A power control arrangement for mining / construction machines
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-13
Smart Images
Figure SE2025050093_13082026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] A POWER CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR MINING / CONSTRUCTION MACHINES
[0002] Technical Field
[0003] The disclosure relates to a power control arrangement for mining / construction machines. Furthermore, the disclosure also relates to a corresponding method and a mining / construction machine comprising such a power control & distribution arrangement.
[0004] Background
[0005] Electrified mining / construction machines and vehicles provide an opportunity to reduce the environmental footprint and create a healthier work environment in mining / construction environments. Compared to diesel machines, the electrified mining / construction machines are emission free and can hence bring considerable savings, especially for ventilation and cooling in the mining / construction environments.
[0006] The electrified mining / construction machine is therefore equipped with one or more electric loads which may be powered by one or more power sources such as power grid and battery energy storage systems. The electric loads of the mining / construction machine may be motors, actuators, compressors, pumps, drills, etc.
[0007] In this respect, a power control arrangement may be provided for the purpose of controlling and distributing the power from the one or more power sources to the one or more loads of the electrified mining / construction machine in an efficient manner.
[0008] Summary
[0009] An objective of embodiments of the disclosure is to provide a solution which mitigates or solves the drawbacks of conventional solutions.
[0010] Another objective of embodiments of the disclosure is to provide a power control arrangement being able to adapt to situations when a power supply deficiency of a power source is at hand.According to a first aspect of the disclosure, the above mentioned and other objectives are achieved with a power control arrangement, PCA, for a mining / construction machine, the PCA comprising:
[0011] an input connected to one or more power sources and configured to receive an input power from the one or more power sources;
[0012] an output connected to one or more loads and configured to provide one or more output powers to the one or more loads, wherein each load is configured to operate in a plurality of machine functions corresponding to a plurality of power consumption modes; and
[0013] a controller configured to:
[0014] derate an operation of a machine function of at least one load from a first power consumption mode to a second power consumption mode when detecting a power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources, or
[0015] derate a scheduled operation of a machine function of at least one load from a first power consumption mode to a second power consumption mode when detecting a forecasted power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources, wherein the second power consumption mode has a lower power consumption than the first power consumption mode.
[0016] An advantage of the power control arrangement according to the first aspects is that due to the derated operation of the machine function, the power consumption of the load(s) is reduced so as to adapt to the scenario of power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources. Thereby, the demanded power may be maintained within the available power of the power source(s) and thus e.g., collapse in the power source(s) is avoided such as a collapse in the power grid.
[0017] In an implementation form of a power control arrangement according to the first aspect, the controller is configured to:
[0018] derating the operation of the machine function from the first power consumption mode to the second power consumption mode when detecting the power supply deficiency and a fault of at least one power source or a fault of a power transfer line interconnecting the input to the one or more power sources, or
[0019] derating the scheduled operation of the machine function from the first power consumption mode to the second power consumption mode when detecting theforecasted power supply deficiency and a forecasted fault of at least one power source or a forecasted fault of a power transfer line interconnecting the input to the one or more power sources.
[0020] An advantage with this implementation form is that the derated operation of the machine function also considers fault of power sources and / or power transfer line. Thereby, the power consumption of the load(s) is also adapted to these fault scenarios.
[0021] In an implementation form of a power control arrangement according to the first aspect, the controller is configured to:
[0022] receive a control signal indicating the power supply deficiency, the forecasted power supply deficiency, and / or the fault of at least one power source.
[0023] An advantage with this implementation form is that the controller is explicitly informed about the situation of deficiency and / or the fault by an external controller / device.
[0024] In an implementation form of a power control arrangement according to the first aspect, the second power consumption mode is selected among the plurality of power consumption modes based on an available power associated with the power supply deficiency or the forecasted power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources.
[0025] An advantage with this implementation form is that the selection of the second power consumption mode for derating is adapted to the available power. Thereby, the second power consumption mode may be wisely selected to the available power for improved operation of the load.
[0026] In an implementation form of a power control arrangement according to the first aspect, the second power consumption mode is selected among the plurality of power consumption modes further based a power margin of the one or more power sources.
[0027] An advantage with this implementation form is that the selection of second power consumption mode is also adapted to the power margin. Thereby, the demanded power may be held within the power generation capability of the power source(s).In an implementation form of a power control arrangement according to the first aspect, the second power consumption mode is selected among the plurality of power consumption modes further based on a predetermined priority order of the plurality of power consumption modes.
[0028] An advantage with this implementation form is that the plurality of power consumption modes is arranged in a priority order and thus selected according to the priority order, which means that the corresponding machine functions may be prioritized beforehand. Thereby, important or vital machine functions may be upheld / prioritized in situations of power supply deficiency.
[0029] In an implementation form of a power control arrangement according to the first aspect, the output is connected to a plurality of loads, and wherein the at least one load is selected among the plurality of loads based on a predetermined priority order of loads.
[0030] An advantage with this implementation form is that the loads are arranged in a priority order and selected according to the priority order which means that the loads may be prioritized beforehand. Thereby, important or vital loads may be powered in situations of power supply deficiency.
[0031] In an implementation form of a power control arrangement according to the first aspect, the plurality of loads is arranged in two or more separate mining / construction machines.
[0032] An advantage with this implementation form is that the derated loads are located in separate mining / construction machines which means that important or vital functions associated with the loads in multiple machines can be coordinated.
[0033] In an implementation form of a power control arrangement according to the first aspect, the plurality of loads are arranged in a single mining / construction machine.
[0034] Thus, in an aspect of the disclosure a mining / construction machine is proposed comprising the power control arrangement according to implementation forms of the disclosure.In an implementation form of a power control arrangement according to the first aspect, the input is connected to a plurality of power sources, and wherein at least one power source is a grid power source and at least one least one power source is a battery or a battery energy storage system, BESS.
[0035] An advantage with this implementation form is that grid power and battery power can be coordinated so that stable power supply from the power sources is ensured.
[0036] In an implementation form of a power control arrangement according to the first aspect, the controller is configured to:
[0037] increase an output power of the battery or the BESS when detecting a power supply deficiency of the grid power source.
[0038] An advantage with this implementation form is that the power fed to the load(s) can be fully or partially upheld by battery power during the power deficiency of the power sources.
[0039] In an implementation form of a power control arrangement according to the first aspect, the plurality of power consumption modes is related to the plurality of machine functions in a voltage, a current, and / or a power reference.
[0040] An advantage with this implementation form is that derating can be directly controlled by using any of the parameter’s voltage, current, and / or power reference.
[0041] In an implementation form of a power control arrangement according to the first aspect, the mining / construction machine is a drill rig, and the machine function is a drill rig function.
[0042] According to a second aspect of the disclosure, the above mentioned and other objectives are achieved with a method for a power control arrangement comprising: an input connected to one or more power sources and configured to receive an input power from the one or more power sources; an output connected to one or more loads and configured to provide one or more output powers to the one or more loads, whereineach load is configured to operate in a plurality of machine functions corresponding to a plurality of power consumption modes; the method comprising:
[0043] derating an operation of a machine function of at least one load from a first power consumption mode to a second power consumption mode when detecting a power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources, or
[0044] derating a scheduled operation of a machine function of at least one load from a first power consumption mode to a second power consumption mode when detecting a forecasted power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources, wherein the second power consumption mode has a lower power consumption than the first power consumption mode.
[0045] The method may be adapted in accordance with the above-mentioned embodiments of the power control arrangement according to the first aspect. The advantages of the method are the same as the advantages of the corresponding embodiments of the power control arrangement according to the first aspect.
[0046] According to further aspects of the present disclosure, the herein described methods are implemented by use of computer program products comprising instructions which, when the programs are executed by a computer, such as e.g., a control unit, cause the computer to carry out the steps of the methods according to any one of the herein described embodiments.
[0047] Further applications and advantages of embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent from the following detailed description.
[0048] Brief Description of the Drawings
[0049] The appended drawings are intended to clarify and explain different embodiments of the disclosure, in which:
[0050] Fig. 1 shows a power control arrangement according to embodiments of the disclosure;
[0051] Fig. 2 illustrates the correspondence between machine functions and power consumption modes according to embodiments of the disclosure;
[0052] Fig. 3 illustrates further aspects of a machine function according to embodiments of the disclosure;Fig. 4 shows a power control arrangement involved in control signaling according to embodiments of the disclosure;
[0053] Fig. 5 shows a power control arrangement according to further embodiments of the disclosure;
[0054] Fig. 6 shows a power control arrangement with an internal battery according to embodiments of the disclosure;
[0055] Fig. 7 shows a flow chart of a method according to embodiments of the disclosure;
[0056] Fig. 8 shows a flow chart of a method according to further embodiments of the disclosure;
[0057] Fig. 9 shows exemplary mining / construction machines according to embodiments of the disclosure;
[0058] Fig. 10 shows a flow chart for handling power requests and power requirements according to embodiments of the disclosure; and
[0059] Fig. 11 illustrates an exemplary drive cycle implemented in a drill rig according to embodiments of the disclosure.
[0060] Detailed Description
[0061] Fig. 1 shows a power control arrangement (PCA) 100 for mining / construction machines according to embodiments of the disclosure. The disclosed PCA 100 comprises an input 102 connected to one or more power sources 200 and configured to receive an input power (IP) from the one or more power sources 200. The PCA 100 also comprises an output 104 connected to one or more loads 310 and configured to provide one or more output powers (OPs) to the one or more loads 310. The input 102 may be an input circuit having the capability of receiving the input power from one or more power sources 200 and forwarding the input power internally inside the PCA 100. The output 104 may correspondingly be an output circuit having the capability of distributing one or more output powers OPs to one or more loads 310 connected to the PCA 100 via the output 104.
[0062] Each load 310 is according to embodiments of the invention associated with a machine function Fn which may be operated in a plurality of power consumption modes M1, M2,... , Mn. Fig. 2 illustrates how a machine function Fn may be operated in a plurality of different power consumption modes according to embodiments of the disclosure.As shown in the example in Fig. 2a, the load 310 having machine function F1 is operated in a first power consumption mode M1 and is thereafter derated to a second power consumption mode M2 due to a situation of power supply deficiency. This means that the power consumption mode for machine function F1 is changed from M1 to M2, where the second power consumption mode M2 means lower power consumption in relation to the first power consumption mode M1. In the example in Fig.
[0063] 2b, the load 310 having machine function F1 is operated in a first power consumption mode M1 and is derated to a power consumption mode Mn, where n denotes any integer label. Thus, the power consumption of the load 310 is lowered by derating to handle the situation of deficiency of the power source(s) 200.
[0064] The PCA 100 further comprises a controller 110 which is configured to derate an operation of a machine function of at least one load 310 from a first power consumption mode M1 to a second power consumption mode M2 when detecting a power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources 200, or derate a scheduled operation of a machine function Fn of at least one load 310 from a first power consumption mode M1 to a second power consumption mode M2 when detecting a forecasted power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources 200. The second power consumption mode M2 has a lower power consumption than the first power consumption mode M1 according to embodiments of the invention.
[0065] This implies that the controller 110 may derate an existing / present operation of a machine function or a coming scheduled operation of a machine function so as to lower the power consumption of the load 310. The controller 110 may therefore be configured to operate a machine function Fn in a plurality of different machine functions where each machine function corresponds to a power consumption mode Mn with a specific power consumption. Thus, when the machine function of a load 310 is changed by the controller 110, the power consumption will be reduced according to the corresponding power consumption mode. So, when the operation of the machine function Fn is derated, the power consumption will decrease, thereby handling the situation of a current or a forecasted power supply deficiency of the power sources 200.The power supply deficiency of a power source 200 may be understood such that the demanded power of the loads 310 is higher than the power capacity of the power source 200, e.g., when the demander power is higher than a power rating of the power source 200. The power supply deficiency may also be the case when there is a fault in the power source 200 which means that the power source 200 operates below its power rating and therefore is not capable of providing its rated power.
[0066] The controller 110 may be configured to detect the present or the forecasted power supply deficiency of the power source 200 in a number of different ways.
[0067] In an example of the disclosure, the controller 110 may obtain measurements and data about the power source 200 so as to be able to detect or determine whether there is a situation of power supply deficiency or if a power supply deficiency may occur in the future, i.e. , the forecasted power supply deficiency. These measurements and / or data may relate to a forecast on power generation capacity of the power source 200, a condition on the power transmission network delivering the power to the PCA 100, a renewable energy power generation forecast, etc.
[0068] In another example of the disclosure, the controller 110 may receive these measurements and data information about the power supply deficiency of the power source 200 directly from an external device. The external device may be a controller of the power source 200 or a controller of an internal electrical network at the working site in which the electrical mining / construction machines 300 operate.
[0069] Furthermore, in embodiments of the disclosure, the second power consumption mode M2 may be selected or determined based on specific information related to the power sources 200. Therefore, in embodiments of the disclosure, the second power consumption mode M2 may be selected among the plurality of power consumption modes M1, M2,..., Mn based on an available power associated with the power supply deficiency or the forecasted power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources 200. The available power may be understood as the actual available power that can be consumed by connected loads 310. The available power may be defined for a certain time instance or a certain time period.In further embodiments of the disclosure, the second power consumption mode M2 is selected further based a power margin of the one or more power sources 200. The power margin may be understood as the difference between the available power and the actual consumed power.
[0070] Furthermore, when derating the power consumption of the load 310, the second power consumption mode M2 may be selected among the power consumption modes M1, M2,... , Mn further based on a predetermined priority order of the power consumption modes M1, M2,..., Mn. Thus, the operation of the corresponding machine functions may be optimized in response to the situation of power supply deficiency.
[0071] Generally, the power consumption modes M1 , M2, ... , Mn may be related to the plurality of machine functions Fn in any parameters comprising a voltage, a current, and / or a power reference. Thus, the derating of the loads can be directly controlled by changing these parameters. The controller 110 may therefore use these parameters in a control algorithm when controlling the PCA 100.
[0072] Moreover, the decision of derating machine functions Fn may further be based on a fault or a fault indication associated with the least one power source 200. The fault may relate to the power source 200 itself and / or a power transfer line 210 at the input 102 of the PCA 100. More specifically, the power transfer line 210 may interconnect the input 102 of the PCA 100 to the one or more power sources 200. Thus, the controller 110 may derate the operation of a certain machine function when detecting the power supply deficiency and a fault of at least one power source 200 or a fault of the power transfer line 210. This relates both to the present operation and the scheduled operation of the machine function. In the latter case, the fault may be a forecasted fault. It is noted that a fault reduces the produced power capacity of a power source 200.
[0073] Fig. 3 illustrates further aspects of a single function in a mining / construction machine 300, and in this particular example an electrified drill rig. The function in this example is a drilling function which controls the sub-functions air drill hammer, dust collector, rotation and drill feed via a control system. The sub-function air drill hammer controls its compressor hardware via pneumatic pipes. The sub-functions dust collector, rotation and drill feed on the other hand control its respective hardware, i.e. , hydraulicpump 1, hydraulic pump 2, and hydraulic pump 3, via hydraulic pipes. A power grid, acting as a power source 200 in this example, delivers a grid power which is converted by a power conversion system of an electrical machine 300 to a plurality of sub-powers. The sub-powers are fed to electrical motors A and B, thereby powering the electrical motors A and B for operation. Each electrical motor has a mechanical coupling arranged to its associated hardware so as to be able to drive the hardware. In the example in Fig. 3, electrical motor A drives hardware hydraulic pump 1, hydraulic pump 2, and hydraulic pump 3, while electrical motor B drives the compressor hardware.
[0074] Fig. 4 shows a PCA 100 involved in control signaling according to embodiments of the disclosure. The controller 110 of the PCA 100 may therefore be configured to receive and transmit control signals in embodiments of the disclosure. Thereby, the controller 110 may exchange control information and / or control instructions with other controllers using suitable control protocols and interfaces which may be standardized or nonstandardized depending on the application. In this respect, the controller 110 comprises all the necessary hardware and software for communication and control such as processors, memory, communication lines, control lines, communication interfaces, etc.
[0075] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the controller 110 is thus configured to receive a control signal 130 indicating the power supply deficiency, and / or the forecasted power supply deficiency, and / or the fault of at least one power source 200. The control signal 130 may be received from a controller of a power source 200, such as a controller of a power grid, a battery, or a BESS. Thereby, the controller 110 will be informed about the situation of power supply deficiency and / or fault and prepare for such a situation.
[0076] Fig. 5 shows a PCA 100 according to further embodiments of the disclosure. In the architecture shown in Fig. 5, the output 104 of the PCA 100 is connected to a plurality of loads 310, and these loads 310 may be arranged or located in two or more separate mining / construction machines 300 as also shown in Fig. 5. However, it should be noted that the loads 310 may in other examples be arranged in or being located in a single mining / construction machine 300.It may also be important to consider how to select the load(s) for derated operation when a situation of power supply deficiency occurs or will occur in the future. In examples, the at least one load 310 is selected among the plurality of loads 310 based on a predetermined priority order of loads. Thereby, important or vital loads may be prioritized.
[0077] As also shown in Fig. 5, the input 102 may be connected to a plurality of power sources 200. In embodiments of the invention, at least one power source 200 is a grid power source 200' and at least one least one power source is a battery 200" or a battery energy storage system (BESS) 200". The controller 110 of the PCA 100 may in these cases increase the power provided by the battery 200" or the BESS 200" to fully or partially compensating for the situation of power supply deficiency. In other words, the controller 110 may increase an output power of the battery 200" or the BESS 200" when detecting a power supply deficiency of the grid power source 200'.
[0078] The PCA 100 herein disclosed may also comprise one or more electrical devices connected between its input 102 and output 104. Fig. 6 shows such an exemplary case where a power grid 200 is connected to the input 102 of the PCA 100 and is configured to deliver AC to the PCA 100 via the input 102. An AC / DC converter of the PCA 100 is configured to convert the AC from the power grid to a DC which is fed to a DC bus of the PCA 100. Also, at least one battery of the PCA 100 is connected to the DC bus and is configured to supply or receive DC power from the DC bus depending on the situation. The battery may be controlled by a battery management system (BMS) of the PCA 100. Further, a plurality of separate loads 310 may be connected to the DC bus via their respective DC / DC or DC / AC converters which are configured to adapt the DC on the DC bus to the respective load 310. The PCA 100 may be comprised in a mining / construction machine 300 as shown in Fig. 6 but may in embodiments be implemented in a distributed topology thereby being configured to serve loads 310 of a plurality of mining / construction machines 300.
[0079] Fig. 7 shows a flow chart of a method according to embodiments of the disclosure. As aforementioned, the PCA 100 herein disclosed comprises: an input 102 connected to one or more power sources 200 and configured to receive an input power IP from the one or more power sources 200; an output 104 connected to one or more loads 310and configured to provide one or more output powers UPs to the one or more loads 310, wherein each load 310 is configured to operate in a plurality of machine functions F1, F2, , Fn corresponding to a plurality of power consumption modes M1, M2,..., Mn.
[0080] The method 400 comprises from an initiation step 402 of: derating 404 an operation of a machine function Fn of at least one load 310 from a first power consumption mode M1 to a second power consumption mode M2 when detecting a power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources 200, or derating 406 a scheduled operation of a machine function Fn of at least one load 310 from a first power consumption mode M1 to a second power consumption mode M2 when detecting a forecasted power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources 200, wherein the second power consumption mode M2 has a lower power consumption than the first power consumption mode M1.
[0081] Embodiments of the method 400 may fully correspond to all embodiments of the PCA 100 herein disclosed.
[0082] Fig. 8 shows a flow chart of further embodiments of the disclosure.
[0083] In block A, a derated operation of a load 310 is initiated in response to a detected power supply deficiency of a power source 200.
[0084] In block B, a set of necessary or vital machine functions for a present or a scheduled operation are identified.
[0085] In block C, a set of prioritized functions belonging to the set of necessary functions are determined based on a priority order of the functions and a work cycle operation of an electrical mining / construction machine 300. Thus, the set of prioritized functions forms a subset of the set of necessary machine functions in embodiments of the disclosure. The set of prioritized functions may be upheld in full function while the remaining functions in the set of necessary functions may be derated to reduce the power consumption so as to adapt to the situation of power supply deficiency.In block D, the power consumption mode for each prioritized machine function is selected. For the selection of the power consumption mode, input information and data may be provided by block E into the processing algorithm in block D. The input information and data may comprise:
[0086] • Each machine function and its related power consumption modes; and • Grid power limit of the power source 200.
[0087] In check block F, a change in the grid power limit is checked and if a change is detected in check block F, the flow returns to block C for revisiting of the priority order of the machine functions.
[0088] In check block G, a change in the work cycle operation of the electrical mining / construction machine 300 is checked and if a change is detected, the flow goes back to block B where machine functions are selected for present and scheduled operations.
[0089] Fig. 9 illustrates examples of a mining / construction machine 300 that may be used with the present PCA 100. The mining / construction machine 300 may therefore include such a PCA 100. The mining / construction machine 300 may be any type of electrified machine or vehicle used in a mining and / or construction environment / site such as a drill rig, a truck, a loader, a digging machine, etc. With reference to Fig. 9, the mining / construction machine 300 may e.g., be a drill rig, a loading, hauling, and dumping (LHD) machine or a mine truck but is not limited thereto. Especially, when the mining / construction machine 300 is a drill rig, the machine function (Fn) is a drill rig function.
[0090] Fig. 10 shows a flow chart for a drill rig according to embodiments of the disclosure considering power request and minimum power requirements. Power request forecasted power request, minimum power requirement and / or forecasted minimum power requirement are input to the grid controller from the rig controller.
[0091] If the requested power is granted in decision block C1 , the flow continues to operations unrestricted request block which means that loads 310 may be operated in non-derated mode in a first power consumption mode M1. Thereafter, the flow continues to the rig controller block.
[0092] However, if the requested power is not granted in decision block C1 , the flow continues to decision block C2 to check if the minimum power request is granted or not.
[0093] If the minimum request is granted in decision block C2 the flow continues to operations derate request block and the derated operation of loads in a second power consumption mode M2 are continued within the rig controller block.
[0094] If the minimum request is not granted in decision block C2 the flow continues to operations stop request block and rig operation is stopped within the rig controller block in a third power consumption mode M3 which is no power consumption at all. Hence, not powered.
[0095] Fig. 11 illustrates the disclosed invention of an exemplary drive cycle implemented in a drill rig (i.e. , electrical machine) without a battery and therefore directly powered by the power grid. F1 - F6 are different machine functions of the drill rig with their respective corresponding power consumption modes M1 in full function, i.e., the upper power consumption value, and the derated function, i.e., the lower power consumption value M2, given in kW.
[0096] Machine function F1 involves tramming propulsion of the drill rig to a drill spot. The full machine function in power consumption mode M1 consumes 100 kW while the derated machine function in M2 consumes 50 kW.
[0097] Machine function F2 involves the positioning of the drill rig at the drill spot. The full machine function in power consumption mode M1 consumes 60 kW while the derated machine function in power consumption mode M2 consumes 25 kW.
[0098] Machine function F3 involves drilling by the drill rig with rod number 1. The full machine function in power consumption mode M1 consumes 350 kW while the derated machine function in power consumption mode M2 consumes 200 kW.Machine function F4 involves handling of rods or more particularly adding of rods in the drilling operation. The full machine function in power consumption mode M1 consumes 100 kW while the derated machine function in power consumption mode M2 consumes 50 kW.
[0099] Machine function F5 involves drilling with rod number n, where n is integer label. The full machine function in power consumption mode M1 consumes 350 kW while the derated machine function in power consumption mode M2 consumes 200 kW.
[0100] If the required depth for the drilling is not reached in check block I, the flow returns back to machine function F4. However, if the required depth for the drilling is reached in check block II, the flow continues to machine function F6.
[0101] Machine function F6 involves handling of rods or more particularly the removal of rods. The full machine function in power consumption mode M1 consumes 170 kW while the derated machine function in power consumption mode M2 consumes 140 kW.
[0102] If the next hole for drilling is outside the reach for the drill rig (i.e. , check box IV) the flow returns back to machine function F1 , while if the next hole is within reach for the drill rig (i.e., check box III) the flow returns back to machine function F2.
[0103] Finally, it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, but also relates to and incorporates all embodiments within the scope of the appended independent claims.
Claims
CLAIMS1. A power control arrangement, PCA, (100) for at least one mining / construction machine (300), the PCA (100) comprising:an input (102) connected to one or more power sources (200) and configured to receive an input power (IP) from the one or more power sources (200);an output (104) connected to one or more loads (310) and configured to provide one or more output powers (OPs) to the one or more loads (310), wherein each load (310) is configured to operate in a plurality of machine functions (F1, F2,..., Fn) corresponding to a plurality of power consumption modes (M1, M2,..., Mn); anda controller (110) configured to:derate an operation of a machine function of at least one load (310) from a first power consumption mode (M1) to a second power consumption mode (M2) when detecting a power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources (200), or derate a scheduled operation of a machine function (Fn) of at least one load (310) from a first power consumption mode (M1) to a second power consumption mode (M2) when detecting a forecasted power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources (200),wherein the second power consumption mode (M2) has a lower power consumption than the first power consumption mode (M1).
2. The power control arrangement (100) according to claim 1, wherein the controller (110) is configured to:derating the operation of the machine function (Fn) from the first power consumption mode (M1) to the second power consumption mode (M2) when detecting the power supply deficiency and a fault of at least one power source (200) or a fault of a power transfer line (210) interconnecting the input (102) to the one or more power sources (200), orderating the scheduled operation of the machine function (Fn) from the first power consumption mode (M1) to the second power consumption mode (M2) when detecting the forecasted power supply deficiency and a forecasted fault of at least one power source (200) or a forecasted fault of a power transfer line (210) interconnecting the input (102) to the one or more power sources (200).
3. The power control arrangement (100) according to claim 2, wherein the controller (110) is configured to:receive a control signal (130) indicating the power supply deficiency, the forecasted power supply deficiency, and / or the fault of at least one power source (200).
4. The power control arrangement (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second power consumption mode (M2) is selected among the plurality of power consumption modes (M1, M2,..., Mn) based on an available power associated with the power supply deficiency or the forecasted power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources (200).
5. The power control arrangement (100) according to claim 4, wherein the second power consumption mode (M2) is selected among the plurality of power consumption modes (Mn) further based a power margin of the one or more power sources (200).
6. The power control arrangement (100) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the second power consumption mode (M2) is selected among the plurality of power consumption modes (M1 , M2,... , Mn) further based on a predetermined priority order of the plurality of power consumption modes (M1 , M2, ... , Mn).
7. The power control arrangement (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the output (104) is connected to a plurality of loads (310), and wherein the at least one load (310) is selected among the plurality of loads (310) based on a predetermined priority order of loads.
8. The power control arrangement (100) according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of loads (310) are arranged in two or more separate mining / construction machines (300).
9. The power control arrangement (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the input (102) is connected to a plurality of power sources (200), and wherein at least one power source (200) is a grid power source (200') and at least one least one power source is a battery (200") or a battery energy storage system, BESS, (200").
10. The power control arrangement (100) according to claim 9, wherein the controller (110) is configured to:increase an output power of the battery (200") or the BESS (200") when detecting a power supply deficiency of the grid power source (200').
11. The power control arrangement (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of power consumption modes (M1, M2,..., Mn) is related to the plurality of machine functions (Fn) in a voltage, a current, and / or a power reference.
12. The power control arrangement (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mining / construction machine (300) is a drill rig and the machine function (Fn) is a drill rig function.
13. A method (400) for a power control arrangement ,PCA, (100) comprising: an input (102) connected to one or more power sources (200) and configured to receive an input power (IP) from the one or more power sources (200); an output (104) connected to one or more loads (310) and configured to provide one or more output powers (OPs) to the one or more loads (310), wherein each load (310) is configured to operate in a plurality of machine functions (F1, F2,..., Fn) corresponding to a plurality of power consumption modes (M1, M2,..., Mn); the method (400) comprising:derating (402) an operation of a machine function (Fn) of at least one load (310) from a first power consumption mode (M1) to a second power consumption mode (M2) when detecting a power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources (200), or derating (404) a scheduled operation of a machine function (Fn) of at least one load (310) from a first power consumption mode (M1) to a second power consumption mode (M2) when detecting a forecasted power supply deficiency of the one or more power sources (200),wherein the second power consumption mode (M2) has a lower power consumption than the first power consumption mode (M1).