# US 2013/0158827 A1 · Mining Truck And Regenerative Braking Strategy Therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0158827 A1 - Document ID: US20130158827A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/328,380 - Filed: 2011-12-16 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-16 - Assignees: Caterpillar Inc. - Inventors: Bryan G. Lammers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130158827A1 ## CPC - B60L 15/2009: {for braking} - B60L 2200/36: Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks - B60L 2240/423: Torque - Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - 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 - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract Operating a trolley assist-capable mining truck having a regenerative braking mechanism and a friction braking mechanism includes receiving data indicative of a change in demand in an electrical power grid for regenerated electrical power from the mining truck, and commanding braking the mining truck such that application of the retarding torque is allocated to the regenerative braking mechanism in a manner responsive to the data. A mining truck and methodology relating to harvesting electrical power regenerated via application of retarding torque is also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a trolley assist-capable mining truck having a regenerative braking mechanism and a friction braking mechanism each configured to apply a retarding torque to ground engaging wheels of the mining truck, the method comprising the steps of: receiving data indicative of a change in demand in an electrical power grid for regenerated electrical power from the mining truck, the electrical power grid including an overhead trolley line coinciding with a haul road extending between a loading site and a dumping site; and commanding braking the mining truck such that application of the retarding torque is allocated to the regenerative braking mechanism in a manner which is responsive to the data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of commanding further includes commanding braking the mining truck while electrically connected with the overhead trolley line and traversing a segment of the haul road having a downhill grade. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 further comprising a step of feeding regenerated electrical power from the mining truck to the overhead trolley line in a manner which is commensurate with the change in demand. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 further comprising a step of transitioning the mining truck between a first braking mode at which the retarding torque is applied at least predominantly by the friction braking mechanism, and a second braking mode at which the retarding torque is applied at least predominantly by the regenerative braking mechanism, responsive to the step of commanding. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein the data is indicative of a change in a magnitude of the demand for electrical power. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 further comprising a step of ramping up or ramping down the regenerated electrical power fed to the overhead trolley line, during the step of transitioning. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein the change in magnitude is based at least in part on a charge state of an energy storage subsystem coupled with the electrical power grid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the data is indicative of an expected change in demand, and the step of commanding further includes outputting a braking control command to the braking system prior to occurrence of the expected change in demand. ### Claim 9 A trolley assist-capable mining truck comprising: a frame; a plurality of ground engaging wheels coupled to the frame; a braking system coupled with the plurality of ground engaging wheels, and having a friction braking mechanism and a regenerative braking mechanism; a line connecting mechanism configured to couple the regenerative braking mechanism with an overhead trolley line of an electrical power grid; and an electronic control unit in control communication with the braking system, and being configured to receive data indicative of a change in demand for regenerated electrical power in the electrical power grid; the electronic control unit being further configured to command braking the mining truck such that application of a retarding torque on the ground engaging wheels is allocated to the regenerative braking mechanism in a manner which is responsive to the data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The mining truck of claim 9 wherein the regenerative braking mechanism includes at least one propulsion motor operable in either of a propulsion mode or a retarding mode, and the line connecting mechanism includes a pantograph having an on-trolley configuration for electrically connecting with the overhead trolley line, and a rest configuration. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The mining truck of claim 10 wherein the plurality of ground engaging wheels includes a set of back wheels, and the at least one propulsion motor is coupled with the set of back wheels, and wherein the friction braking mechanism includes a front friction braking subsystem and a back friction braking subsystem. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The mining truck of claim 10 wherein the data is indicative of an expected change in the demand, and the electronic control unit is further configured to command the braking of the mining truck via outputting a control command to the braking system prior to occurrence of the expected change. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The mining truck of claim 9 wherein the electronic control unit is further configured via commanding the braking to transition the mining truck between a first braking mode at which the retarding torque is applied at least predominantly by the friction braking mechanism, and a second braking mode at which the retarding torque is applied at least predominantly by the regenerative braking mechanism. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The mining truck of claim 13 wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to determine a value indicative of a desired braking ratio which is commensurate with the change in demand, and to command the braking via outputting a braking control command responsive to the determined value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The mining truck of claim 9 wherein the data is indicative of a change in the magnitude of the demand, and the electronic control unit is further configured via commanding the braking to ramp up or ramp down electrical power fed via the line connecting mechanism to the overhead trolley line. ### Claim 16 A method of controlling a distribution of electrical power in a power grid having an overhead trolley line coinciding with a haul road, where the overhead trolley line is configured to electrically connect with a plurality of mining trucks each having a friction braking mechanism and a regenerative braking mechanism, the method comprising the steps of: receiving data indicative of a change in demand for electrical power in the power grid; allocating application of a retarding torque on ground engaging wheels of at least one of the mining trucks to the corresponding regenerative braking mechanism, responsive to the data; and harvesting electrical power regenerated via application of the retarding torque. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the data is indicative of a change in demand which is based at least in part on a charge state of an energy storage subsystem of the power grid, and further comprising a step of charging the energy storage subsystem via the harvested electrical power. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the step of charging includes charging a sodium-nickel chloride based storage medium. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the step of allocating further includes incrementing allocation of the retarding torque such that a magnitude of the regenerated electrical power is ramped up or ramped down. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein: the data is indicative of a change in the demand which occurs upon electrically connecting or disconnecting at least one other of the mining trucks from a segment of the overhead trolley line coinciding with an uphill section of the haul road; and the step of harvesting further includes harvesting the regenerated electrical power from the at least one of the mining trucks while electrically connected with a segment of the overhead trolley line coinciding with a downhill section of the haul road.