Power optimization through orchestration and prioritization of machines and functions

A method of centrally controlling power usage in a mining environment, comprising:

• receiving a request to run a first electrical machine during a time period to perform one or more mining operations in the mining environment, the mining operations comprising activities to be engaged in by the first electrical machine to extract, process or move materials at a mine;
• identifying a set of one or more other electrical machines scheduled or anticipated to also run during the same time period;
• accessing a power demand database to identify power requirements for the first electrical machine and the set of other electrical machines;
• determining a predicted power usage for the time period based on the power requirements for the first electrical machine and the set of other electrical machines;
• comparing the predicted power usage with a threshold power usage for the mining environment, the threshold power usage corresponding with a maximum desired power usage during the time period;
• and
• if the predicted power usage exceeds the threshold power usage:
• accessing a priority database to compare priorities for the first electrical machine and the set of other electrical machines;
• and
• using a power supply controller to restrict power to one or more lower-priority electrical machines involved in the extraction, processing, and moving of materials in the mining environment to prevent an actual power usage in the mining environment from exceeding the threshold power usage during the time period
• wherein one or more priorities for one or more electrical machines are conditional such that an electrical machine is accorded:
• a first priority level if a condition is satisfied;
• and
• a second priority level that is lower than the first priority level if the condition is not satisfied, and
• wherein the condition for an electrical machine is whether a predetermined type of material is to be mined, such that if the predetermined type of material is to be mined, the electrical machine is accorded a higher priority level than if the predetermined type of material is not to be mined.

A system for centrally controlling power usage in a mining environment, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute instructions for centrally controlling power usage in a mining environment by:

• receiving a request to run a first electrical machine during a time period to perform one or more mining operations in the mining environment the mining operations comprising activities to be engaged in by an electrical machine to extract, process or move materials in the mining environment;
• identifying a set of one or more other electrical machines scheduled or anticipated to also perform mining operations during the same time period;
• accessing a power demand database to identify power requirements for the first electrical machine and the set of other electrical machines;
• determining a predicted power usage for the time period based on the power requirements for the first electrical machine and the set of other electrical machines;
• comparing the predicted power usage with a threshold power usage for the mining environment, the threshold power usage corresponding with a maximum desired power usage during the time period;
• and
• if the predicted power usage exceeds the threshold power usage:
• accessing a priority database to compare priorities for the first electrical machine and the set of other electrical machines;
• and
• using a power supply controller to restrict power to one or more lower-priority electrical machines in the mining environment scheduled or anticipated to perform mining operations to prevent an actual power usage in the mining environment from exceeding the threshold power usage for the time period
• wherein priorities are assigned to electrical machines on the basis of a type of material being mined.