US-12616978-B2 - Mineral processing plant

US12616978B2US 12616978 B2US12616978 B2US 12616978B2US-12616978-B2

Abstract

A mineral processing plant for crushing mineral material or the like, using a crushing device and an internal combustion engine. In a first mode of operation an internal combustion engine is mechanically coupled to the crushing device to drive the latter. A generator is provided, which is mechanically coupled to an internal combustion engine to drive this generator, and the generator is coupled to one or more auxiliary units to supply to supply electric power thereto. An electric motor is provided separately from the generator, which electric motor is mechanically coupled to the crushing device in a second operating mode to drive the crushing device.

Inventors

Michael Gnam

Assignees

KLEEMANN GMBH

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220531
Priority Date: 20210629

Claims (20)

1 . A mineral processing plant for crushing mineral material, comprising: a crusher; an internal combustion engine; an electric generator mechanically coupled to the internal combustion engine such that the electric generator may be driven by the internal combustion engine; one or more auxiliary units electrically connected to the electric generator such that the electric generator may provide electric power to the one or more auxiliary units; and an electric motor separate from the electric generator; wherein in a first mode of operation the internal combustion engine is mechanically coupled to the crusher to drive the crusher; and wherein in a second mode of operation the electric motor is mechanically coupled to the crusher to drive the crusher.
2 . The mineral processing plant of claim 1 , wherein: in the first mode of operation the electric motor is mechanically disconnected from the internal combustion engine and the electric generator by a clutch.
3 . The mineral processing plant of claim 1 , further comprising: a clutch configured to selectively couple the electric motor to the crusher; wherein in the first mode of operation the electric motor is disconnected from the crusher by the clutch; and wherein in the second mode of operation the electric motor is connected to the crusher by the clutch.
4 . The mineral processing plant of claim 1 , wherein: in a third mode of operation both the internal combustion engine and the electric motor are mechanically coupled to the crusher to drive the crusher.
5 . The mineral processing plant of claim 4 , further comprising: an accumulator for storing electrical energy; wherein in the first mode of operation the accumulator is electrically connected to the electric generator such that the accumulator is charged by the electric generator; and wherein in the third mode of operation the electric motor is supplied with electric energy from the accumulator and/or from an external power supply.
6 . The mineral processing plant of claim 1 , further comprising: a first clutch configured to selectively couple the internal combustion engine to the crusher; wherein in the first mode of operation the first clutch couples the internal combustion engine to the crusher; and wherein in the second mode of operation the first clutch disconnects the internal combustion engine from the crusher.
7 . The mineral processing plant of claim 1 , further comprising: a first transmission connecting the internal combustion engine to the crusher in the first mode of operation.
8 . The mineral processing plant of claim 7 , further comprising: a second transmission connecting the internal combustion engine to the generator.
9 . The mineral processing plant of claim 7 , wherein: the first transmission is integrated in a drivetrain between the internal combustion engine and the crusher and between the electric motor and the crusher.
10 . The mineral processing plant of claim 9 , further comprising: the first clutch is integrated in the drivetrain between the internal combustion engine and the first transmission; and a second clutch is integrated in the drivetrain between the electric motor and the first transmission.
11 . The mineral processing plant of claim 1 , further comprising: a machine chassis; one or more electric or electrohydraulic travel drives configured to move the machine chassis; and an accumulator for storing electrical energy; wherein at least one of the one or more travel drives is supplied with electric power from the generator and/or from an external power supply and/or from the accumulator.
12 . The mineral processing plant of claim 11 , further comprising: a power supply controller configured to receive electrical power from the generator and/or from the external power supply and/or from the accumulator, the power supply controller being further configured to supply electrical power to the one or more auxiliary units and/or to the electric motor and/or to the at least one of the one or more travel drives.
13 . The mineral processing plant of claim 1 , further comprising: a first transmission connecting the internal combustion engine to the crusher in the first mode of operation; a second transmission connecting the internal combustion engine to the generator; a hydraulic pump connected to and driven by the first or second transmission; and a hydraulic motor connected to the hydraulic pump by a hydraulic line, the hydraulic motor being connected to a fan to drive the fan for cooling of the internal combustion engine and/or the electric motor.
14 . The mineral processing plant of claim 1 , wherein: the internal combustion engine has a maximum continuous power output equal to 3 times P; the electric motor has a maximum rated power input equal to 2 times P plus or minus 30% of 2 times P; and the generator has a maximum rated power output equal to P plus or minus 30% of P.
15 . The mineral processing plant of claim 1 , further comprising: a first clutch configured to selectively couple the internal combustion engine to the crusher; a second clutch configured to selectively couple the electric motor to the crusher; wherein the first clutch and the second clutch are combined in one assembly as a double clutch.
16 . The mineral processing plant of claim 15 , wherein: the first and second clutches are fluid clutches, dog clutches, multi-disk clutches or free-wheel clutches.
17 . The mineral processing plant of claim 1 , wherein: in a start-up mode of operation with the crusher at a standstill, the internal combustion engine is started and brought up to an operating speed, and then power transmission from the internal combustion engine to the crusher is built up over a period of time.
18 . The mineral processing plant of claim 1 , wherein: in a start-up mode of operation with the crusher at a standstill, the crusher is first started up by the electric motor, and then the internal combustion engine is coupled to the crusher by a clutch.
19 . A method of operating a mineral processing plant for crushing mineral material, the mineral processing plant including a crusher, an internal combustion engine, an electric generator mechanically coupled to the internal combustion engine, and an electric motor separate from the electric generator, the method comprising: in a first mode of operation mechanically coupling the internal combustion engine to the crusher and driving the crusher with the internal combustion engine; and in a second mode of operation mechanically coupling the electric motor to the crusher and driving the crusher with the electric motor.
20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising: in a third mode of operation mechanically coupling both the internal combustion engine and the electric motor to the crusher and driving the crusher with both the internal combustion engine and the electric motor.

Description

The invention relates to a mineral processing plant for crushing mineral material or the like, using a crushing device and an internal combustion engine, wherein in a first mode of operation the internal combustion engine is mechanically coupled to the crushing device to drive the latter, wherein a generator is provided, which is mechanically coupled to the internal combustion engine to drive this generator, and wherein the generator is coupled to one or more auxiliary units to supply electric power thereto. Mineral processing plants according to the invention are used for various purposes. They are used, for instance, to crush and possibly screen recycling and/or rock material during processing. These machines can be used either as mobile or as stationary units. A feed unit is used to feed the material to be processed into the plant. Excavators or wheel loaders are usually used for this purpose. The excavator deposits the material to be crushed or screened out in a conveyor chute of the feed unit. Starting from the feed unit, a conveyor device is used to convey the material to be processed to a downstream crusher unit. This is where the material is then crushed. In the context of the invention, a crusher unit may in particular be a jaw crusher unit having two crushing jaws, wherein preferably one of the crushing jaws is stationary and the other is movable. The crushing space is formed between the two crushing jaws, at least sectionally. Preferably, the crushing jaws are assigned to each other in such a manner that a tapering crushing space results. The two crushing jaws face each other in the area of a crusher outlet, wherein the crusher outlet can be formed by a crushing gap. The crusher unit may also comprise a rotary impact crusher, a gyratory crusher, or a cone crusher. From US 2021/0079837 A1 a material processing device having a main processing unit, for instance a crusher, is known. Further provided are an internal combustion engine, a mechanical transmission system, at least one motor generator (electric motor that also enables generator operation), an electric system, and electrically operated auxiliaries. In a steady-state first mode of operation, the internal combustion engine is coupled to and drives the main processing unit and motor generators via the mechanical transmission system. The electric power provided by the motor generators supplies the auxiliary units via the electric system. Further, a power connection is provided for an external power supply to the material processing device in a further stationary operating mode (second operating mode). The externally provided electric power supplies the auxiliary units and drives the motor generators. The motor generators drive the main processing equipment via the mechanical transmission system, while the internal combustion engine is decoupled from the mechanical transmission system in this operating mode. To move the material processing equipment, the internal combustion engine is mechanically uncoupled from the main processing equipment and drives a motor generator. The electric output power of the motor generator is used to operate the travel drives. The motor generators have to be sufficiently powerful in the second operating mode to be able to drive the main processing equipment using the external power supply. For generator operation, however, the motor generators are oversized. This results in unfavorable efficiency factor in generator operation. Mobile mineral processing plants are operated both in locations where local emission-free operation is possible and desirable or mandatory, and in locations where there is no possibility of an external power supply. It would therefore be desirable to have a mineral processing plant that provides optimum energy-efficient operation regardless of the mode of operation. The invention addresses the problem of providing a mineral processing plant of the type mentioned above, which makes for a more effective operation. This problem is solved by providing an electric motor separate from the generator, which electric motor is mechanically coupled to the crushing device in a second operating mode to drive the crushing device. The fact that the electric motor and the generator are provided separately means that they can each be optimized according to the requirements. In this way, oversizing or undersizing the electric motor and generator can be avoided, which increases the energy efficiency of the mineral processing plant. Preferably, provision may be made for the generator to be mechanically coupled to the internal combustion engine in the first operating mode and for the electric motor to be mechanically disconnected from the generator and/or the internal combustion engine by means of a clutch. The generator can then be driven by the internal combustion engine without the electric motor being dragged along. Thus, drag power losses can be avoided and the energy efficiency of the mineral processing plan