Mining Machine Power Orchestration Under Peak Demand Limits

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mining environments face challenges in managing power consumption due to large electrical machines with varying power demands, leading to frequent spikes and fluctuations that can strain resources and incur costly surcharges, with existing systems struggling to maintain optimal power usage.

Innovation Solution

A centralized power management system predicts power requirements for electrical machines based on priorities and historical data, restricting power to lower-priority machines or operations when demand exceeds threshold levels to maintain optimal power usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple electrical machines are operated simultaneously at peak power consumption, then productivity and operational output are improved, but power demand spikes and exceeds available power capacity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational outputVSAvoidpower demand

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the operational status of electrical machines based on real-time power availability. The controller continuously monitors power demand and supply, and automatically transitions machines between active and restricted states to maintain power consumption within available capacity while maximizing productivity when power is available.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary assessment of power availability before authorizing machine operation. By predicting future power demand and comparing it with expected power capacity, the system proactively prevents power overload conditions before they occur, rather than reacting after exceeding capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If power-intensive operations are performed when power demand is already high, then critical operations can be completed, but overall power usage exceeds penalty thresholds and incurs surcharges

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation completionVSAvoidpenalty power usage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors actual power usage against penalty thresholds and provides feedback to the controller. When power consumption approaches penalty levels, the controller automatically restricts lower-priority machines to prevent exceeding thresholds, while allowing critical high-priority operations to continue despite the overall power constraint.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies differentiated power management to different machines based on their priority classification. Critical machines maintain full operational capability even when power is constrained, while non-critical machines are restricted or shut down. This selective approach ensures essential operations complete while preventing penalty-level overall consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Loss of energy

If a centralized system monitors and controls power usage across all machines, then power consumption is optimized and spikes are reduced, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumption optimizationVSAvoidcontrol system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The centralized controller performs multiple functions: monitoring power availability, predicting power demand, classifying machine priorities, making restriction decisions, and communicating with individual machines. By consolidating these diverse control functions into a single multi-functional system, the patent reduces overall system complexity compared to having separate control systems for each function at each machine.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Power

If power is restricted to lower-priority machines, then power usage remains within available capacity, but operational flexibility and machine availability are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower usage controlVSAvoidoperational flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically reconfigures operational flexibility based on real-time power conditions. When power is abundant, all machines operate with full flexibility. When power is constrained, the system selectively reduces flexibility for non-critical machines while preserving it for critical machines, allowing the overall system to adapt to power availability without permanently sacrificing operational capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS12590541B2Power optimization through orchestration and prioritization of machines and functions

Publication Date: 2026.03.31 MODULAR MINING SYSTEMS INC

AI summary

Systems and methods are provided for managing power usage in mining environments. The amount of power needed to operate a set of electrical machines that are to run simultaneously is determined. Power usage by the electrical machines during a time period can be predicted based on how much power is expected to be needed by each machine. If the predicted power usage exceeds a threshold power usage, power to one or more electrical machines in the mining environment is restricted so that actual power usage in the mining environment does not exceed the threshold power usage during the specified time period. The electrical machines which will have power restricted thereto can be selected based at least in part on relative priorities for the electrical machines in the set. Power can be restricted to machines as a whole (an effective shutdown), or to specific operations of the machines.