Patent ID: 8626403
Filing Date: 2014-01-07
Classification: B60L,Y02T

Abstract:
1. Heavy equipment configured for operation in a substantially-repetitive work cycle that includes lifting, rotating, and lowering steps, the heavy equipment comprising: a generator for providing an electrical output; working components of the heavy equipment that are driven directly or indirectly by the electrical output of the generator; an electrical bus for communicating the electrical output of the generator to the working components; an energy storage component configured to store electricity provided by the generator, and to provide electricity to the working components by way of the electrical bus; and a controller for selectively coupling the energy storage component to the electrical bus; wherein the electrical output of the generator is configured to be less than the power used by the heavy equipment during a portion of the work cycle; wherein the controller couples the energy storage component to the electrical bus to supplement the electrical output of the generator during the portion of the work cycle in which the electrical output of the generator is less than the power used by the working components of the heavy equipment; wherein, when a total power used by the heavy equipment throughout the work cycle is less than or equal to a total electrical output of the generator over the work cycle, the generator is operated to provide a first level of electrical output; and wherein, when the total power used by the heavy equipment throughout the work cycle is greater than the total electrical output of the generator over the work cycle, (i) a portion of the power used by the heavy equipment during at least some repetitions of the substantially-repetitive work cycle is power that was regenerated during one or more previous repetitions of the work cycle and stored in the energy storage component, and (ii) the generator is operated to charge the energy storage component by providing a second level of electrical output that is greater than the first level during one or more initial repetitions of the work cycle.