Fiber optic shape sensing adapted to cutter module of highwall miner
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorPaul R. Friend
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for determining the position and orientation of a cutter module relative to a frame of a highwall miner is provided. The cutter module is attached to the highwall miner by a string of push beams and moveable relative to the highwall miner. A reel is rotatably mounted to the highwall miner frame and configured to feed out a hose chain that supplies fluid to the cutter module. A fiber optic shape sensing system is associated with the cutter module is configured to receive strain information from the fiber bundle and compute the location of at least one position of the fiber bundle that is associated with the cutter module relative to the reference frame.
Claims17
A system for determining a position and orientation of a cutter module relative to a frame of a highwall miner comprising:
- said cutter module being attached to said highwall miner by a string of push beams and moveable relative to said highwall miner;
- a reel rotatably mounted to said highwall miner frame and configured to feed out a hose chain that supplies fluid to said cutter module;
- a fiber optic shape sensing system associated with said cutter module comprising:
- an interrogation module;
- a reference frame fixed to said highwall miner frame;
- and
- a fiber bundle joined to said interrogation module at a proximal end and to said cutter module at a distal end;
- wherein said interrogation module is configured to receive strain information from said fiber bundle;
- a position determining system mounted to said frame of the highwall miner at a fixed known distance from said interrogation module;
- and
- a controller configured to receive a signal indicative of a highwall miner pitch.
A method for determining the position and orientation of a cutter module relative to a frame of a highwall miner comprising:
- said cutter module being attached to and moveable relative to said highwall miner;
- providing a fiber optic shape sensing system associated with said cutter module comprising:
- an interrogation module mounted to said highwall miner frame;
- a reference frame fixed to said interrogation module and highwall miner frame;
- and
- a fiber bundle joined to said interrogation module at a proximal end and to said cutter module at a distal end;
- receiving reflection spectrum information from the fiber bundle in said interrogation module;
- computing the location of at least one position of said fiber bundle that is associated with said cutter module relative to the reference frame;
- providing a position determining system mounted to said frame of the highwall miner at a fixed known distance from said interrogation module;
- receiving, in a controller, a signal indicative of highwall miner pitch.
A highwall miner equipped with a system for determining the position and orientation of a cutter module relative to a frame of said highwall miner comprising:
- a power source;
- a ground engaging mechanism;
- said cutter module being attached to said highwall miner by a string of push beams and moveable relative to said highwall miner;
- a reel rotatably mounted to said highwall miner frame and configured to feed out a hose chain that supplies fluid to said cutter module;
- a fiber optic shape sensing system associated with said cutter module comprising:
- an interrogation module mounted to said frame;
- a reference frame fixed to said interrogation module and frame;
- and
- a fiber bundle joined to said interrogation module at a proximal end and to said cutter module at a distal end;
- wherein said interrogation module is configured to receive strain information from said fiber bundle;
- and
- a reference portal fixed to said reference frame and mounted to said highwall miner frame at a predetermined position and configured to receive said fiber bundle;
- wherein said interrogation module is fixed to said reel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.