Battery Exchange Receptacle With Flared Alignment Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in underground mining is the inefficiency of recharging battery-powered ore hauler vehicles due to their continuous motion and unpredictable mechanical loads, making it impractical to provide battery charging stations at loading and unloading locations, which hinders the adoption of zero-emission vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A battery exchange apparatus with a receptacle mounted on rails for lateral and pivotal movement, equipped with laterally flared surfaces to align misaligned batteries, and a recharge connector system that allows for quick exchange and recharging of batteries at designated wayside locations, reducing downtime and increasing productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If battery charging stations are provided at loading and unloading locations, then ore hauler vehicles can be recharged during operational pauses, but the high capacity batteries would take a long time to recharge even at relatively high electrical power
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the battery from the vehicle system, allowing it to be removed and replaced independently. The battery exchange apparatus enables the battery to be taken out of the vehicle and swapped with a charged battery, eliminating the need to recharge during operational pauses and thus resolving the contradiction between recharge time and productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-charging batteries at centralized charging stations before they are needed. Fully charged batteries are stored in a battery fleet and made ready for exchange, so when a vehicle needs power, a pre-charged battery is already available for immediate swap, eliminating downtime without affecting loading and unloading efficiency
2Object-generated harmful factors
If battery powered ore hauler vehicles are used, then zero-emissions operation is achieved, but scheduling additional stops or detours for battery recharge results in excessive time not accomplishing intended uses
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is extracted as a separate, replaceable component. When the battery is depleted, the vehicle can be quickly exchanged with another vehicle having a charged battery, or the battery itself is rapidly swapped. This eliminates the need for time-consuming detours to recharge, maintaining zero-emissions operation while minimizing off-task time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a battery exchange apparatus as an intermediary system that facilitates rapid battery replacement. This intermediary enables the vehicle to quickly transition from a depleted battery state to a charged state without requiring the vehicle itself to travel to charging locations, thus eliminating excessive off-task time while maintaining zero-emissions operation
3Use of energy by moving object
If high capacity batteries are used to power ore hauler vehicles for heavy loads, then sufficient energy is provided, but the batteries would take a long time to recharge even at relatively high electrical power
Solution Approach 1:
The high capacity battery is extracted as a separate, replaceable unit. Instead of recharging the large battery in place (which would take a long time), the depleted battery is removed and replaced with a pre-charged battery of equal capacity. This maintains sufficient energy availability for heavy loads while eliminating the lengthy recharge time
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-charging high capacity batteries at centralized stations before they are needed for heavy haul operations. A fleet of pre-charged batteries is maintained ready for exchange, so when a vehicle needs power for heavy loads, a fully charged high capacity battery is already available for immediate swap, avoiding long recharge times
Data Source
AI summary
A battery exchange apparatus (e.g., for a battery exchange station positioned at a wayside location of a vehicle route) includes a receptacle mounted to at least one rail for lateral movement along the rail and for pivotal movement around a working axis generally orthogonal to the rail. The receptacle has an open end for receiving a battery from a direction generally orthogonal to the working axis. The apparatus further includes a recharge connector provided within the receptacle and opposite the open end of the receptacle. The open end of the receptacle includes at least two laterally flared surfaces, which are configured to impose at least one of lateral motion or pivotal motion on the receptacle in order to align the receptacle to the battery that is at least one of laterally or angularly misaligned from a lateral midline of the receptacle.