阅读说明：本技术 电动车辆的可互换能量装置 (Interchangeable energy device for electric vehicle ) 是由 布莱恩·R·胡夫 凯尔·希基 于 2020-04-03 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于电动车辆的可互换能量装置,使电动车辆能够与现有的电力线路(诸如架空悬链系统)兼容,并且需要很少或不需修改现代电动车辆。所述可互换能量装置具有与电池组相同的形状因数,并与所述车辆的驱动系统完全兼容。所述可互换装置使得电池组能够为适配器交换,以利用现有的电力系统,诸如架空悬链系统。(An interchangeable energy device for an electric vehicle that enables the electric vehicle to be compatible with existing power lines, such as an overhead catenary system, and requires little or no modification to modern electric vehicles. The interchangeable energy device has the same form factor as the battery pack and is fully compatible with the drive system of the vehicle. The interchangeable device enables the battery pack to be swapped for an adapter to take advantage of an existing power system, such as an overhead catenary system.)

1. A system for supplying energy to an electric vehicle, comprising:

an electric vehicle having an energy device mounting and dismounting platform;

a first interchangeable energy device configured to be removably mounted on the platform of the vehicle and adapted to power a drive system of the vehicle;

a second interchangeable energy device configured to be removably mounted on the platform of the vehicle and adapted to power a drive system of the vehicle; and

an auxiliary battery disposed on the vehicle to power installation or removal of one of the first or second interchangeable energy devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary battery powers the vehicle when the first and second interchangeable energy devices are off.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first interchangeable energy device is a battery pack providing on-board energy storage.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second interchangeable energy device is a trolley system adapter that provides off-board energy.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second interchangeable energy devices is a battery pack providing on-board energy storage.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second interchangeable energy devices is a trolley system adapter that provides off-board energy.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first interchangeable energy device is a generator.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first interchangeable energy device is a supercapacitor.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to electric vehicles, and more particularly to electric vehicles for use in underground mines.

Background

Co-pending and co-owned U.S. patent application No. 15/908,802, filed on 28.2.2018, describes a method and system for installing and removing batteries from an electric vehicle and replacing one battery with another. The contents of U.S. patent application No. 15/908,802 are part of this provisional application and are also incorporated by reference in their entirety.

In a vehicle that is solely and at least partially powered by electricity, the source of the electricity may be from a fuel engine, a hybrid system, or an all-electric drive system powered by a battery. In underground mining environments, as mine operators transition from conventional diesel machines or trolley-powered electric machines, advances in the electrical and clean energy alternatives of conventional diesel machines require adaptability. While all-electric machines have become easier to use on-board energy sources in the form of heavy duty battery packs, in some applications it would be more advantageous to be able to provide an interchangeable energy source for the electric machine.

Disclosure of Invention

Various embodiments of an electric vehicle are disclosed. These embodiments describe electric mining vehicles that may be battery powered or powered by conventional trolley systems through electrified catenary cables or tracks provided in underground mines. The interchangeable device may be another battery or various adapters that enable the vehicle to be powered by the trolley system. The concept is to provide an interchangeable energy device that can be another battery, another type of battery, a generator, a fuel engine, a trolley system adapter, or another type of energy source or another type of energy adapter. The size and configuration of the interchangeable device will be compatible with the battery pack provided for the particular type of electric vehicle and vehicle drive system so that the vehicle's energy source can be easily replaced and exchanged.

A method of mounting and dismounting a vehicle and a battery is described in U.S. patent application No. 15/908,802. The present disclosure contemplates the use of different types of energy sources or adapters for energy sources having form factors compatible with the machine's battery pack and drive system. In the language of U.S. patent application No. 15/908,802, the main battery assembly may be supplied as an on-board energy source for a vehicle or, more generally, a machine.

Any of a variety of types of energy sources are contemplated, with compatible form factors and functions providing the operator with a range of options to provide a suitable set of energy devices for any given electromechanical operation.

Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description and this summary, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims.

Drawings

The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an underground mining machine powered by an overhead electrified catenary cable or track.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a machine showing two interchangeable energy devices, showing both devices outside of the machine.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a machine showing one interchangeable energy device mounted on a platform and another interchangeable energy device shown external to the machine.

Detailed Description

Electric vehicles may be equipped with an on-board energy device, such as a battery pack that enables the vehicle to move freely. In some conventional underground mines, the electric vehicles are powered by a wired connection such as a catenary or conductive track of a guideway.

The vehicle 10 shown in fig. 1 is a conventional electric vehicle that is powered by a catenary or track 12 via contact between contact shoes 14 at the ends of trolley electrical poles 16 connected to the top surface of the vehicle and trolley electrical pole mounts 18.

In some underground mines, catenary lines are installed and powered. To enable the adoption of modern electric vehicles in existing mines, an interchangeable energy device is provided that enables newer vehicles to be backward compatible with existing mines having trolley system infrastructure. Fig. 2 and 3 conceptually illustrate an electric vehicle and a battery pack that may be used in an underground mine. Referring to FIG. 2, only a portion of the vehicle 20 is shown having a battery mounting platform, which in this illustrative embodiment is near the cab. The vehicle 20 may have an on-board auxiliary battery to power the vehicle during energy source exchange operations, move between battery charging zones, or the like. The battery 22 is shown in fig. 2, and the battery 22 may be of the battery pack type described in U.S. patent application No. 15/908,802. Also shown in fig. 2 is an interchangeable energy device 24 having the same form factor as the battery 22. As used herein, battery 22 and energy device 24 are interchangeable energy devices. The energy device 24 serves as an adapter for powering the vehicle 20 using an existing trolley system (fig. 1). Thus, the energy device 24, while having the same form factor as the battery 22, includes a trolley electrical pole base 26, a trolley electrical pole 28, and contact shoes 30 and 32. The form factor of the device 24 is the same as that of the battery and the device 22 is fully compatible with the battery mounting hardware on the vehicle 20 and the drive system of the vehicle 20.

FIG. 3 illustrates the vehicle 20 showing the interchangeable device 24 mounted on the vehicle and the battery 22 external to the vehicle. A complete description of the exchange method can be found in U.S. patent application No. 15/908,802. An overhead cable or catenary rail 40 is schematically shown in contact with the contact shoes 30 and 32 of the energy device. In this manner, it can be seen that interchangeable energy devices can be employed to make the vehicle 20 compatible with existing Overhead Catenary Systems (OCS). In some environments, the OCS may be discontinuous, in which case the auxiliary battery of the vehicle may be used to power the vehicle from one segment of OCS to another. The auxiliary battery also powers the energy source mounting and removal operations described in U.S. patent application No. 15/908,802.

The interchangeable device allows the vehicle to operate with little or no modification to the existing OCS system or new environments in which the onboard power supply will be used. The system enables the machine to pick up the trolley device as needed to exchange energy sources as needed for operating conditions. This provides the fleet or mine operators with the flexibility required to ensure forward and backward compatibility of the system.

It is understood that variations of the energy source are possible within the scope of this concept. That is, the interchangeable energy source device may be a battery, a different type of battery, a generator, a fuel engine, or an adapter for any existing energy infrastructure. It should also be understood that the system may be used with any combination of devices, such as batteries, adapters, and the like.

It should also be understood that the energy source is compatible with and communicates with the drive system and the drive controller. The energy source, whether a battery or a trolley adapter, or another type of energy source, will be compatible with the drive system and controller.

The OCS, overhead catenary system, or track described herein may relate to options for offline operation, such as ground power or on-board energy storage systems. While on-board power generation is a less studied third option, this may vary with hydrogen fuel cell technology. Any combination of energy systems is also contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure.

The ground power supply may be contact or contactless. Contact ground power supplies basically employ embedded power rails, which are commonly used in subway systems and are used on some early tram systems. Many improved versions of this technology may provide advantages in challenging environments with heavy loads from heating or cooling requirements or the need to traverse steep slopes, all of which may quickly deplete the storage system.

Another type of infrastructure that may be pre-existing is a contactless ground power supply that uses an induction coil to power a vehicle. Typically, such power transfer will only occur when the vehicle is directly above the coil, and the range of such a system can be extended by combining it with an on-board electrical storage device, so that the coil need not be present along the entire length of the system.

The on-board energy storage device provides an alternative or supplement to the ground power supply. The energy storage mechanism includes a battery, a capacitor, a flywheel, and in some cases, recovering kinetic energy from braking to improve system efficiency. Systems operating offline over a limited segment are typically able to recharge the onboard power supply as if operating on a wired segment. Longer span offline operations may require a charging station approach, which may be achieved by sufficient dwell time at the parking. For example, in some tram systems, the programmed dwell contact time at the station is sufficient to recharge the roof-mounted supercapacitor, i.e.: charging is performed for a short time as is customary for its duty cycle.

Generally, an "electric vehicle" as used herein refers to a vehicle that uses electric power for propulsion purposes, at least in one mode of operation. Thus, electric vehicles include all-electric vehicles (e.g., vehicles having a traction motor and only an on-board electrical storage device or a mechanism for receiving electrical energy from an off-board source such as an overhead catenary or a power supply track), hybrid electric vehicles (e.g., vehicles having a traction motor, an energy storage device, a hydraulic propulsion device, and a fuel engine, a fuel cell, etc., for charging the energy storage device and/or directly generating power to operate the traction motor), dual-mode vehicles (e.g., vehicles having an engine-only operating mode in which traction power is provided by the engine and an electric-only operating mode, or vehicles having a first operating mode in which traction power is provided by another source and a second operating mode in which traction power is provided by another source), diesel electric vehicles and other engine electric vehicles (e.g., vehicles having an engine to generate power for operation of the traction motor), and combinations and variations of the above. The electric vehicle may have one traction motor, or have a plurality of traction motors; "traction motor" means a motor of sufficient size and capacity to move a vehicle of sufficient size for a given operation.

Further, the vehicle interface device of the wayside station may comprise: a "plug-in" module, e.g., a vehicle, plugged into a socket of a wayside station to receive power from the wayside station; a continuous power interface through which the vehicle may receive offboard power while moving, such as the aforementioned catenary or power rails, and the like.

While various embodiments of the invention have been described, the description is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.