Automatic Tilt Control for Mining Shovel Buckets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operators of mining shovels face difficulties in coordinating hoist, crowd, and tilt motions to achieve maximum payload accumulation efficiently, particularly in challenging digging conditions, which can lead to reduced productivity and potential machine damage due to improper tilt function engagement.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an automatic tilt control system that uses a controller to adjust the tilt of the bucket based on calculated digging angles, within predefined limits, through feedback control loops such as PID or fuzzy neural controllers, in response to hoist and crowd commands, ensuring optimal bucket orientation and preventing machine damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automatic tilt control is implemented to maintain optimal digging angles, then productivity and operational efficiency are improved, but device complexity increases due to feedback control loops and sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control loops that continuously monitor the digging angle using sensors and automatically adjust the tilt actuator to maintain the optimal digging angle. This closed-loop feedback system eliminates the need for manual coordination of tilt motions while ensuring consistent optimal performance, thereby improving productivity despite the added device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The automatic tilt control system enables the mining shovel to self-regulate its tilt angle without operator intervention. The controller autonomously processes sensor data, calculates the optimal tilt angle based on current operating conditions, and actuates the tilt mechanism accordingly, allowing the system to serve itself and eliminating manual coordination requirements.
2Ease of operation
If manual tilt coordination is used in challenging digging conditions, then ease of operation is maintained, but productivity decreases due to difficulty in achieving maximum payload accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical coordination of tilt motions with an automated electronic control system. Sensors detect the current digging angle and feed this information to a controller that automatically actuates the tilt mechanism, substituting manual operator skill and coordination with automated sensing and control, thereby maintaining ease of operation while significantly improving productivity.
3Device complexity
If tilt function is engaged without automatic control, then device complexity is reduced, but machine damage risk increases due to improper engagement
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback control loop continuously monitors the digging angle and compares it to the optimal angle, automatically making adjustments to prevent improper engagement. This real-time feedback ensures that the tilt function is always engaged correctly, eliminating the risk of machine damage while maintaining relatively simple operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculations to determine the optimal tilt angle before actuation occurs. The controller pre-computes the required tilt adjustment based on current operating conditions and then executes the actuation, ensuring that the tilt function is engaged properly from the outset and preventing machine damage.
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial machine and methods for providing automatic tilt control for the same. One method includes determining a current tooth vector of a tooth included on a bucket of the industrial machine and a current path vector of the tooth and determining a current digging angle between the current tooth vector and the current path vector. The method also includes determining a delta angle based on the current digging angle and a target angle and automatically adjusting a tilt of the bucket based on the delta angle.