Energy Storage Robot for Underground Equipment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric underground equipment in tunnels and mines faces downtime issues during battery charging, leading to unproductive periods and increased operational costs due to the need for ventilation and the risks associated with high-voltage cables.
Innovation Solution
An energy storage robot system that automatically replaces and charges energy storage units, allowing continuous operation of electric underground equipment by using a network of robots with propulsion, energy storage, and communication capabilities to manage energy distribution and navigation, reducing downtime and enhancing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If battery driven electric underground equipment is used, then ventilation costs and cable risks are reduced, but downtime during charging increases operational costs and reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the energy storage function into separate modular units (energy storage robots) that can be independently replaced. The electric underground equipment is segmented from its energy storage unit, allowing the equipment to remain operational while the energy storage unit is swapped out and recharged separately.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple energy storage robots are prepared in advance, with at least one fully charged unit ready as a backup. When one energy storage robot's charge depletes, a pre-charged replacement is immediately available to swap in, ensuring continuous operation without waiting for recharge.
Solution Approach 3:
The system introduces energy storage robots as intermediary units between the electric underground equipment and the charging infrastructure. These robots act as mobile energy carriers that can be charged at convenient locations and then deployed to equipment, decoupling the equipment operation from fixed charging constraints.
2Loss of time
If inductive power transfer charging station is used, then charging period is shortened, but machine still needs to move to charging station and stand idle during charging
Solution Approach 1:
The energy storage unit is extracted from the electric underground equipment as a separate replaceable module. This allows the equipment to remain in position and operational while the energy storage unit is removed, replaced, or recharged independently, eliminating the need for the equipment to move to or idle at a charging station.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static charging model (equipment must be stationary at a charging station) to a dynamic model where mobile energy storage robots can be charged anywhere and then moved to equipment. The energy storage robots themselves are dynamic units that can navigate to both charging locations and equipment locations independently.
3Productivity
If multiple energy storage robots are deployed for continuous operation, then downtime is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The energy storage robots are equipped with autonomous navigation and self-charging capabilities. They can independently navigate to charging stations, recharge their units, and return to equipment without requiring complex external coordination or manual intervention, reducing the overall system complexity despite having multiple units.
Solution Approach 2:
Each energy storage robot is designed as a universal unit capable of serving multiple pieces of electric underground equipment. The standardized energy storage units can be interchanged between different equipment types, reducing the total number of specialized units needed and simplifying the overall system architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
An energy storage robot configured to be used to power electric underground equipment, the energy storage robot including a propulsion system being arranged to move the energy storage robot, an energy storage unit, a control unit being connected to the propulsion system and the energy storage unit. The energy storage unit is connectable to the electric underground equipment for powering the electric underground equipment and the control unit is arranged to communicate a level of energy of the energy storage unit to a coordinating module or another energy storage robot.