EP4739852A1

EP4739852A1 - Redundant dual pump hydraulic system and method of weighted operation thereof

Info

Publication number: EP4739852A1
Application number: EP24758208.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Tommi Rajala
Original assignee: Sandvik Mining and Construction Oy
Current assignee: Sandvik Mining and Construction Oy
Priority date: 2023-08-18
Filing date: 2024-08-15
Publication date: 2026-05-13
Also published as: CN121712947A; WO2025040553A1; AU2024328645A1

Abstract

A redundant dual pump hydraulic system for a vehicle includes a first hydraulic power pack; a second hydraulic power pack; a hydraulically operated vehicle component, selectively driven by the first hydraulic power pack and the second hydraulic power pack; and a system controller including a device processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium. The computer readable medium includes instructions executable by the processor for performing the following functions: receiving data regarding a first vehicle parameter and a second vehicle parameter; and selecting which hydraulic power pack drives the hydraulically operated vehicle component based on the data received regarding the two or more vehicle parameters; wherein the received data is weighted for each of the first vehicle parameter and second vehicle parameter such that one of the vehicle parameters is prioritized over the other in determining which hydraulic power pack will drive the hydraulically operated vehicle component.

Description

REDUNDANT DUAL PUMP HYDRAULIC SYSTEM AND METHOD OF WEIGHTED OPERATION THEREOF

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims the benefits of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/520,550; entitled “REDUNDANT DUAL PUMP HYDRAULIC SYSTEM AND METHOD OF WEIGHTED OPERATION THEREOF”; and filed at the United States Patent and Trademark Office on August 18, 2023; the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to mining machines and vehicles and, more particularly, to redundant dual pump hydraulic systems used in mining machines and vehicles.

BACKGROUND

[0003] An overview of a sub-surface mine environment and general description of electric vehicles for mining is described in U.S. Patent No. 9,994,117, issued on June 12, 2018, titled “System And Method For Providing Power To A Mining Operation.” The present disclosure relates to heavy duty electric powered machines or vehicles that may operate in a continuous work environment such as a sub-surface mine. The battery packs employed in electric mining machines are heavy-duty, high powered battery packs which are comprised of multiple battery modules contained in a pack housing. Each module is comprised of multiple cells. The modules are equipped with an array of operational sensors and are provided with electronic components to provide data from the sensors to a separate maintenance network. Sensors can include temperature sensors, timing devices, charge level detection devices, and other monitoring devices which can be employed to provide an operations center with accurate, real-time data regarding the performance of the module and its performance history. Details of exemplary battery packs and battery management systems and the associated data generation and monitoring can be found in U.S. Patent No. 9,960,396, issued on May 1 , 2018, titled “Module Backbone System;” and in U.S. Patent No. 10,063,069, issued on August 28, 2018, titled “Module Maintenance System.”

[0004] Vehicles for mining and other applications utilize hydraulic systems for powering various components of the vehicle, such as a work implement, loading components, dumping components, steering, and other accessories. Some existing hydraulic systems utilize dual pumps, but the selection process for load distribution between the two pumps is limited and, for electric vehicles, is typically based on a single factor, typically the state of charge of the separate batteries respectively associated with the two hydraulic pumps. That is, generally, the pump/battery pairing having the higher state of charge may be used to provide greater output. However, there are numerous other factors and parameters that may influence which pump is preferred to be used under a given set of circumstances.

[0005] There exists a need in the art for an improved system and method to address the drawbacks with the existing solutions.

SUMMARY

[0006] A redundant dual pump hydraulic system and method for a vehicle are provided according to the techniques described herein. The disclosed system selectively designates which of the two hydraulic pumps is the acting primary pump and which is the acting secondary pump. The primary pump operates to drive the hydraulically driven components of the vehicle, while the secondary pump remains at idle or otherwise at a low output condition or is deactivated completely. If the hydraulic demand of the hydraulically driven components is greater than the capacity of the primary hydraulic pump (measured in terms of volumetric output or flowrate), then the system engages the secondary hydraulic pump to meet the demand in excess of the primary hydraulic pump capacity. This provides greater efficiency than running the two pumps in parallel and splitting the pumping duties even at low outputs below the capacity of a single pump.

[0007] In addition, the disclosed system is configured to control which of the two hydraulic pumps serves as the primary hydraulic pump and which serves as the secondary hydraulic pump and is configured to swap or switch which pump is primary and which is secondary depending on various monitored parameters. Further, the system considers weighting factors when making this determination. That is, certain monitored parameters may have a greater or lesser influence on whether the primary and secondary hydraulic pump is swapped. Further still, the weighting factors may be variable based on certain other monitored parameters and/or may be selectively adjusted, for example by an operator or service technician.

[0008] In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a mining vehicle. The mining vehicle comprises a first hydraulic power pack, a second hydraulic power pack, hydraulically operated components configured to be powered by at least one of the first and second hydraulic power packs, and a system controller. The system controller is configured to determine one of the first and second hydraulic power packs as a primary hydraulic power pack and the other of the first and second hydraulic power packs as a secondary hydraulic power pack, based, at least in part, on a combination of weighted parameters, determine a current required hydraulic demand for the hydraulically operated components, and based on a comparison between the determined current required hydraulic demand for the hydraulically operated components and a maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack, operate only the primary hydraulic power pack to power the hydraulically operated components when the determined current required hydraulic demand is smaller than or equal to the maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack, and operate both the primary hydraulic power pack and the secondary hydraulic power pack to power the hydraulically operated components when the determined current required hydraulic demand is greater than the maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack. [0009] In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method in a system controller of a mining vehicle. The mining vehicle comprises a first hydraulic power pack, a second hydraulic power pack, and hydraulically operated components configured to be powered by at least one of the first and second hydraulic power packs. The method comprises determining one of the first and second hydraulic power packs as a primary hydraulic power pack and the other of the first and second hydraulic power packs as a secondary hydraulic power pack, based, at least in part, on a combination of weighted parameters, determining a current required hydraulic demand for the hydraulically operated components, and based on a comparison between the determined current required hydraulic demand for the hydraulically operated components and a maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack, operating only the primary hydraulic power pack to power the hydraulically operated components when the determined current required hydraulic demand is smaller than or equal to the maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack, and operating both the primary hydraulic power pack and the secondary hydraulic power pack to power the hydraulically operated components when the determined current required hydraulic demand is greater than the maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack.

[0010] In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a redundant dual pump hydraulic system for a vehicle. The system may include a first hydraulic power pack including a first hydraulic pump, a first inverter, and a first electric motor; a second hydraulic power pack including a second hydraulic pump, a second inverter, and a second electric motor; a hydraulically operated vehicle component, selectively driven by the first hydraulic power pack and the second hydraulic power pack; and a system controller including a device processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium. The computer readable medium includes instructions executable by the processor for performing the following functions: receiving data regarding a first vehicle parameter and a second vehicle parameter; and selecting which hydraulic power pack drives the hydraulically operated vehicle component based on the data received regarding the two or more vehicle parameters; wherein the received data is weighted for each of the first vehicle parameter and second vehicle parameter such that one of the vehicle parameters is prioritized over the other in determining which hydraulic power pack will drive the hydraulically operated vehicle component.

[0011] In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method of operating a redundant dual pump hydraulic system for a vehicle. The method includes using a system controller including a device processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions executable by the processor to perform the following functions: receiving data regarding a first vehicle parameter and a second vehicle parameter; and selectively operating a first hydraulic power pack including a first hydraulic pump, a first inverter, and a first electric motor; and a second hydraulic power pack including a second hydraulic pump, a second inverter, and a second electric motor, to drive a hydraulically operated vehicle component. Selecting which hydraulic power pack drives the hydraulically operated vehicle component is based on the data received regarding the two or more vehicle parameters. In addition, the data is weighted for each of the first vehicle parameter and second vehicle parameter such that one of the vehicle parameters is prioritized over the other in determining which hydraulic power pack will drive the hydraulically operated vehicle component.

[0012] Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the disclosed systems and methods will be, or will become, apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description and this summary, be within the scope of the disclosed systems and methods, and be protected by the following claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The disclosed systems and methods can be better understood with reference to the following figures and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosed systems. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.

[0014] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an example embodiment of an electric mining machine;

[0015] FIG. 2 is an outline view of the example embodiment of an electric mining machine illustrating components of redundant dual pump hydraulic system;

[0016] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an example embodiment of a pair of hydraulic pumps for a redundant dual pump hydraulic system;

[0017] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the components of the redundant dual pump hydraulic system of the electric mining machine;

[0018] FIG. 5 is a representative view of an example embodiment of hydraulic power distribution in the electric mining machine under hydraulic load;

[0019] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an example embodiment of a method for hydraulic power distribution in an electric mining machine.

[0020] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a redundant dual pump hydraulic system according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0021] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine in which the state of charge of batteries associated with two separate hydraulic power packs are compared and the comparison is weighted;

[0022] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine in which the inverter temperatures of two separate hydraulic power packs are compared and the comparison is weighted;

[0023] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine in which the motor temperatures of two separate hydraulic power packs are compared and the comparison is weighted;

[0024] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine in which the power available from two separate hydraulic power packs is compared and the comparison is weighted; [0025] FIG. 12 is a flowchart continuing from FIGS. 8-11 and illustrating a process of determining whether to switch which hydraulic power pack is used as the primary pack to drive the hydraulically driven component(s) and which is to be used as the secondary (or assistive) pack;

[0026] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method of automatically adjusting weighting of the received parameter data based on other received data pertaining to vehicle operating conditions; and

[0027] FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a method of adjusting weighting of the received parameter data by an operator of the vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The present disclosure is directed to any type of vehicle that may implement an on-board hydraulic system. The disclosed redundant hydraulic system may be applicable to road-going vehicles. For example, a hydraulic steering system may utilize dual hydraulic pumps. Additional benefits may be realized when the disclosed redundant hydraulic system is implemented in work machines, and particularly in sub-surface mining machines. Further benefits may be realized when the disclosed system is implemented in electric vehicles. It will be understood that the term “vehicle,” as used herein, shall refer to any type of vehicle. It will also be understood that the disclosed systems and methods have particular applicability to sub-surface mining vehicles, and even more particularly to electric mining machines.

[0029] Electric mining machines are generally powered by onboard battery packs. The machines can be load-haul-dump (LHD) machines, scalers, graders, scoops, rock breakers, cutters, haulers, or a combination. In general, electric mining machines are heavy duty vehicles engineered for the challenging subsurface environments and limited spaces powered by an onboard battery or other power source. The machines generally include a tool end, heavy-duty wheels and tires, an operator area, controls, and may include a removable power source mounted onboard the machine. [0030] This disclosure is directed to a redundant dual pump hydraulic system and method for an electric mining machine having two main battery packs that each supply electric power to separate hydraulic pumps and motors of the electric mining machine. According to the techniques described herein, the disclosed redundant dual pump hydraulic system and method distributes hydraulic power output between the two hydraulic pumps in order to meet hydraulic power load demand. The techniques described herein also provide for sophisticated processes of selecting which of the dual pumps is utilized at any given time based on data collected regarding vehicle operations and operating parameters of the hydraulic system components.

[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates an example embodiment of an electric mining machine 100. In one embodiment, electric mining machine 100 is a load-haul-dump (LHD) machine with a hauling capacity of approximately 18 metric tons. In other embodiments, however, the techniques of the present embodiments for hydraulic power output distribution may be applied to any type of electric mining machine or mining vehicle.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1 , in this embodiment, electric mining machine 100 includes a chassis 102 (or frame) that comprises the main body of electric mining machine 100. Chassis 102 is configured to engage with a removable power source 104 that provides electrical power to electric mining machine 100. Removable power source 104 includes a battery frame 106 (also referred to as battery cage or battery housing) that holds battery packs that provide the electrical power to electric mining machine 100. In this embodiment, removable power source 104 includes two battery packs, including a first battery pack 108 and a second battery pack 110. Each battery pack is a separate, self-contained battery pack that is configured to supply electric power to individual hydraulic pumps, as will be described below.

[0033] In an example embodiment, each of first battery pack 108 and second battery pack 110 may be a heavy-duty, high powered battery pack which is comprised of multiple battery modules contained in a pack housing. Each battery module (or module) is comprised of multiple battery cells (or cells). The modules are also equipped with an array of operational sensors and are provided with electronic components to provide data from the sensors to a separate maintenance network. Suitable battery modules and associated sensors and components are described, for instance, in U.S. Patent Nos. 9,960,396 and 10,063,069.

[0034] Removable power source 104 is removably attached to electric mining machine 100. As used herein, the term “removably attached” refers to two components that are joined together but that can be separated without destroying one or the other component. That is, the components can be non-destructively detached from one another. Exemplary modalities of “removable attachment” include connections made using removable fasteners, latches, locks, hooks, magnetic connections as well as other kinds of connections.

[0035] In this embodiment, removable power source 104 is removably attached to chassis 102 at the rear of electric mining machine 100. For example, an attachment mechanism (not shown) may be configured to engage a portion of battery frame 106 of removable power source 104 using a plurality of hooks. It should be understood that other types of attachment mechanisms may be used to attach removable power source 104 to electric mining machine 100. Additionally, in other embodiments, the attachment location of removable power source 104 on electric mining machine 100 may also be different.

[0036] In an example embodiment, electric mining machine 100 is an LHD and includes a bucket 114 at the front of electric mining machine 100. In other embodiments, however, the electric mining machine may be any type of electric mining machine or electric vehicle. In these embodiments, the electric mining machine may be equipped with different hydraulically operated components depending on its function. That is, bucket 114 is optional and is not required to implement the techniques of the example embodiments.

[0037] In some embodiments, chassis 102 comprising the main body of electric mining machine 100 may include a first body portion 116 and a second body portion 118. First body portion 116 may be a rearward portion of electric mining machine 100. Second body portion 118 may be a frontward portion of electric mining machine 100. In some embodiments, a mechanical linkage 120 connects first body portion 116 and second body portion 118 so that the two portions can move relative to one another (e.g., swivel or pivot). In an example embodiment, a plurality of hydraulic lines 121 extend between first body portion 116 and second body portion 118 at mechanical linkage 120. Plurality of hydraulic lines 121 are configured to supply hydraulic fluid to one or more components of a redundant dual pump hydraulic system, as will be described below.

[0038] In an example embodiment, electric mining machine 100 includes a propulsion system comprising one or more electric motors that are powered by one or more batteries. In some embodiments, electric mining machine 100 may include at least two electric motors for powering each set of wheels. For example, in this embodiment, electric mining machine 100 includes a first set of wheels 122 located on second body portion 118 associated with the frontward portion of electric mining machine 100. First set of wheels 122 are connected to a front axle 124 that is powered by at least one front electric motor. In this embodiment, electric mining machine 100 also includes a second set of wheels 126 located on first body portion 116 associated with the rearward portion of electric mining machine 100. Second set of wheels 126 are connected to a rear axle 128 that is powered by at least one rear electric motor.

[0039] In an example embodiment, each set of wheels (e.g., first set of wheels 122 and second set of wheels 126) may comprise a pair of wheels on each side of electric mining machine 100 (i.e., one wheel per side). In other embodiments, additional wheels may be provided on one or both axles. For example, in some cases, one or both of front axle 124 and rear axle 128 may include two wheels on each side of electric mining machine 100.

[0040] In one embodiment, front axle 124 and rear axle 128 are not mechanically linked. In other words, each axle may be independently powered by its associated electric motor(s). In this manner, first set of wheels 122 on front axle 124 and second set of wheels 126 on rear axle 128 can be driven at different speeds and/or provided with different amounts of power.

[0041] In some embodiments, electric mining machine 100 may include additional components, including various standard vehicular provisions and accessories. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , electric mining machine 100 includes a cab 130 for receiving one or more operators of electric mining machine 100. Other typical components of a mining machine may also be provided.

[0042] Referring now to FIG. 2, an outline view of electric mining machine 100 is shown to illustrate the components of a redundant dual pump hydraulic system 200. In an example embodiment, redundant dual pump hydraulic system 200 includes a hydraulic control system 202 configured to control operation of the various components of redundant dual pump hydraulic system 200. For example, hydraulic control system 202 may be in fluid communication with a pair of hydraulic pumps 210, including a first hydraulic pump 212 and a second hydraulic pump 216.

[0043] First hydraulic pump 212 may be in fluid communication with hydraulic control system 202 via a first hydraulic supply line 204 and second hydraulic pump 216 may be in fluid communication with hydraulic control system 202 via a second hydraulic supply line 206. With this arrangement, hydraulic control system 202 may use pressurized hydraulic fluid received from first hydraulic pump 212 and/or second hydraulic pump 216 to operate one or more hydraulically operated components, including, for example, a steering system 224 (via a first hydraulic output line 226) and/or a lifting and loading system 228 (via a second hydraulic output line 230).

[0044] In some embodiments, each battery pack of removable power source 104 (i.e. , first battery pack 108 and second battery pack 110) may supply electric power to a different hydraulic pump (and its associated pump motor) of pair of hydraulic pumps 210, including first hydraulic pump 212 and second hydraulic pump 216. For example, in this embodiment, first battery pack 108 supplies electric power to a first pump motor 214 that drives first hydraulic pump 212. Similarly, second battery pack 110 supplies electric power to a second pump motor 218 that drives second hydraulic pump 216.

[0045] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, first battery pack 108 may be connected via a power cable 220 to provide power to first hydraulic pump 212 and first pump motor 214. Likewise, second battery pack 110 may be connected via a power cable 222 to provide power to second hydraulic pump 216 and second pump motor 218. [0046] It should be understood that first battery pack 108 and second battery pack 110 may also supply electric power to other components of electric mining machine 100, including, for example, the one or more motors that are configured to move first set of wheels 122 on front axle 124 and/or second set of wheels 126 on rear axle 128. Additionally, first battery pack 108 and second battery pack 110 may supply electric power to other components of electric mining machine 100, including hydraulic control system 202, steering system 224, lifting and loading system 228, and various accessories, such as lights, sensors, communications, displays, etc.

[0047] By powering each hydraulic pump of pair of hydraulic pumps 210 using a separate battery pack (e.g., first battery pack 108 powering first hydraulic pump 212 and second battery pack 110 powering second hydraulic pump 216), the amount of power to be delivered to a single source is reduced. This allows for load balancing between each hydraulic pump to control how much power is being used to better manage the remaining charge of each battery pack.

[0048] In an example embodiment, pair of hydraulic pumps 210 may be located behind cab 130 on main body or chassis 102 of electric mining machine 100. In this embodiment, pair of hydraulic pumps 210 are arranged together (i.e., adjacent to one another). However, in other embodiments, each individual hydraulic pump of pair of hydraulic pumps 210 (e.g., first hydraulic pump 212 and second hydraulic pump 216) may be arranged in different locations on main body or chassis 102 of electric mining machine 100. For example, in one embodiment, each individual hydraulic pump of pair of hydraulic pumps 210 (e.g., first hydraulic pump 212 and second hydraulic pump 216) may be arranged on opposite sides of electric mining machine 100. In other embodiments, the arrangement of each individual hydraulic pump within the electric mining machine may vary based on space and layout requirements and specifications. By using two individual hydraulic pumps, which are each smaller in size than a conventional single hydraulic pump, flexibility in the arrangement of the hydraulic pumps within the main body or chassis 102 of electric mining machine 100 can be provided. [0049] Referring now to FIG. 3, a schematic view of the components of pair of hydraulic pumps 210 of redundant dual pump hydraulic system 200 of electric mining machine 100 are illustrated. In this embodiment, pair of hydraulic pumps 210, including first hydraulic pump 212 and second hydraulic pump 216, may be seen in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, a first outlet 300 of first hydraulic pump 212 is in fluid communication with hydraulic control system 202 via first hydraulic supply line 204. First battery pack 108 supplies electric power through power cable 220, via a first inverter 305, to provide power to first pump motor 214 to drive first hydraulic pump 212 to cause hydraulic fluid within first hydraulic pump 212 to become pressurized. Collectively, first inverter 305, first pump motor 214, and first hydraulic pump 212 form a first hydraulic power pack. With this arrangement, pressurized hydraulic fluid from first hydraulic pump 212 may flow from first outlet 300 through first hydraulic supply line 204 to hydraulic control system 202.

[0050] Similarly, a second outlet 302 of second hydraulic pump 216 is in fluid communication with hydraulic control system 202 via second hydraulic supply line 206. Second battery pack 110 supplies electric power through power cable 222, via a second inverter 310, to provide power to second pump motor 218 to drive second hydraulic pump 216 to cause hydraulic fluid within second hydraulic pump 216 to become pressurized. Collectively, second inverter 310, second pump motor 218, and second hydraulic pump 216 form a second hydraulic power pack. With this arrangement, pressurized hydraulic fluid from second hydraulic pump 216 may flow from second outlet 302 through second hydraulic supply line 206 to hydraulic control system 202.

[0051] First inverter 305 and second inverter 310 change direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) for motor controls. The battery packs supply the inverters via a DC circuit. In addition, the inverters listen to the speed reference commands sent by the machine control system. The inverters then control the pump motor speed by supplying AC current. It will be understood that, although the present system is described as using a speed reference command, alternatively the system could use a torque reference command. [0052] Referring now to FIG. 4, components of redundant dual pump hydraulic system 200 are shown. In an example embodiment, redundant dual pump hydraulic system 200 is located on main body or chassis 102 of electric mining machine 100. Electric power for redundant dual pump hydraulic system 200 is provided by removable power source 104 containing first battery pack 108 and second battery pack 110, which may be removable from main body or chassis 102 of electric mining machine 100, as described above, to facilitate being replaced with another substantially similar removable power source containing two individual battery packs.

[0053] As described above, first battery pack 108 supplies electric power, via first inverter 305, to first hydraulic power pack 410. That is, first battery pack 108 supplies electric power, via first inverter 305, to first pump motor 214 that drives first hydraulic pump 212 to pressurize hydraulic fluid, which exits first hydraulic pump 212 through first outlet 300 via first hydraulic supply line 204 (shown in FIG. 3) and then passes through a first check valve 400 before reaching hydraulic control system 202. Similarly, second battery pack 110 supplies electric power, via second inverter 310, to second hydraulic power pack 415. That is, second battery pack 110 supplies electric power, via second inverter 310, to second pump motor 218 that drives second hydraulic pump 216 to pressurize hydraulic fluid, which exits second hydraulic pump 216 through second outlet 302 via second hydraulic supply line 206 (shown in FIG. 3) and then passes through a second check valve 402 before reaching hydraulic control system 202.

[0054] A system controller 420 controls the operation of first hydraulic power pack 410 and second hydraulic power pack 415. The functions of an exemplary system controller will be discussed in greater detail below with respect to FIG. 7. Among other functions, system controller 420 determines which of the hydraulic power packs will be the primary pack providing hydraulic power at any given time, and system controller 420 is configured to coordinate a swap or switch of which hydraulic power pack is the primary hydraulic power pack and which is the secondary hydraulic power pack based on various monitored parameters. [0055] At hydraulic control system 202, pressurized hydraulic fluid from each of first hydraulic pump 212 and second hydraulic pump 216 is collected at a main valve 404. Main valve 404 may receive instructions from hydraulic control system 202, for example, from a processor or other computerized controller, to release the pressurized hydraulic fluid from main valve 404 through one or more hydraulic cylinders 406. For example, hydraulic cylinders 406 may be associated with various hydraulic system components, including, but not limited to steering system 224 and/or lifting and loading system 228.

[0056] In an example embodiment, steering system 224 may use hydraulic actuators to pivot or swivel first body portion 116 and second body portion 118 around mechanical linkage 120 to control a steering angle or direction of electric mining machine 100. In an example embodiment, lifting and loading system 228 may use hydraulic actuators to control operation of bucket 114 at the front of electric mining machine 100 (i.e., lifting, tilting, etc.).

[0057] It should also be understood that redundant dual pump hydraulic system 200 may include other conventional components, including, but not limited to return hydraulic supply lines that provide hydraulic fluid back to pair of hydraulic pumps 210 and a reservoir or other tanks that are configured to hold or store hydraulic fluid.

[0058] In addition, electric mining machine 100 may include one or more hydraulic accessories 408 that may use hydraulic fluid from redundant dual pump hydraulic system 200, such as, for example, braking systems, power-take off systems, etc. Additionally, in some embodiments, electric mining machine 100 may include other components conventionally associated with mining vehicles or other types of earth moving machines.

[0059] FIG. 5 is a representative view of an example embodiment illustrating hydraulic power distribution in electric mining machine 100 under hydraulic load. In this embodiment, electric mining machine 100 is performing normal operations, for example, raising bucket 114 using loading and lifting system 228, described above. Raising bucket 114 requires a certain amount of hydraulic power to drive the hydraulic actuators of loading and lifting system 228. Notably, the heavier the load attempted to be lifted, the more hydraulic output is required to drive lifting system 228. For lower hydraulic demands, controller 420 may instruct whichever hydraulic pump is currently designated as the primary hydraulic pump to provide all of the demanded hydraulic power output, as shown to the left in FIG. 5. For higher hydraulic demands, controller 420 may engage the secondary hydraulic pump to provide the balance of the demanded hydraulic power output.

[0060] FIG. 6 illustrates the steps of this process of hydraulic power distribution. As shown in FIG. 6, at step 600, the system determines the primary power pack and the secondary power pack based, at least in part, on a combination of weighted parameters. (Parameter weighting and selection of which power pack is primary/secondary will be discussed in greater detail below.) Then, at step 605, the system determines a current required hydraulic demand of the vehicle. Once the current demand has been determined, the system evaluates, at step 610, whether the current required hydraulic demand is greater than the maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary power pack. If not, then the system continues operating the primary power pack such as to meet the current required hydraulic demand of the vehicle (step 615) and deactivates the secondary power pack (620). It will be understood that the secondary power pack, when not engaged, may alternatively be operated at idle or otherwise at a low output condition.

[0061] If, at step 610, the current required hydraulic demand is greater than the maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary power pack, then the system proceeds to step 625, operating the primary power pack at its maximum capacity and operating the secondary power pack such as to meet the difference between the current required hydraulic demand of the vehicle and the maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary power pack (step 630).

[0062] The system is configured to swap which of the two hydraulic pumps is the primary hydraulic pump and which is the secondary hydraulic pump based on various monitored parameters. For example, the system considers the state of charge of batteries associated with each pump, temperatures of various system components, such as the inverters and motors, and available power from each hydraulic power pack. [0063] By swapping which power pack is the primary pack and which is the secondary pack, the operation of the hydraulically driven component(s) may be improved, and the frequency at which maintenance is required may be reduced. In addition, by basing the selection of which hydraulic power pack is utilized at a given time on several parameters, the longevity of system performance may be increased.

[0064] Reducing the frequency at which maintenance must be performed on the vehicle, costs may be saved in several areas. Down time for a vehicle, particularly a sub-surface mining machine comes with significant costs. Not only is the productivity of the vehicle lost, but the operator likely still needs to be paid, as well as the costs associated with the maintenance operation. It should also be noted that the difficulty of a maintenance operation for a broken-down sub-surface mining machine is significant. First, the vehicle is typically far underground, which means the vehicle must travel a long way to make it to the surface if it is able to do so. Second, if the mining machine is not able to make it to the surface, it is difficult for a maintenance vehicle to access it. Third, the size of the vehicle and its components makes it difficult and expensive to transport replacement components to the vehicle, underground or otherwise. For all of these reasons, it is preferable to keep the machine and its components operating as long as possible without requiring service, maintenance, or repairs.

[0065] In addition, it is noteworthy that sub-surface mining environments can have tremendously inhospitable conditions. Temperatures can be quite high, and temperature is a significant factor in performance of mining machines, e.g., with respect to efficiency, endurance, durability, battery life, etc. Mining machines are run almost continuously, so temperature control and component lifespan are significant considerations. There is a need, therefore, to monitor component temperatures closely and manage the operation of the hydraulic system accordingly.

[0066] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a redundant dual pump hydraulic system according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 7 illustrates a redundant dual pump hydraulic system 1100 for a vehicle. System 1100 includes system controller 420 including a device processor 1110 and a non-transitory computer readable medium 1115 including instructions executable by processor 1110 for performing various functions discussed below.

[0067] The non-transitory computer readable medium may include any suitable computer readable medium, such as a memory, e.g., RAM, ROM, flash memory, or any other type of memory known in the art. In some embodiments, the non-transitory computer readable medium may include, for example, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of such devices. More specific examples of the non-transitory computer readable medium may include a portable computer diskette, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, and any suitable combination of these exemplary media. A non-transitory computer readable medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire.

[0068] Instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium for carrying out operations of the present system may be instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, assembler instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, configuration data for integrated circuitry, state-setting data, or source code or object code written in any of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++, or suitable language, and procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages.

[0069] Aspects of the present disclosure are described in association with figures illustrating flowcharts and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computing products. It will be understood that each block of the flowcharts and/or block diagrams can be implemented by computer readable instructions. The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of various disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions. In some implementations, the functions set forth in the figures and claims may occur in an alternative order than listed and/or illustrated.

[0070] Controller 420 may include networking hardware configured to interface with other nodes of a network, such as a LAN, WLAN, or other networks. Further, controller 420 may be configured to receive data from a plurality of sources and communicate information to one or more external destinations. Accordingly, controller 420 may include a receiver 1120 and a transmitter 1125. (It will be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the receiver and transmitter may be combined in a transceiver.)

[0071] Any suitable communication platforms and/or protocols may be utilized for communication between controller 420 and other components of the system. Since the various sources of information may each have their own platform and/or protocol, the system may be configured to interface with each platform and/or protocol to receive the data.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 7, in some embodiments, controller 420 may be configured to receive data from various sources. For example, controller 420 may be configured to receive vehicle operating data (1130). Vehicle operating data 1130 may include data regarding any operating parameters of the vehicle. For example, such data may include temperatures of components other than those of the hydraulic system. For example, the data may include coolant temperature, oil temperature, battery temperature, and any other vehicular temperature that may be measured. Alternatively, or additionally, vehicle operating data 1130 may include time of operation, average speed, grade/incline of travel, tool usage, and/or other indications of vehicular stress. It will be understood that other types of vehicle operating data could be received by controller 420.

[0073] As also shown in FIG. 7, in some embodiments, atmospheric data (1135) may be received by controller 420. Exemplary atmospheric data 1135 that may be received by controller 420 may include current atmospheric temperature, current humidity, and/or other current atmospheric conditions. In addition, controller 420 may be configured to receive forecast data regarding temperature, humidity, and/or other such conditions.

[0074] In some embodiments, one or more of the weighting factors may be adaptive based on one or more detected parameters, such as the vehicle operating data 1130 and/or atmospheric data 1135. For example, if controller 420 receives vehicle operating data 1130 that indicates hard driving conditions, like driving uphill (i.e. , a steep incline) for long stretches, controller 420 may automatically adjust the weighting factors to prioritize component temperatures as the determining factors for choosing which hydraulic pump drives the hydraulically operated component. Similarly, if high ambient temperatures are detected, then controller 420 may automatically prioritize component temperatures as the determining factors for choosing which hydraulic pump drives the hydraulically operated component.

[0075] Further, in some embodiments, controller 420 may be configured to receive operator input (1140), particularly with regarding to weighting factors used to bias the decision as to which hydraulic pump is used to drive the hydraulically operated component of the vehicle. For example, in some cases, the operator may determine that conditions (e.g., high ambient temperature) merits a more aggressive selection process with respect to temperature. That is, the operator may wish to weight component temperatures more heavily in the decision of which hydraulic pump to be used. In other situations, e.g., when ambient temperatures are cooler, the operator may provide input to reduce the weighting of temperature factors and/or increase the weighting of other factors. For example, the operator may wish to weight battery charge more heavily, for performance reasons, if component overheating is not of as much concern.

[0076] Similarly, the adjustment of weighting factors may be performed by a service technician. Thus, controller 420 may be configured to receive service technician input (1145) regarding weighting factors. This may not be as efficient as operator input, but it may prevent ill-advised modifications to the weighting factors. For example, if it is known that a machine is to be used in a high temperature environment, the technician may provide the input to modify the weighting factors during routine service before the machine is deployed.

[0077] As also shown in FIG. 7, system 1100 includes first hydraulic power pack 410 including first hydraulic pump 212, first inverter 305, and first electric motor 214. System 1100 also includes first battery pack 108 configured to supply power to first hydraulic power pack 410. In addition, system 1100 includes second hydraulic power pack 415 including second hydraulic pump 216, second inverter 310, and second electric motor 218. Further, system 110 includes second battery pack 110 configured to supply electrical power to second hydraulic power pack 415. As further shown in FIG. 7, system 1100 also includes at least one hydraulically operated vehicle component 1180, that is selectively driven by first hydraulic power pack 410 and second hydraulic power pack 415. Features and functions of the inverters, hydraulic pumps, and electric motors are discussed in detail above.

[0078] The hydraulically operated vehicle component could be any of a variety of such components on a vehicle. For example, in some cases, hydraulically operated vehicle component 1180 may include a steering system, a work implement (e.g., bucket, forklift, etc.), or any other hydraulically operated system on the vehicle. It will be understood that more than one hydraulically operated component may be driven by the hydraulic power packs. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the hydraulic system may drive hydraulically operated components such as accessories 408, steering 224, and/or lifting and loading equipment 228.

[0079] The system is configured to prioritize at least one vehicle parameter over another when determining which hydraulic pump to utilize. That is, the controller is configured to receive data regarding at least two vehicle parameters. In some embodiments, the system is configured to receive data regarding more than two vehicle parameters. The system shown and described herein receives data from four system components and weights each data set in order to prioritize certain parameters over the other parameters. It will be understood that the concepts described herein are applicable to systems that monitor two or more parameters, these concepts are also applicable to systems that monitor three parameters as well as systems that monitor more than four parameters.

[0080] In the base system, the controller is configured to receive data regarding a first vehicle parameter and a second vehicle parameter and select which hydraulic power pack drives the hydraulically operated vehicle component based on the data received regarding the two or more vehicle parameters, wherein the received data is weighted for each of the first vehicle parameter and second vehicle parameter such that one of the vehicle parameters is prioritized over the other in determining which hydraulic power pack will drive the hydraulically operated vehicle component. The selection process determines which hydraulic power pack shall be the primary power pack and which shall be the secondary (or assistive) power pack.

[0081] In most cases, the first vehicle parameter is a comparison between a charge level of the first battery associated with the first hydraulic power pack and a charge level of the second battery associated with the second hydraulic power pack. In such cases, the second vehicle parameter is selected from the group including: a comparison between a temperature of the first pump motor and a temperature of the second pump motor; a comparison between a temperature of the first inverter and a temperature of the second inverter; and a comparison between an amount of power available from the first hydraulic power pack and an amount of power available from the second hydraulic power pack. It will be understood, however, that the first vehicle parameter could be any of the four parameters mentioned above, and that the second vehicle parameter could be any of the other three parameters.

[0082] FIGS. 8-11 illustrate the process of weighting the four monitored parameters, respectively. Then, the utilization of the outputs of these four processes (i.e., the weighted parameters) is shown in FIG. 12.

[0083] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine in which the state of charge of batteries associated with two separate hydraulic power packs are compared and the comparison is weighted. As shown in FIG. 8, the battery 1200 of the secondary hydraulic power pack 1205 is monitored to determine its state of charge 1210. In addition, the battery 1215 of the primary hydraulic power pack 1220 is also monitored to determine its state of charge 1225. Then, at step 1230, the state of charge 1210 of battery 1200 is divided by the state of charge 1225 of battery 1215, resulting in a state of charge (SOC)- based switch recommendation factor 1235. (NOTE: here “switch” refers to the switch between which hydraulic power pack serves as the primary driver and which serves as the secondary driver.) This SOC-based switch recommendation factor 1235 is then multiplied by an SOC weighting factor 1240, thus producing a first factor 1250.

[0084] It will be understood that the weighting factors may be any suitable value. Since the recommendation factor is multiplied by the weighting factor, the smaller the weighting factor value, the less the recommendation factor is prioritized. The larger the weighting factor value, the more the recommendation factor is prioritized. Those having ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize different weighting factors to use in order to prioritize one recommendation factor over others, and vice versa.

[0085] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine in which the inverter temperatures of two separate hydraulic power packs are compared and the comparison is weighted. As shown in FIG. 9, the inverter temperature 1300 of the primary hydraulic power pack 1305 is monitored to determine the primary inverter temperature 1310. In addition, the inverter temperature 1315 of the secondary hydraulic power pack 1320 is also monitored to determine the secondary inverter temperature 1325. Then, at step 1330, the primary inverter temperature 1310 is divided by the secondary inverter temperature 1325, resulting in an inverter temperature-based switch recommendation factor 1335. This inverter temperature-based switch recommendation factor 1335 is then multiplied by an inverter temperature weighting factor 1340, thus producing a second factor 1350.

[0086] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine in which pump motor temperatures of two separate hydraulic power packs are compared and the comparison is weighted. As shown in FIG. 10, the pump motor temperature 1400 of the primary hydraulic power pack 1405 is monitored to determine the primary pump motor temperature 1410. In addition, the pump motor temperature 1415 of the secondary hydraulic power pack 1420 is also monitored to determine the secondary pump motor temperature 1425. Then, at step 1430, the primary pump motor temperature 1410 is divided by the secondary pump motor temperature 1425, resulting in a pump motor temperature-based switch recommendation factor 1435. This pump motor temperaturebased switch recommendation factor 1435 is then multiplied by a pump motor temperature weighting factor 1440, thus producing a third factor 1450.

[0087] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine in which the power available from two separate hydraulic power packs is compared and the comparison is weighted. As shown in FIG. 11 , the available motoring power 1500 of the secondary hydraulic power pack 1505 is monitored to determine the secondary power 1510. In addition, the available motoring power 1515 of the primary hydraulic power pack 1520 is also monitored to determine the primary power 1525. Then, at step 1530, the secondary power 1510 is divided by the primary power 1525, resulting in an available power-based switch recommendation factor 1535. This available power-based switch recommendation factor 1535 is then multiplied by an available power weighting factor 1540, thus producing a fourth factor 1550.

[0088] FIG. 12 is a flowchart continuing from FIGS. 8-11 and illustrating a process of determining whether to switch which hydraulic power pack is used as the primary pack to drive the hydraulically driven component and which is to be used as the secondary (or assistive) pack. As shown in FIG. 12, the first factor from FIG. 8, the second factor from FIG. 9, the third factor from FIG. 10, and the fourth factor from FIG. 11 are summed at step 1600 producing a total factor 1605. Total factor 1605 is then divided by a sum of the weighting factors 1610 at step 1615 to produce a weighted switch recommendation (WSR) 1620.

[0089] At step 1625, the system determines whether WSR 1620 is less than (1 + the hysteresis for a switch). If so, the method proceeds to step 1665 where a switch is prevented. If, on the other hand, WSR 1620 is greater than or equal to (1 + the hysteresis for a switch), then the method prepares for a switch, proceeding to step 1670 where a further evaluation is made. Hysteresis is used to prevent primary/secondary roles changing repeatedly. For example, if the state of charge comparison were to be used without hysteresis, the system would switch the roles even if there's a 0.1 % difference between the battery packs. However, by using a hysteresis of, say 5%, the state of charge difference needs to be 5.0% before the switch is made. This prevents the system from swapping primary/secondary roles back and forth repeatedly. It will be understood that the size of the hysteresis utilized could vary and that any suitable hysteresis may be employed with the disclosed system.

[0090] In the meantime, a severe temperature subroutine 1630 is executed. In this subroutine, the temperatures of the motors and inverters are monitored. If the primary motor or inverter is too hot, then the system considers the temperature of the secondary motor and inverter. If the motor or inverter of both the primary and secondary power pack are too hot, then the system activates a limp mode and an alarm, and shuts down operation of both hydraulic power packs. In the severe temperature monitoring subroutine, temperatures of components of the first hydraulic power pack and the components of the second hydraulic power pack are evaluated and, if a temperature of any of the components exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature, then the system is prevented from operating the hydraulic power pack with the threshold-exceeding temperature from driving the hydraulically operated component.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 12, at step 1635, the system determines whether the temperature of the primary motor or the primary inverter is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold. If not, then the system continues to monitor these temperatures. If yes, then the system determines at step 1640 whether the secondary motor temperature or the secondary inverter temperature is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold. If yes, then at step 1645, the system activates limp mode, limiting use of either hydraulic power pack and activates an alarm.

[0092] If the primary motor and inverter are too hot, as determined in step 1635, but the secondary motor and inverter are not too hot, then the method proceeds to step 1650 at which a warning is triggered. The system then prepares to switch from the primary hydraulic power pack to the secondary hydraulic power pack, proceeding to step 1670. It will be understood that, in some embodiments, this severe temperature subroutine may override the weighted switch recommendation. In other embodiments, this subroutine may be weighed against the weighted switch recommendation. For example, if the battery state of charge is low enough for one power pack, it may trump the severe temperature subroutine.

[0093] In addition, a secondary power pack activity subroutine 1655 may evaluate the activity of the secondary battery, inverter, and other aspects of the power pack. If these secondary components are not active, then a switch to the secondary power pack is not possible or otherwise recommended. Accordingly, at step 1660, it is determined whether the secondary battery, inverter, or power pack are running. If these components are running, then these components continue to be monitored. If any of these components is not running (e.g., due to a system fault), then the system proceeds to step 1665 at which a switch is prevented. Therefore, even if a switch is recommended, the switch is prevented due to the unavailability of the secondary components to take over as the primary driver.

[0094] In primary power pack subroutine 1688, an evaluation is made as to whether the primary battery, inverter, or powerpack generally are running. At step 1690, the determination is made as to whether the primary battery, inverter, or power pack are running. If yes, then the system simply continues to monitor these components. If not, then the system prepares to switch, as a fault is indicated.

[0095] Therefore, to summarize the preceding steps, the system is configured to swap roles of the power packs if one or more of the following occurs: a swap is recommended based on the weighted parameter data; a temperature of a component of the acting primary power pack exceeds a predetermined threshold; and a fault occurs in at least one of the battery supplying the acting primary power pack, the inverter of the acting primary power pack, or the motor of the acting primary power pack.

[0096] In some embodiments, the swap or switch is performed by accelerating the speed of the acting secondary motor to match or nearly match the speed of the acting primary motor, then performing the swap as to which pump drives the hydraulically driven vehicle component. This process is illustrated as swap routine 1675. As shown in FIG. 12, the first motor speed 1678 and the second motor speed 1680 are, at step 1682, approximately equilibrated. That is, the speed the second motor is generally accelerated to be about the same as the speed of the first motor. Once the speeds are within a predetermined margin of error, the process proceeds to step 1685 where, if there is an instruction to switch and the motors are approximately the same speeds, then a switch is executed at step 1695.

[0097] As discussed above, in some embodiments, the weighting factors may be adjusted, in some cases automatically, in other cases manually via input from an operator or service technician. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method of automatically adjusting weighting of the received parameter data based on other received data pertaining to vehicle operating conditions. As shown in FIG. 13, at step 1700, the system controller receives data regarding vehicle operating conditions. These may include vehicle operating data 1130 and/or atmospheric data 1135, as discussed above with respect to FIG. 7. Once this data is collected, the system evaluates, at step 1705, whether the detected conditions meet a given threshold value. If not, then the weighting factors are kept the same at step 1710. If so, then one or more of the weighting factors are modified at step 1715.

[0098] FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a method of adjusting weighting of the received parameter data by an operator of the vehicle. (It will be understood that this step could be performed by a technician, for example by using a specialized tool and/or interface.) At step 1800, the controller may receive operator input. At step 1805 a determination is made whether the weighting factor merits modifying based on the operator’s input. For example, if temperature is already prioritized, and the operator’s input is to prioritize temperature, then the weighting factors do not need to be changed. If the weighting factors do not merit modifying, then the weighting factors are kept the same (step 1810). If a change is merited, then the weighting factors are modified at step 1815.

[0099] The embodiments discussed herein may make use of methods and systems in artificial intelligence to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the disclosed systems. As used herein, “artificial intelligence” may include any known methods in machine learning and related fields. As examples, artificial intelligence may include systems and methods used in deep learning and machine vision.

[00100] While various embodiments have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the embodiments. Although many possible combinations of features are shown in the accompanying figures and discussed in this detailed description, many other combinations of the disclosed features are possible. Any feature of any embodiment may be used in combination with, or substituted for, any other feature or element in any other embodiment unless specifically restricted. Therefore, it will be understood that any of the features shown and/or discussed in the present disclosure may be implemented together in any suitable combination. Accordingly, the embodiments are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims.

Claims

1 . A mining vehicle, the mining vehicle comprising: a first hydraulic power pack; a second hydraulic power pack; hydraulically operated components configured to be powered by at least one of the first and second hydraulic power packs; a system controller configured to: determine one of the first and second hydraulic power packs as a primary hydraulic power pack and the other of the first and second hydraulic power packs as a secondary hydraulic power pack, based, at least in part, on a combination of weighted parameters; determine a current required hydraulic demand for the hydraulically operated components; based on a comparison between the determined current required hydraulic demand for the hydraulically operated components and a maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack, operate only the primary hydraulic power pack to power the hydraulically operated components when the determined current required hydraulic demand is smaller than or equal to the maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack, and operate both the primary hydraulic power pack and the secondary hydraulic power pack to power the hydraulically operated components when the determined current required hydraulic demand is greater than the maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack.

2. The mining vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises a first battery pack configured to supply power to the first hydraulic power pack and a second battery pack configured to supply power to the second hydraulic power pack, and wherein at least one of the weighted parameters is a result of a comparison between a charge level of the first battery pack and a charge level of the second battery pack.

3. The mining vehicle of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first hydraulic power pack includes a first inverter, wherein the second hydraulic power pack includes a second inverter, and wherein at least one of the weighted parameters is a result of a comparison between a temperature of the first inverter and a temperature of the second inverter.

4. The mining vehicle of any one of claims 1 -3, wherein the first hydraulic power pack includes a first pump motor, wherein the second hydraulic power pack includes a second pump motor, and wherein at least one of the weighted parameters is a result of a comparison between a temperature of the first pump motor and a temperature of the second pump motor.

5. The mining vehicle of any one of claims 1 -4, wherein at least one of the weighted parameters is a result of a comparison between an amount of power available from the first hydraulic power pack and an amount of power available from the second hydraulic power pack.

6. The mining vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first hydraulic power pack includes a first inverter, a first pump motor, and a first hydraulic pump, wherein the second hydraulic power pack includes a second inverter, a second pump motor, and a second hydraulic pump, and wherein the vehicle comprises a first battery pack configured to supply power to the first hydraulic power pack and a second battery pack configured to supply power to the second hydraulic power pack.

7. The mining vehicle of claim 6, wherein the weighted parameters include at least two of: a result of a comparison between a charge level of the first battery pack and a charge level of the second battery pack; a result of a comparison between a temperature of the first inverter and a temperature of the second inverter; a result of a comparison between a temperature of the first pump motor and a temperature of the second pump motor; and a result of a comparison between an amount of power available from the first hydraulic power pack and an amount of power available from the second hydraulic power pack.

8. The mining vehicle of any one of claims 1 -7, wherein each one of the weighted parameters is weighted by a weighting factor, wherein the weighting factors are configured to bias the determination of the one of the first and second hydraulic power packs as the primary hydraulic power pack and the other of the first and second hydraulic power packs as the secondary hydraulic power pack.

9. The mining vehicle of any one of claims 1 -8, wherein when operating only the primary hydraulic power pack to power the hydraulically operated components, the system controller is configured to operate the primary hydraulic power pack such as to meet the determined current required hydraulic demand for the hydraulically operated components.

10. The mining vehicle of any one of claims 1 -9, wherein when operating both the primary hydraulic power pack and the secondary hydraulic power pack to power the hydraulically operated components, the system controller is configured to operate the primary hydraulic power pack at the maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack, and operate the secondary hydraulic power pack such as to meet a difference between the determined current required hydraulic demand for the hydraulically operated components and the maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack.

11. A method in a system controller of a mining vehicle, the mining vehicle comprising a first hydraulic power pack, a second hydraulic power pack, and hydraulically operated components configured to be powered by at least one of the first and second hydraulic power packs, the method comprising: determining one of the first and second hydraulic power packs as a primary hydraulic power pack and the other of the first and second hydraulic power packs as a secondary hydraulic power pack, based, at least in part, on a combination of weighted parameters; determining a current required hydraulic demand for the hydraulically operated components; based on a comparison between the determined current required hydraulic demand for the hydraulically operated components and a maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack, operating only the primary hydraulic power pack to power the hydraulically operated components when the determined current required hydraulic demand is smaller than or equal to the maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack, and operating both the primary hydraulic power pack and the secondary hydraulic power pack to power the hydraulically operated components when the determined current required hydraulic demand is greater than the maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle comprises a first battery pack configured to supply power to the first hydraulic power pack and a second battery pack configured to supply power to the second hydraulic power pack, and wherein at least one of the weighted parameters is a result of a comparison between a charge level of the first battery pack and a charge level of the second battery pack.

13. The method of claim 11 or 12, wherein the first hydraulic power pack includes a first inverter, wherein the second hydraulic power pack includes a second inverter, and wherein at least one of the weighted parameters is a result of a comparison between a temperature of the first inverter and a temperature of the second inverter.

14. The method of any one of claims 11-13, wherein the first hydraulic power pack includes a first pump motor, wherein the second hydraulic power pack includes a second pump motor, and wherein at least one of the weighted parameters is a result of a comparison between a temperature of the first pump motor and a temperature of the second pump motor.

15. The method of any one of claims 11-14, wherein at least one of the weighted parameters is a result of a comparison between an amount of power available from the first hydraulic power pack and an amount of power available from the second hydraulic power pack.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first hydraulic power pack includes a first inverter, a first pump motor, and a first hydraulic pump, wherein the second hydraulic power pack includes a second inverter, a second pump motor, and a second hydraulic pump, and wherein the vehicle comprises a first battery pack configured to supply power to the first hydraulic power pack and a second battery pack configured to supply power to the second hydraulic power pack.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the weighted parameters include at least two of: a result of a comparison between a charge level of the first battery pack and a charge level of the second battery pack; a result of a comparison between a temperature of the first inverter and a temperature of the second inverter; a result of a comparison between a temperature of the first pump motor and a temperature of the second pump motor; and a result of a comparison between an amount of power available from the first hydraulic power pack and an amount of power available from the second hydraulic power pack.

18. The method of any one of claims 11-17, wherein each one of the weighted parameters is weighted by a weighting factor, wherein the weighting factors are configured to bias the determination of the one of the first and second hydraulic power packs as the primary hydraulic power pack and the other of the first and second hydraulic power packs as the secondary hydraulic power pack.

19. The method of any one of claims 11-18, further comprising, when operating only the primary hydraulic power pack to power the hydraulically operated components, operating the primary hydraulic power pack such as to meet the determined current required hydraulic demand for the hydraulically operated components.

20. The method of any one of claims 11-19, further comprising, when operating both the primary hydraulic power pack and the secondary hydraulic power pack to power the hydraulically operated components, operating the primary hydraulic power pack at the maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack, and operating the secondary hydraulic power pack such as to meet a difference between the determined current required hydraulic demand for the hydraulically operated components and the maximum hydraulic capacity of the primary hydraulic power pack.

21 . A redundant dual pump hydraulic system for a vehicle, comprising: a first hydraulic power pack including a first hydraulic pump, a first inverter, and a first electric motor; a second hydraulic power pack including a second hydraulic pump, a second inverter, and a second electric motor; a hydraulically operated vehicle component, selectively driven by the first hydraulic power pack and the second hydraulic power pack; a system controller including a device processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions executable by the processor for performing the following functions: receiving data regarding a first vehicle parameter and a second vehicle parameter; and selecting which hydraulic power pack drives the hydraulically operated vehicle component based on the data received regarding the two or more vehicle parameters; wherein the received data is weighted for each of the first vehicle parameter and second vehicle parameter such that one of the vehicle parameters is prioritized over the other in determining which hydraulic power pack will drive the hydraulically operated vehicle component.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the first vehicle parameter is a comparison between a charge level of a first battery associated with the first hydraulic power pack and a charge level of a second battery associated with the second hydraulic power pack.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the second vehicle parameter is selected from the group including: a comparison between a temperature of the first motor and a temperature of the second motor; a comparison between a temperature of the first inverter and a temperature of the second inverter; and a comparison between an amount of power available from the first hydraulic power pack and an amount of power available from the second hydraulic power pack.

24. The system of claim 21 , wherein one or more of the weighting factors are adaptive based on one or more detected parameters.

25. The system of claim 21 , wherein one or more of the weighting factors are adjustable by an operator of the vehicle.

26. The system of claim 21 , wherein one or more of the weighting factors are adjustable by a service technician.

27. The system of claim 21 , wherein the selection process determines which hydraulic power pack shall be the primary power pack and which shall be the secondary power pack.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the system is configured to swap roles of the power packs if one or more of the following occurs: a swap is recommended based on the weighted parameter data; a temperature of a component of the acting primary power pack exceeds a predetermined threshold; and a battery supplying the acting primary power pack has a fault.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the swap is performed by accelerating a speed of the acting secondary motor to match or nearly match a speed of the acting primary motor, then performing the swap as to which pump drives the hydraulically driven vehicle component.

30. The system of claim 21 , wherein a severe temperature monitoring subroutine is performed in which temperatures of components of the first hydraulic power pack and the components of the second hydraulic power pack are evaluated; and if a temperature of any of the components exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature, then the system is prevented from operating the hydraulic power pack with the threshold-exceeding temperature from driving the hydraulically operated component.

31 . A method of operating a redundant dual pump hydraulic system for a vehicle, comprising: using a system controller including a device processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions executable by the processor to perform the following functions: receiving data regarding a first vehicle parameter and a second vehicle parameter; and selectively operating a first hydraulic power pack including a first hydraulic pump, a first inverter, and a first electric motor; and a second hydraulic power pack including a second hydraulic pump, a second inverter, and a second electric motor; to drive a hydraulically operated vehicle component; wherein selecting which hydraulic power pack drives the hydraulically operated vehicle component is based on the data received regarding the two or more vehicle parameters; and wherein the data is weighted for each of the first vehicle parameter and second vehicle parameter such that one of the vehicle parameters is prioritized over the other in determining which hydraulic power pack will drive the hydraulically operated vehicle component.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the first vehicle parameter is a comparison between a charge level of a first battery associated with the first hydraulic power pack and a charge level of a second battery associated with the second hydraulic power pack.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the second vehicle parameter is selected from the group including: a comparison between a temperature of the first motor and a temperature of the second motor; a comparison between a temperature of the first inverter and a temperature of the second inverter; and a comparison between an amount of power available from the first hydraulic power pack and an amount of power available from the second hydraulic power pack.

34. The method of claim 31 , wherein one or more of the weighting factors are adaptive based on one or more detected parameters.

35. The method of claim 31 , wherein one or more of the weighting factors are adjustable by an operator of the vehicle.

36. The method of claim 31 , wherein one or more of the weighting factors are adjustable by a service technician.

37. The method of claim 31 , wherein the selection process includes determining which hydraulic power pack operates as the primary power pack and which operates as the secondary power pack.

38. The method of claim 37, further including swapping roles of the power packs if one or more of the following occurs: a swap is recommended based on the weighted parameter data; a temperature of a component of the acting primary power pack exceeds a predetermined threshold; and a battery supplying the acting primary power pack has a fault.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the swap is performed by accelerating a speed of the acting secondary motor to match or nearly match a speed of the acting primary motor, then performing the swap as to which pump drives the hydraulically driven vehicle component.

40. The method of claim 31 , further including performing a severe temperature monitoring subroutine in which temperatures of components of the first hydraulic power pack and the components of the second hydraulic power pack are evaluated; and if a temperature of any of the components exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature, then the system is prevented from operating the hydraulic power pack with the threshold-exceeding temperature from driving the hydraulically operated component.