Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC

Karl P Schneider

Cameron T Lane

Vijay Krishna Yalamanchili

Scott Antonio Zacek

Anthony W Allison

Andrew Olson

Joel Skalet

A method for controlling an electric motor driving a hydraulic pump for a battery-powered electric mobile machine includes receiving one or more command signals for one or more hydraulically-driven systems. The method also includes determining a minimum pump speed for each of the one or more hydraulically-driven systems, and determining a highest minimum pump speed for the one or more hydraulically-driven systems. The method further includes converting the highest minimum pump speed to an electric motor command, and sending the electric motor command to the electric motor.

Systems and methods for a hydraulic system

Typically, mobile equipment with axles has a mechanically fixed or constant split ratio for the braking torque that is applied to each axle. Disclosed embodiments dynamically adjust the braking torque ratio between axles based on real-time parameter values, such as requested braking power and a real-time brake state parameter (e.g., brake temperatures), to more evenly distribute wear or other health imbalances across the brake systems of mobile equipment. Accordingly, disclosed embodiments may extend the longevity of brake systems, reduce the costs of maintenance of mobile equipment, facilitate a more cost-effective brake system that balances health or durability with performance under different operating scenarios, and/or the like.

Dynamic braking torque split for optimal thermal management

A machine includes a display component that is configured to receive, from a controller of the machine, braking capacity information associated with one or more braking systems of the machine and braking utilization information associated with the one or more braking systems of the machine. The display component is configured to display, based on the braking capacity information, one or more current braking capacities of the one or more braking systems and a total current braking capacity of the one or more braking systems of the machine. The display component is configured to display, based on the braking utilization information, a current braking utilization of the machine. The controller is configured to determine the braking capacity information based on machine data associated with operation of the machine, and to determine the braking utilization information based on the machine data and worksite information associated with a worksite of the machine.

Providing braking capacity information associated with one or more braking systems of a machine

A brake controller of a machine can be configured to determine brake power associated with braking operations, such as operations to slow the machine or maintain a speed of the machine. The brake controller can allocate the brake power among systems such as a battery system, a resistive grid, auxiliary systems, a mechanical brake system, and/or other systems, based on a defined priority order of the systems. For example, the brake controller can prioritize using a regenerative brake system to charge a battery system during a braking operation up to a currently-available capacity of the battery system, and allocating any remaining brake power to a lower-priority system. The mechanical brake system can be the lowest-priority system, such that use of the mechanical brake system can be avoided unless an amount of brake power exceeds capacities of higher-priority systems to consume the brake power.

Brake control system for battery-powered machine

A system for efficient machine control may include feedback devices for identifying operating conditions of a work machine and a controller for controlling a primary system and an auxiliary system. The controller may calculate a total energy loss by adding a primary system energy loss based on power requests from the primary system to an auxiliary system energy loss based on support requests from the auxiliary system. The controller may adjust a setting of the auxiliary system, repeat the calculating of the total energy loss, and compare the result to a previously calculated total energy loss until further adjustment of the setting fails to reduce the total energy loss. The controller may then send control requests to the auxiliary system based on the setting used when the total energy loss failed to reduce.

Efficient machine auxiliary control

A method for monitoring operation of a machine includes receiving machine operation data including a first data channel indicative of a sensed condition at a first location on the machine, wherein the machine operation data is collected during one or more work cycles of the machine, and extracting at least a portion of the machine operation data, including data associated with the first data channel. The method also includes classifying the extracted machine operation data to identify one or more types of events that occurred during the one or more work cycles of the machine and involving an environment in which the machine operates during the one or more work cycles of the machine, estimating a condition at a second location on the machine during the one or more work cycles of the machine based on the identified one or more types of events, and logging the identified one or more types of events with a plurality of additional identified types of events to represent a plurality of work cycles during operation of the machine over time.

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Decatur, IL, United States of America

Karl P Schneider