# US 11,305,656 B2 · System and method for supplying electric energy to a mining vehicle and a mining vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,656 B2 - Document ID: US11305656B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/057,387 - Filed: 2019-05-16 - Published: 2021-07-01 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-23 - Assignees: Sandvik Mining and Construction Oy - Applicants: Sandvik Mining and Construction Oy - Inventors: Mikko Kouvo; Raimo Juntunen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305656B2 ## CPC - B60L 53/14: Conductive energy transfer - H02J 1/08: Three-wire DC power distribution systems; Systems having more than three wires - B60L 50/53: in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines - B60L 50/60: using power supplied by batteries (in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75) - B60L 53/20: characterised by converters located in the vehicle - B60L 58/19: Switching between serial connection and parallel connection of battery modules - B60L 58/22: Balancing the charge of battery modules - H02J 7/575: {Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit} - B60L 2200/40: Working vehicles - H02J 2105/37: exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] - Y02P 90/60: Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A system and method for supplying electric energy to a mining vehicle and a mining vehicle are provided. Electric energy is supplied to the mining vehicle using a system including a bipolar LVDC supply having a certain total voltage. The mining vehicle has at least a first energy unit and a second energy unit. The first energy unit is connected to a part of the certain total voltage and the second energy unit is connected to another part of the certain total voltage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for supplying electric energy to a mining vehicle, the system comprising: a bipolar LVDC supply having a certain total voltage and comprising a positive pole and a negative pole and a neutral point between the positive pole and the negative pole, wherein the total voltage is divided into two equal halves that are substantially equal; and the mining vehicle, the mining vehicle including at least a first energy unit and a second energy unit, the first energy unit being connected between the positive pole and the neutral point and the second energy unit being connected between the negative pole and the neutral point, wherein the bipolar LVDC supply includes a first converter and a second converter connected in series whereby the neutral point is arranged between the first and second converters to keep the total voltage balanced between the two equal halves. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first energy unit and the second energy unit include traction motors of the mining vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first energy unit and the second energy unit include batteries, the mining vehicle including connecting means and a control unit, the control unit being arranged to connect the batteries in parallel in drive mode and arranged to connect the batteries in series in a charge mode. ### Claim 4 A method of supplying electric energy to a mining vehicle, comprising: providing a mining vehicle, the mining vehicle including at least a first energy unit and a second energy unit; supplying electric energy to the mining vehicle from a bipolar LVDC supply having a certain total voltage, the bipolar LVDC supply including a positive pole and a negative pole and a neutral point between the positive pole and the negative pole, wherein the total voltage is divided into two halves that are substantially equal; connecting the first energy unit to a part of said certain total voltage and connecting the second energy unit to another part of said certain total voltage, wherein the first energy unit is connected between the positive pole and the neutral point and the second energy unit is connected between the negative pole and the neutral point, wherein the bipolar LVDC supply is formed by connecting a first converter and a second converter in series and arranging the neutral point between the first and second converters. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first energy unit and the second energy unit include traction motors of the mining vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first energy unit and the second energy unit have batteries and the batteries are connected in parallel in a drive mode and the batteries are connected in series in a charge mode. ### Claim 7 A mining vehicle, comprising: at least a first energy unit; a second energy unit; and connecting means for connecting the first and second energy units to a bipolar LVDC supply having a certain total voltage, the bipolar LVDC supply including a positive pole and a negative pole and a neutral point between the positive pole and the negative pole, wherein the total voltage is divided into two halves that are substantially equal, wherein the first energy unit is connected to one half of the certain total voltage and the second energy unit is connected to another half of the certain total voltage, wherein the bipolar LVDC supply includes a first converter and a second converter connected in series, whereby the neutral point is arranged between the first and second converters to keep the total voltage balanced between the two equal halves. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The mining vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connecting means includes a positive pole connector, a neutral point connector and a negative pole connector arranged for connecting the first energy unit between the positive pole and the neutral point and the second energy unit between the negative pole and the neutral point. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The mining vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first energy unit and the second energy unit include traction motors of the mining vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The mining vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first energy unit and the second energy unit include batteries, the mining vehicle further comprising a control unit, the control unit being arranged to connect the batteries in parallel in a drive mode and arranged to connect the batteries in series in a charge mode.