load, vehicle speed, a charging state of an on-board battery, an indication whether an on-board generator or battery is active and / or providing power in addition to the power received from the power supply installation, characteristics of the industrial vehicle’s environment, such as road conditions, such as whether the vehicle is travelling uphill, or the like. Dynamic characteristics may affect the potential power consumption of the vehicle, and may be evaluated by the controller 260 to generate the power consumption control output 270 based on the dynamic characteristics. For example, a loaded vehicle traveling uphill may potentially draw more power than an unloaded vehicle traveling on a flat road. For example, for a stopped or slowly traveling vehicle, a power consumption control output may define a lower power limit to prevent localized overheating of the power supply installation and / or the connector. For example, a vehicle within the first minutes of operating after being unpowered e.g. overnight may be more prone to arcing due to buildup of dirt or material on the connector.

[0074] Referring now to Fig. 4, a method 400 of controlling power consumption of an industrial vehicle connected to a power supply installation is described. The method 400 may include operations or procedures described with reference to the power control system 200 shown in Fig. 2, and operations of the method 400 may be executed by the power control system 200.

[0075] The method 400 may include generating 410 a map of an industrial site. The map may be generated according to methods known in the art, and contain data indicative of structures provided within the industrial site, such as roads and components of a power supply installation, however, such data may be optional.

[0076] The map may include power availability data indicative of location-dependent power consumption constraints of the power supply installation. In some embodiments, the map may define locations of features from which power consumption constraints may be derived, such as section insulators. In some embodiments, additionally, or alternatively, the map may include data defining locations or zones and include data defining power consumption constraints for the locations or zones.

[0077] In some embodiments, the map may be dynamically generated, e.g. based on event data received e.g. from an event detector module. In some embodiments, the map may be, at least in part, automatically generated and / or automatically updated.

[0078] In some embodiments, the map may be generated locally, e.g. on-board a vehicle, and be generated in response to sensor data, such as RADAR, LiDAR, or image data, e.g. to identify features, such as the presence of section insulators or deteriorated portions of the road, in front of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the map may be generated centrally, e.g. based on sensor data provided by one or more industrial vehicles and / or an event detector module provided e.g. on one or more industrial vehicles or other locations within the industrial site. A centrally generated map may be centrally curated and / or stored in a mapping database. A mapping module of a power control system may be configured for accessing and / or modifying the mapping database.

[0079] The method 400 includes determining 420 a position of the industrial vehicle, e.g. by one or more position sensors provided onboard the industrial vehicle, or even position sensors and / or beacons provided within the industrial site away from the vehicle. In some embodiments, determining the position of the industrial vehicle may include determining an absolute position of the vehicle, such as by a GPS sensor or an UWB locationing system. In some embodiments, additionally, or alternatively, determining the position may include determining a relative position, e.g. by a LiDAR, RADAR and / or optical system, such as a camera.

[0080] The method 400 includes retrieving 430 power availability data indicative of power consumption constraints at the location corresponding to the position of the industrial vehicle. Retrieving the power availability data may include accessing a map, such as a locally generated map or a centrally generated map, e.g. by a mapping module. Likewise, additionally, or alternatively, the power availability data may be retrieved by reading sensor data, such as data provided by optical or radio frequency sensors, such as RADAR, LiDAR, or image data, e.g. to identify features, such as the presence of section insulators or deteriorated portions of the road, in front of the vehicle. The power availability data is indicative of power consumption constraints, i.e. constraints of the power to be consumed by the industrial vehicle from the power supply installation at the location corresponding to the position of the vehicle. For example, the power availability data may include the information described herein with reference to Fig. 3.

[0081] The method 400 includes generating 440 a power consumption control output based on the retrieved power availability data. The control output is indicative of a power to be consumed by the industrial vehicle at the position of the industrial vehicle. In particular, the control output may define a limit of the power to be consumed by the industrial vehicle. Likewise, the control output may be a control output suitable for controlling one or more power system components of the industrial vehicle, such as an output suitable for controlling, e.g. limiting, the power consumed by a propulsion system or a charging system of the industrial vehicle.

[0082] The method 400 includes controlling 450 a power consumption of the industrial vehicle based on the power consumption control output. In some embodiments, controlling may be understood as operating the vehicle so that conditions, such as limits, specified by the control output are met and / or not exceeded. Accordingly, in some conditions, e.g. when the control output defines high limits or no limits, controlling the industrial vehicle may include operating the industrial vehicle as normal while ensuring that the conditions defined by the control output are fulfilled.

[0083] In some embodiments, controlling 450 the power consumption of the industrial vehicle may include modifying, e.g. lowering, a power consumed by a propulsion system of the industrial vehicle and / or modifying, e.g. lowering, a power consumed by a battery charging system of the industrial vehicle. Accordingly, the power consumption may be controlled by causing the vehicle to drive slower, utilize an on-board generator or battery as a power source instead of or in addition to the power supply installation, and / or by limiting a charging power of an onboard battery.

[0084] According to embodiments, controlling 450 the power consumption of the industrial vehicle may include imposing a limit, a ramp and / or a step change value of the power consumption. According to some embodiments, the limit, ramp or step change value may be included in or defined by the control output, or be derived from the control output, e.g. by a controller of the industrial vehicle. For example, a control output may define that before entering a non-powered section and / or after having traversed the non-powered section, and / or when traversing a section insulator 130, the power consumption should be ramped down before disconnecting and ramped up after re-connecting to prevent arcing while maintaining a smooth power draw putting low or no stress on the vehicle power system and / or the power supply installation.

[0085] According to embodiments, controlling 450 the power consumption of the industrial vehicle may include transmitting the power consumption control output to the vehicle that should be controlled at the position of the vehicle. For example, the control output may be generated by a centralized power control system communicatively connected to the vehicle and / or additional vehicles, such as a fleet of vehicles of the industrial site.

[0086] According to yet further embodiments, additionally, or alternatively, the power consumption control output may be transmitted to a fleet management system. The fleet management system may evaluate and / or modify the control output, or even generate new control value based on the control output. Beneficially, a fleet management system may implement fleetwide rules based on the control output, such as, and not limited thereto, disabling or limiting on-board charging for the vehicle fleet at positions prone to overheating. According to yet further embodiments, additionally, or alternatively, the power consumption control output may be transmitted to a power management system of the power supply installation. The power management system may adapt power supply to the power supply installation based on the control output, which may in turn modify the industrial site to adapt to specific occurrences, such as events detected by an event detector module. For example, in case a larger than expected voltage drop is detected, the power management system may increase a voltage at a feed position, which may in turn allow the vehicle to receive more power without generating an unallowable voltage drop and / or cause a power limit imposed by the control output to be raised.

[0087] According to embodiments, the use of a power control system according to aspects and or embodiments described herein in an industrial site is described. The industrial site may be the industrial site 100 described with reference to Fig. 1 , and / or the industrial site 300 described with reference to Fig. 3. The industrial site may be a mine. In particular, the industrial site includes a power supply installation, such as a trolley line, an electrified catenary line, an electrified rail, or other known power supply installation components known in the art for providing electric power to an industrial vehicle while the vehicle is moving.

[0088] The use may include centrally providing a power control system, e.g. in a control room. The power control system may be provided as a separate system, or included and / or integrated into other systems, such as a fleet management system and / or a power management system of the industrial site. The power control system may be communicatively connected to one or more industrial vehicles, e.g. to transmit the control output to, and / or to receive sensor values, position data, mapping data, event data or further data from the industrial vehicle.

[0089] Additionally, or alternatively, the use may include locally providing a power control system, such as providing the power control system on-board one or more industrial vehicles, e.g. as an on-board module. The use may include communicatively connecting the locally provided power control system to other systems, such as power control systems of further vehicles or even a centrally provided power control system. The use may include communicatively connecting the locally provided power control system to a mapping database to receive map data and / or modify the map data. The use may include transmitting map data, position data, event data or further data from the localized power control system to further systems, such as a centralized power control system, a fleet management system or a power management system. According to embodiments, an industrial site is described. The industrial site may include at least one power control system according to embodiments described herein, and at least one vehicle communicatively connected to the power control system and configured to receive a power consumption control output indicative of a power to be consumed by the industrial vehicle. A power consumption of the vehicle may be controlled by the control output. The industrial site may be the industrial site 100 described with reference to Fig. 1 and / or the industrial site 300 described with reference to Fig. 3. The power control system may be the power control system 200 described with reference to Fig. 2. The industrial vehicle may be the industrial vehicle 120 described with reference to Fig. 1. Beneficially, the solutions proposed herein reduce wear and tear of a power supply installation in an industrial site, such as a mine, by controlling the power received by an industrial vehicle. This may allow operating the industrial vehicle with only minor or even non-noticeable limitations, and may even be fully automated, i.e. require no additional site operator or driver interaction. Furthermore, additional downtime may be avoided, since e.g. a pantograph connector does not need to be lowered in sections where undesirable events such as arcing occur.

[0090] While the foregoing is directed to some embodiments, other and further embodiments may be devised without departing from the basic scope, and the scope is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims

Claims:1 . Power control system for controlling electric power consumption of an industrial vehicle electrically connected to a power supply installation, the power supply installation being adapted to supply the electric power to the industrial vehicle while the industrial vehicle is moving, the power control system comprising: a positioning module configured for receiving position data indicative of a position of the industrial vehicle within an industrial site; a controller configured for: retrieving power availability data, the power availability data being indicative of power consumption constraints at the position of the industrial vehicle; associating the position of the industrial vehicle with the power availability data; and based on the associating, generating a power consumption control output indicative of a power to be consumed by the industrial vehicle at the position.

2. The power control system according to claim 1 , further comprising a mapping module configured for accessing a map, the map comprising the power availability data.

3. The power control system according to claim 2, further comprising a mapping database comprising the map.

4. The power control system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a communication module configured for transmitting the power consumption control output to the industrial vehicle.

5. The power control system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an event detector module, the event detector module being configured for receiving event data indicative of power consumption impediments between the power supply installation and the industrial vehicle.

6. The power control system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the mapping module is further configured for modifying the map to generate and / or modify the power availability data based on the event data.

7. The power control system according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the event comprises arcing between a vehicle connector and a conductor of the power supply installation.

8. The power control system according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the event comprises a voltage drop.

9. The power control system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the power availability data includes time-dependent power availability data.

10. The power control system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the power availability data includes data indicative of a position of one or more section insulators.

11. The power control system according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the map includes the power availability data indicative of a position of one or more section insulators.

12. The power control system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the controller is further configured for generating the power consumption control output based on one or more selected from the group consisting of:- connection interface characteristics;- characteristics of a power system of the industrial vehicle;- dynamic characteristics of the vehicle;- characteristics of the power supply installation.

13. Method of controlling power consumption of an industrial vehicle connected to a power supply installation, the power supply installation being adapted to supply electric power to the industrial vehicle while the industrial vehicle is moving, the method comprising:determining a position of the industrial vehicle; retrieving power availability data indicative of power consumption constraints at a location corresponding to the position of the industrial vehicle; based on the retrieved power availability data, generating a power consumption control output indicative of a power to be consumed by the industrial vehicle at the position; and controlling a power consumption of the industrial vehicle based on the power consumption control output.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising generating a map of an industrial site comprising the power supply installation, the map comprising the power availability data indicative of power consumption constraints of the power supply installation.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein determining the position of the industrial vehicle comprises determining an absolute position of the vehicle.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein controlling the power consumption of the industrial vehicle comprises modifying a power consumed by a propulsion system of the industrial vehicle and / or modifying a power consumed by a battery charging system of the industrial vehicle.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein controlling the power consumption of the industrial vehicle includes transmitting the power consumption control output to one or more of: a fleet management system, a power management system of the power supply installation and / or the industrial vehicle.

18. Use of the power control system according to any one of claims 1 to 12 in an industrial site, the industrial site comprising a power supply installation and at least one industrial vehicle electrically connected to the power supply installation, the power supply installation being adapted to supply electric power to at least one industrial vehicle while the industrial vehicle is moving.

19. The use according to claim 18, wherein the power supply installation includes catenary lines and / or electrified rails.

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