Siemens Industry, Inc.

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Caterpillar Global Mining LLC

Walter Köllner

Joy Mazumdar

Ekkehard Pittius

Michael G Onsager

Andreas Holweck

Retard energy regenerated from an electrical motor during braking action is reinjected into a power system via trolley lines. The retard energy may be transmitted to a bidirectional electric substation and returned to a utility grid. The retard energy may also be transmitted to an auxiliary energy storage system, such as an ultracapacitor system or a battery system. Installing trolley lines for mining haul trucks on a downhill slope may be used to capture and re-use substantial quantities of retard energy.

System and method for reinjection of retard energy in a trolley-based electric mining haul truck

The maximum electrical power drawn from an electrical power source by a mining excavator comprising electric motors is reduced by supplying supplementary electrical power from an electrical energy storage unit. The input electrical power drawn by the mining excavator is cyclic. An upper limit is set for the electrical power drawn from the electrical power source. When the input electrical power drawn by the mining excavator exceeds the upper limit, electrical power is supplied by the electrical energy storage unit, such as an ultracapacitor bank. The ultracapacitor bank may be charged by the electrical power source during off-peak intervals. Electrical power generated by electrical motors operating in a regeneration interval may also be recaptured and stored in the electrical energy storage unit.

Limiting peak electrical power drawn by mining excavators

A mining haul truck driven by electrical wheel motors is powered by a trolley power system during an uphill climb. Retard energy captured during braking action on either the uphill climb or downhill descent is stored by an on-board electrical energy storage system. Electrical power is supplied from the on-board electrical energy storage system to reduce the peak power demand on the trolley power system during the uphill climb. One implementation of the on-board electrical energy storage system uses an ultracapacitor system.

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Suwanee, GA, United States of America

Walter Köllner