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US 2023/0107923 A1Published application
Method of Operating a Mining Hoist
AssigneeABB Schweiz AG
InventorsTim Gartner, Jerzy Katolik
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An underground mine hoist and method of operating the mine hoist is provided. Unlike conventional underground mine hoists, the hoist may be operated at a production rate less than the designed maximum production rate at least part of the time to improve the life of the hoist and efficiency of operation. In order to vary the hoist production rate, an input rate and/or output rate of mined material is monitored, and the hoist production rate is varied based on such monitoring.
Claims20
A method of operating an underground mine hoist, comprising:
- monitoring an underground input rate and/or an aboveground output rate of mined material;
- filling a hoist container underground with the mined material;
- raising the hoist container toward a surface \of the earth;
- and
- emptying the mined material from the hoist container;
- wherein a rate of the mined material filled, raised and emptied is varied in response to the underground input rate and/or the aboveground output rate.
3 more elements
An underground mine hoist, comprising:
- an underground shaft extending from a surface of the earth to a mining area under the surface;
- a drive mechanism extending within the underground shaft;
- a hoist container connected to the drive mechanism;
- a motor driving the drive mechanism to raise and lower the hoist container within the underground shaft between the mining area and the surface of the earth;
- a sensor monitoring an underground input rate and/or an aboveground output rate of mined material, the sensor providing a sensor signal;
- and
- a controller varying a rate of the mined material filled, raised and emptied with the hoist container in response to the sensor signal, which sensor signal is indicative of the underground input rate and/or the aboveground output rate.
4 more elements
The underground mine hoist, further comprising:
- an underground storage bin adapted to receive material at the underground input rate and to supply material to the hoist container;
- and
- an aboveground storage bin adapted to receive material from the hoist container and disburse mined material at the aboveground output rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.