Developing a digital control system for the main drives of an open-pit excavator as a major field of increasing the efficiency of excavator operation

Abstract

The specifics of rock excavation using a front-shovel operational equipment are addressed in the paper. Excavation, carried out by actuating (thrusting and lifting) mechanisms of an excavator, is shown to form a leverage mechanism which consists of operational equipment elements and connects the main actuating mechanisms with the bucket, thus forming a common transmission mechanism for their drives. Mechanical energy of the main drives is converted to energy-force parameters realized at the cutting edge of the bucket (its teeth) in agreement with kinematic properties of the mechanism. Expressions for transfer functions of the leverage, which define relations between the energy-force parameters at the cutting edge and operating parameters (velocities of operating motions), were obtained. A flow chart for calculating the operating parameters was developed. A digital control system on its basis would allow to increase the excavating efficiency. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.