# US 8,571,766 B2 · Controlling a digging operation of an industrial machine

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- Number: US 8,571,766 B2
- Document ID: US8571766B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/742,091
- Filed: 2013-01-15
- Published: 2013-05-23
- Granted: 2013-10-29
- Earliest claimed: 2011-04-29
- Assignees: Harnischfeger Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Harnischfeger Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Joseph Colwell; William Hren; David Wendt; Michael Linstroth
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8571766B2

## CPC

- E02F 3/431: {for bucket-arms, front-end loaders, dumpers or the like}
- E02F 3/304: {with the dipper-arm slidably mounted on the boom (E02F3/305 takes precedence)}
- E02F 3/308: {working outwardly}
- E02F 3/352: Buckets movable along a fixed guide
- E02F 3/43: Control of dipper or bucket position; Control of sequence of drive operations
- E02F 3/432: {for keeping the bucket in a predetermined position or attitude}
- E02F 3/435: {for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like}
- E02F 3/46: with reciprocating digging or scraping elements moved by cables or hoisting ropes {; Drives or control devices therefor (E02F3/205, E02F3/905 take precedence)}
- E02F 5/025: {with scraper-buckets, dippers or shovels}
- E02F 9/2025: {Particular purposes of control systems not otherwise provided for (E02F3/16, E02F3/26, sub-groups of E02F3/43, E02F3/651, sub-groups of E02F3/84, E02F3/907, E02F5/145 take precedence)}
- E02F 9/2029: {Controlling the position of implements in function of its load, e.g. modifying the attitude of implements in accordance to vehicle speed (control for hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2203, E02F9/2221 and E02F9/2253 take precedence)}
- E02F 9/26: Indicating devices {(E02F5/145 takes precedence)}
- E02F 9/265: {with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool)}
- E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00)

## Abstract

Systems, methods, devices, and computer readable media for controlling a digging operation of an industrial machine that includes a dipper and a crowd drive. A method includes determining an acceleration associated with the industrial machine, determining a crowd retract factor based on the acceleration, comparing the crowd retract factor to a threshold crowd retract factor, setting a crowd speed reference and a crowd retract torque for the crowd drive for a period of time based on the comparison of the crowd retract factor to the threshold crowd retract factor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An industrial machine comprising:
a dipper;
a crowd motor drive configured to provide one or more control signals to a crowd motor, the crowd motor being operable to provide a force to the dipper to move the dipper toward or away from a bank; and
a controller connected to the crowd motor drive, the controller configured to
determine an impact of the dipper,
determine a crowd retract factor based on the impact of the dipper,
compare the crowd retract factor to a threshold crowd retract factor, and
set a parameter for the crowd motor drive based on the comparison of the crowd retract factor to the threshold crowd retract factor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to set a parameter for the crowd motor drive outside of a normal operating range for the crowd motor drive.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the impact of the dipper by determining an acceleration associated with the dipper.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The industrial machine of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to determine the crowd retract factor based on the impact by determining a crowd retract factor based on the acceleration.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The industrial machine of claim 3, wherein the acceleration associated with the dipper is a negative acceleration.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to
determine an angle of a dipper handle, and
compare the angle of the dipper handle to one or more dipper handle angle limits.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The industrial machine of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to set the parameter by setting a crowd speed reference for the crowd motor drive based on the comparison of the crowd retract factor to the threshold crowd retract factor and based on the comparison of the angle of the dipper handle to one or more dipper handle angle limits.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The industrial machine of claim 6, wherein the one or more dipper handle angle limits are between approximately zero degrees and approximately ninety degrees with respect to a horizontal position of the dipper handle.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The industrial machine of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to set a crowd retract torque for the crowd motor drive based on the comparison of the angle of the dipper handle to one or more dipper handle angle limits and based on the comparison of the crowd retract factor to the threshold crowd retract factor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to set the parameter by setting a crowd speed reference for the crowd motor drive.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to set the parameter by setting a crowd motor torque for the crowd motor drive.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The industrial machine of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to set the parameter by setting a crowd retract torque for the crowd motor drive.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The industrial machine of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to set the crowd retract torque to a value greater than a standard operational value for crowd retract torque.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The industrial machine of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to set the crowd retract torque to a value of less than approximately 400% of the standard operational value for crowd retract torque.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The industrial machine of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to set the crowd retract torque to approximately 150% of the standard operational value for crowd retract torque.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to
determine a crowd motor torque, and
compare the crowd motor torque to one or more crowd motor torque limits.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The industrial machine of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to set the parameter based on the comparison of the crowd motor torque to the one or more crowd motor torque limits.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the industrial machine includes an AC industrial machine.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the industrial machine includes a DC industrial machine.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the industrial machine includes a rope shovel.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the industrial machine includes a power shovel.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The industrial machine of claim 1, wherein the impact creates a tipping moment on the industrial machine.

### Claim 23

A method of controlling a digging operation of an industrial machine, the industrial machine including a dipper and a crowd motor drive, the method comprising:
determining an impact of the dipper;
determining a crowding factor based on the impact of the dipper;
comparing the crowding factor to a threshold crowding factor; and
setting, using a controller, a parameter for the crowd motor drive based on the comparison of the crowding factor to the threshold crowding factor.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein setting a parameter includes a setting a parameter outside of a normal operating range for the crowd motor drive.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein determining an impact of the dipper includes determining an acceleration associated with the dipper.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, wherein determining a crowding factor based on the impact includes determining a crowding factor based on the acceleration.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, wherein the acceleration associated with the dipper is a negative acceleration.

### Claim 28 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising:
determining an angle of a dipper handle; and
comparing the angle of the dipper handle to one or more dipper handle angle limits.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein setting a parameter includes setting a crowd speed reference for the crowd motor drive based on the comparison of the crowding factor to the threshold crowding factor and based on the comparison of the angle of the dipper handle to one or more dipper handle angle limits.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein the one or more dipper handle angle limits are between approximately zero degrees and approximately ninety degrees with respect to a horizontal position of the dipper handle.

### Claim 31 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, further comprising setting a crowd motor torque for the crowd motor drive based on the comparison of the angle of the dipper handle to one or more dipper handle angle limits and based on the comparison of the crowding factor to the threshold crowding factor.

### Claim 32 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein setting a parameter includes setting a crowd speed reference for the crowd motor drive.

### Claim 33 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein setting a parameter includes setting a crowd motor torque for the crowd motor drive.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The method of claim 33, wherein setting a crowd motor torque includes setting a crowd retract torque for the crowd motor drive.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, wherein setting a crowd retract torque includes setting a crowd retract torque to a value greater than a standard operational value for crowd retract torque.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, wherein setting a crowd retract torque includes setting a crowd retract torque to a value of less than approximately 400% of the standard operational value for crowd retract torque.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The method of claim 36, wherein setting a crowd retract torque includes setting a crowd retract torque to approximately 150% of the standard operational value for crowd retract torque.

### Claim 38 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising:
determining a crowd motor torque; and
comparing the crowd motor torque to one or more crowd motor torque limits.

### Claim 39 (depends on 38)

The method of claim 38, wherein setting a parameter includes setting a parameter further based on the comparison of the crowd motor torque to the one or more crowd motor torque limits.

### Claim 40 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the industrial machine includes an AC industrial machine.

### Claim 41 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the industrial machine includes a DC industrial machine.

### Claim 42 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the industrial machine includes a rope shovel.

### Claim 43 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the industrial machine includes a power shovel.

### Claim 44 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the impact of the dipper creates a tipping moment on the industrial machine.