Haul vehicle and method for controlling haul vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025042265-A1
Application number	US-202218717442-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 26, 2022
Priority date	Dec 28, 2021
Publication date	Feb 6, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A haul vehicle includes a dump body, a vehicle body supporting the dump body, a traveling apparatus including driving wheels and supporting the vehicle body, a trolley power receiving apparatus to which power is supplied from a trolley wire, a fuel cell that generates power through electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, and an electric motor that generates driving force for rotating the driving wheels on a basis of power from at least one of the trolley wire or the fuel cell.

First claim

1 . A haul vehicle comprising:
a dump body; a vehicle body supporting the dump body; a traveling apparatus including driving wheels and supporting the vehicle body; a trolley power receiving apparatus to which power is supplied from a trolley wire; a fuel cell that generates power through electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen; and an electric motor that generates driving force for rotating the driving wheels on a basis of power from at least one of the trolley wire or the fuel cell.

2 . The haul vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first DC/DC converter that converts voltage of the trolley wire, wherein the voltage converted by the first DC/DC converter is applied to the electric motor.

3 . The haul vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second DC/DC converter that converts voltage of the fuel cell, wherein the voltage converted by the second DC/DC converter is applied to the electric motor.

4 . The haul vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a shared DC/DC converter that converts voltage of the trolley wire and voltage of the fuel cell, wherein the voltage converted by the shared DC/DC converter is applied to the electric motor.

5 . The haul vehicle according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a switch mechanism that switches between a first state, in which power is supplied from the trolley wire to the electric motor via the shared DC/DC converter, and a second state, in which power is supplied from the fuel cell to the electric motor via the shared DC/DC converter.

6 . The haul vehicle according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a position sensor that detects a current position of the vehicle body; a topographical information storage unit that stores map information regarding a work site; and an FC trolley switching section that controls the switch mechanism in such a way as to switch between the first state and the second state on a basis of the current position and the map information.

7 . The haul vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage battery charged with power from at least one of the trolley wire or the fuel cell, wherein the electric motor generates the driving force on a basis of power from the storage battery.

8 . The haul vehicle according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a third DC/DC converter that converts voltage of the storage battery, wherein the voltage converted by the third DC/DC converter is applied to the electric motor.

9 . The haul vehicle according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a trolley storage battery charging section that charges the storage battery with power from the trolley wire on a basis of a charge state of the storage battery.

10 . A haul vehicle comprising:
a dump body; a vehicle body supporting the dump body; a traveling apparatus including driving wheels and supporting the vehicle body; a trolley power receiving apparatus to which power is supplied from a trolley wire; a first storage battery charged via a charging port; and an electric motor that generates driving force for rotating the driving wheels on a basis of power from at least one of the trolley wire or the first storage battery.

11 . The haul vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a first DC/DC converter that converts voltage of the trolley wire, wherein the voltage converted by the first DC/DC converter is applied to the electric motor.

12 . The haul vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a second DC/DC converter that converts voltage of the first storage battery, wherein the voltage converted by the second DC/DC converter is applied to the electric motor.

13 . The haul vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a shared DC/DC converter that converts voltage of the trolley wire and voltage of the first storage battery, wherein the voltage converted by the shared DC/DC converter is applied to the electric motor.

14 . The haul vehicle according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a switch mechanism that switches between a first state, in which power is supplied from the trolley wire to the electric motor via the shared DC/DC converter, and a second state, in which power is supplied from the first storage battery to the electric motor via the shared DC/DC converter.

15 . The haul vehicle according to claim 14 , further comprising:
a position sensor that detects a current position of the vehicle body; a topographical information storage unit that stores map information regarding a work site; and a storage battery trolley switching section that controls the switch mechanism in such a way as to switch between the first state and the second state on a basis of the current position and the map information.

16 . The haul vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a second storage battery charged with power from at least one of the trolley wire or the first storage battery, wherein the electric motor generates the driving force on a basis of power from the second storage battery.

17 . The haul vehicle according to claim 16 , further comprising:
a third DC/DC converter that converts voltage of the second storage battery, wherein the voltage converted by the third DC/DC converter is applied to the electric motor.

18 . The haul vehicle according to claim 16 , further comprising:
a trolley storage battery charging section that charges the second storage battery with power from the trolley wire on a basis of a charge state of the second storage battery.

19 . A method of controlling a haul vehicle, the method comprising:
supplying power from a trolley wire to the haul vehicle; causing a fuel cell of the haul vehicle to generate power; supplying power from at least one of the trolley wire or the fuel cell to an electric motor of the haul vehicle; and causing the haul vehicle to travel on driving force generated by the electric motor.

20 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Komatsu Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Watanabe Natsuki

Classifications

• B60L50/70

  using power supplied by fuel cells (in combination with batteries B60L50/75) · CPC title

• B60L2200/40

  Working vehicles · CPC title

• B60L50/40

  using propulsion power supplied by capacitors · CPC title

• B60L58/30

  for monitoring or controlling fuel cells · CPC title

• B60L2200/44

  Industrial trucks or floor conveyors · CPC title