Centralized Drill Rig Shutdown for Multi-Bench Collision Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in surface mining operations is the coordination and control of multiple drill rigs on a single bench, which often leads to safety risks due to human error, difficulty in communication, and potential collisions, resulting in sub-optimal blast outcomes and increased latency in responding to instructions.
Innovation Solution
A remote control system that enables simultaneous control of autonomous mining drill rigs through a centralized control centre, utilizing a deactivation control to send shutdown commands to all rigs via a wireless network, incorporating drill shutdown modules to disable functions such as power or fuel supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple drill rigs operate autonomously on a single bench, then productivity increases, but safety risks increase due to potential collisions and human error
Solution Approach 1:
A centralized control centre acts as an intermediary between multiple drill rigs and operators, receiving data from all rigs and sending coordinated commands to prevent collisions and ensure safe operation while maintaining high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements real-time feedback loops where the control centre continuously monitors drill rig positions, operational status, and environmental conditions, automatically adjusting commands to prevent collisions and respond to safety concerns instant
2Ease of operation
If drill operators control drill rigs manually, then flexibility is maintained, but communication latency increases due to noise and radio delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual radio communication and verbal instructions with an automated electronic control system that transmits commands digitally from the control centre to drill rigs, eliminating communication delays caused by noise and radio interference while maintaining operational flexibility through programmable control
3Reliability
If multiple drill rigs are coordinated through manual division of bench areas, then collision avoidance is attempted, but response time to instructions decreases due to communication delays
Solution Approach 1:
The control centre receives real-time position and status feedback from all drill rigs, automatically calculates optimal paths to avoid collisions, and sends immediate corrective commands without the delays inherent in manual communication, ensuring both collision avoidance and rapid response
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized control centre serves as an intelligent intermediary that processes information from multiple drill rigs simultaneously, coordinates their movements to prevent collisions, and responds instantaneously to all rigs, eliminating the sequential communication delays of manual coordination
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are a control method and system. The system includes: a deactivation control; a control centre controller for storing an association between the deactivation control and a selected set of mine sites; a plurality of autonomous drill rigs, each drill rig having a drill shutdown module to disable a function of the respective drill rig upon receipt of a deactivation command; and a mine site controller associated with each mine site, each mine site controller being coupled to all autonomous drill rigs located at the respective mine site with which the mine site controller is associated. Activating the deactivation control transmits a deactivation command from the deactivation control to the control centre controller. The control centre controller forwards the deactivation command to a mine site controller associated with each mine site in the set of mine sites for distribution to all autonomous drill rigs at that mine site.