Dynamic Speed Control for Mining Machines on Variable Terrain
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mining machines operating on unpaved mine travel paths face challenges with changing road surface conditions due to weather and vehicle traffic, leading to potential slips and increased fuel consumption, which existing technologies fail to adequately address by dynamically adjusting speed limits based on real-time conditions.
Innovation Solution
An operation control system that collects and analyzes travel path information, including moisture content, precipitation, and air temperature, to generate and adjust speed limits for mining machines, using a network of sensors and wireless communication to ensure safe and efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the mining machine runs at high speed on the travel path, then productivity is improved, but the machine may slip on the road surface due to changing moisture content and weather conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The speed limit is made dynamic rather than fixed. The operation control system continuously adjusts the speed limit based on real-time road surface conditions (moisture content, precipitation, temperature) detected by sensors. This allows the mining machine to travel at high speeds when conditions are favorable while automatically reducing speed when slip risk increases, resolving the contradiction between productivity and safety
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements closed-loop feedback control by continuously monitoring road surface conditions through moisture sensors, precipitation sensors, and temperature sensors, then using this feedback to adjust the speed limit instructions sent to the mining machine. This ensures the machine adapts its speed to current conditions, maintaining both productivity and anti-slip performance
2Reliability
If the speed limit is reduced to prevent slips, then safety is improved, but fuel consumption increases due to lower travel speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The speed limit is dynamically adjusted based on actual road conditions rather than maintaining a consistently low speed. When road surface moisture content is low and conditions are favorable, the system permits higher speeds that reduce fuel consumption. When conditions deteriorate, the system reduces the speed limit to prevent slips. This dynamic approach resolves the contradiction by only reducing speed when necessary for safety
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the speed parameter based on environmental parameters (moisture content, precipitation, temperature). By linking the speed limit to these changing environmental parameters, the system ensures safety is maintained only when necessary while allowing optimal fuel efficiency during favorable conditions, thus resolving the contradiction between safety and energy consumption
3Reliability
If the speed limit is frequently adjusted based on real-time conditions, then slip prevention is improved, but the complexity of the control system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into independent functional modules: moisture content detection module, precipitation detection module, temperature detection module, speed limit calculation module, and instruction transmission module. Each module performs a specific function, making the overall complex system manageable and maintainable while achieving reliable slip prevention through coordinated operation of these segmented components
Solution Approach 2:
The operation control system acts as an intermediary between the environmental sensors and the mining machine's travel control. It receives data from multiple sensors, processes the information to determine appropriate speed limits, and transmits instructions to the machine. This intermediary layer manages the complexity by centralizing the decision-making logic while keeping individual components relatively simple
Data Source
AI summary
An operation control system for a mining machine includes, based on travel path information including at least information on moisture content of a travel path on which a mining machine operating at a mine runs, and position information being information on a position of a travel path corresponding to the travel path information, generating speed limit information for changing a speed limit for the mining machine to run on the travel path corresponding to the travel path information.