WO2020186296A1

WO2020186296A1 - Delivery system for providing electric power to a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2020186296A1
Application number: PCT/AU2020/050247
Authority: WO
Inventors: Louis Fitzgerald Mallet KENT; Matthew GORCZYCA; Dustin Alexander VICKRESS
Original assignee: Bhp Innovation Pty Ltd.
Priority date: 2019-03-15
Filing date: 2020-03-16
Publication date: 2020-09-24

Abstract

An electric delivery system for providing electric power to a vehicle suitable for travelling on a roadway at a mine, the system comprising: two or more conductors; a relocatable conductor assembly for supporting two or more conductors extending along the roadway; a contact assembly including two or more contacts movable along, whilst maintaining an electrical connection with, the two or more conductors; and an electric current collector to carry electric power from the contacts to the vehicle, wherein the relocatable conductor assembly supports the conductors above the roadway in a manner which optimises electrical performance characteristics of the electric delivery system.

Description

Title of Invention

Delivery system for providing electric power to a vehicle

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to a delivery system for providing electric power to a vehicle. The invention is suitable for use in providing electric power to haul trucks, diggers, excavators, loaders, rope shovels, draglines, dozers/tractors, graders, drills, ancillary vehicles such as water trucks and fuel trucks, semi-mobile self- propelled mining equipment or other vehicles used in mining, and it would be convenient to describe the invention in relation to these exemplary, but non-limiting, applications.

Background of Invention

[0001] Haul trucks are used at many mine sites to transport extracted ore along a haul road extending from an extraction site to a processing location. The haul trucks used at such mine sites may need to travel along a haul road that is several kilometres long. The use of fossil fuels, such as diesel, to power such haul trucks when loaded up to several hundred tonnes of ore can be expensive and environmentally damaging.

[0002] In response to these concerns, haul trucks in mining sites have employed a trolley system having an overhead trolley line suspended between poles to provide electric power to drive the haul trucks along the haul roads. However, such trolley systems are expensive and not easy to relocate.

[0003] It would be desirable to provide a delivery system for providing electric power to a vehicle suitable for travelling on a roadway at a mine that ameliorates or overcomes disadvantages of known overhead trolley systems.

[0004] It would also be desirable to provide a delivery system for providing electric power to a vehicle suitable for travelling on a roadway at a mine that ameliorates or overcomes one or more disadvantages or inconveniences of known power delivery systems to vehicles suitable for travelling on a roadway at a mine. [0005] Reference herein to a patent document or any other matter as prior art is not to be taken as an omission or suggestion that the document or matter was known or that the information contained was part of the common general knowledge of a skilled addressee at the priority date of any of the claims.

Summary of Invention

[0006] One aspect of the invention provides a delivery system for providing electric power to a vehicle suitable for travelling on a roadway at a mine, the system comprising: two or more conductors extending along the roadway; a relocatable conductor assembly for supporting the two or more conductors; a contact assembly including two or more contacts movable along, whilst maintaining an electrical connection with, the two or more conductors; and an electric current collector to carry electric power from the contacts to the vehicle, wherein the relocatable conductor assembly supports the conductors above the roadway in a manner which optimises electrical performance characteristics of the delivery system, for example by minimising contact with or build up of extraneous matter and/or providing electrical clearance and creepage distances between the two or more conductors and the roadway.

[0007] In one or more embodiments, the relocatable conductor assembly is continuous along its length and formed from flexible material.

[0008] In other embodiments, relocatable conductor assembly is segmented along its length into conductor assembly portions.

[0009] The conductor assembly portions may be rigid.

[0010] Adjacent conductor assembly portions may be interconnected by joints.

[001 1] In one or more embodiments, the relocatable conductor assembly isolates the conductors from each other and from ground.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the relocatable conductor assembly includes a guide mechanism to guide the contact assembly and bring the contacts into electrical connection with the conductors.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the guide mechanism includes a track guide extending along the length of the relocatable conductor assembly. [0014] In one or more embodiments, the delivery further comprises one or more standoffs acting to space the relocatable conductor assembly from the roadway.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the relocatable conductor assembly includes one or more bevelled or substantially faceted sidewalls oriented to disrupt water flow.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the relocatable conductor assembly includes a shroud to protect the conductors from water and/or debris.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the two or more conductors are segmented into conductor portions, each conductor portion extending along the length of the one or more conductor assembly portions.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, adjacent conductor portions are interconnected by a flexible electrical connector.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the two or more conductors extend along the length of the entire relocatable conductor assembly.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the conductors are located on opposing sides to the relocatable conductor assembly.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the conductors are mounted to the relocatable conductor assembly by insulating mounts which create an air gap between the conductors and the relocatable conductor assembly.

[0022] In one or more embodiments, the delivery system further comprises one or more relocatable intermediary objects having a known location relative the roadway, wherein the relocatable conductor assembly is anchored to the one or more relocatable intermediary objects. In such embodiments, the one or more intermediary objects form a roadside barrier extending along the roadway. Alternatively, the one or more intermediary objects are poles located in or next to the roadway.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, the contact assembly includes biasing members to cause the contacts to bear against the conductors.

[0024] In one or more embodiments, the electric current collector includes an arm having one or more rigid mechanical linkages. [0025] In one or more embodiments, the arm is retractable and pivotally connected to the vehicle when in a retracted position.

[0026] In one or more embodiments, the delivery system further comprises an entry station to guide the contactor assembly into engagement with the relocatable conductor assembly and cause the two or more contacts to make electrical connection with the two or more conductors.

[0027] The following description refers in more detail to various features of the present invention. To facilitate an understanding of the invention, reference is made in the description to the accompanying drawings where the delivery system is illustrated in a number of embodiments. It is to be understood that the delivery system of the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments as illustrated in the drawings.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0028] In the drawings: [0029] Figure 1 is a front view of a haul truck used for mining applications and a delivery system providing electric power to the haul truck;

[0030] Figure 2 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a relocatable conductor assembly forming part of the delivery system shown in Figure 1 ;

[0031] Figure 3 is an isometric view of part of the conductor assembly portion shown in Figure 2 and a contact assembly which engages the conductor assembly during operation;

[0032] Figure 4 is a front cross-sectional view of the conductor assembly portion shown in Figure 3;

[0033] Figure 5 is a front view of a haul truck used in mining applications and a second embodiment of a delivery system for providing electric power to that mining haul truck;

[0034] Figure 6 is a front view of a mining haul truck and a third embodiment of a delivery system for providing electric power to that haul truck; [0035] Figures 7 and 8 are respectively a plan and a side view of part of the delivery system shown in Figure 6 and notably depicting a relocatable roadside barrier to which a conductor assembly forming part of the delivery system is mounted;

[0036] Figures 9 and 10 are detailed plan and side views of a joint connecting panels forming part of the relocatable roadside barrier shown in Figures 7 and 8;

[0037] Figures 11 and 12 are respectively a plan and a side view of ends of adjacent conductors forming part of the delivery system and depict the manner in which the adjacent conductor portions are electrically interconnected;

[0038] Figures 13 and 14 show a cross-sectional view of elements of a further embodiment of the delivery system, notably including alternative configurations of a contact assembly and conductor assembly supporting conductors along its length;

[0039] Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the relocatable conductor assembly mounted to a panel forming part of a relocatable barrier extending along a roadway on which the haul truck travels; [0040] Figures 16 and 17 shows front and side views of one embodiment of an electric current collector, in the form of a retractable arm, to carry electric power from the contacts to the vehicle via the contact assembly;

[0041] Figures 18 and 19 show alternative embodiments of the electric current collector; [0042] Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of the delivery system for providing electric power to a vehicle;

[0043] Figure 21 is a plan view of the delivery system shown in Figure 20;

[0044] Figures 22 and 23 are a cross-sectional front and side view of yet another embodiment of the delivery system; and [0045] Figure 24 is a plan view of a delivery system including a relocatable conductor assembly and an exit station and an entry station to the relocatable track assembly to facilitate engagement of the contact assembly with the conductor supporting the relocatable conductor assembly during operation of the electric delivery system.

Detailed Description

[0046] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown generally a delivery system 100 for providing electric power to a vehicle 102, for example a haul truck suitable for travelling on a roadway 104 at a mine. The delivery system 100 includes a relocatable conductor assembly 106 for supporting two conductors 108 and 1 10 extending along the roadway 104 in the direction of travel of vehicle 102. The system further includes a contact assembly 1 12 including two contacts moveable along, whist maintaining an electrical connection with, the conductors 108 and 1 10. The system 100 further includes an electric current collector 1 14 to carry electric power from the contacts to the vehicle 102.

[0047] As shown in Figure 2, the relocatable conductor assembly 106 is segmented along its length into conductor assembly portions 1 16 to 124. It will be appreciated that the relocatable conductor assembly 106 depicted in Figure 2 includes only a limited number of conductor assembly portions for the purposes of illustration, however any number of conductor assembly portions may be arranged end-to-end in a practical implementation of a relocatable conductor assembly. It can be seen that the conductors 108 and 1 10 extend over the entire length of the relocatable conductor assembly 106, that is, over the length of both of the conductor assembly portions 1 16 and 1 18. In order to facilitate transport and interconnection of the conductor assembly portions, typically each conductor extends over the length of a single conductor assembly portion. In various embodiments of the invention though, each conductor may extend over at least part or all of a single conductor assembly portion or across two or more conductor assembly portions when positioned in an end-to-end arrangement. In one practical implementation of the invention, each conductor assembly portion may be manufactured to have dimensions determined by the manner in which the part is transported. For example, in one embodiment in which conductor assembly portions are transported within a conventional shipping container, each conductor assembly portion may have a maximum length of 12 metres. [0048] Adjacent conductor assembly portions need not necessarily be connected to each other when laid along a roadway adjacent conductor assembly portions may simply be located so as to abut each other. However, in some embodiments of the invention it may be desirable to connect adjacent conductor assembly portions with joints. Fully rigid joints may be acceptable when the road surface is relatively even, however in order to support an uneven road surface joints that are compliant with one or multiple axes may be preferred.

[0049] In order to ensure the structural integrity of the relocatable conductor assembly, it may be desirable in some embodiments for the conductor assembly portions to be formed from rigid material. However, in other embodiments of the invention, the relocatable conductor assembly may be continuous along its length and formed from flexible material, such as open or closed cell foam of a specific density. The foam may be pre-cast or cast on site into the desired shape. In use, the continuous conductor assembly would be laid on a roadway and conductors may be subsequently attached to the conductor assembly along its entire length.

[0050] Further features and characteristics of the relocatable conductor assembly 106 can be seen in Figures 3 and 4. In this embodiment, the relocatable conductor assembly 106 includes a vertically extending wall 300 having opposing surfaces on which the conductors 108 and 1 10 are mounted. Insulating mounts 302 and 304 mount the conductors 108 and 1 10 to opposing sides of the vertically extending walls 300, further improving the isolation of the conductors 108 and 1 10 from each other and from ground.

[0051] Moreover, use of the insulating mounts 302 and 304 creates an air gap between the conductors and the opposing surfaces of the vertically extending wall 300 to prevent the build-up of debris and/or water from the conductors. In this embodiment, the relocatable conductor assembly 106 is located on standoffs 306 and 308 to allow run off from the conductor assembly to flow underneath. Anchors 310 and 312 anchor the relocatable conductor assembly 106 to the roadway 318 via the standoff 306. Furthermore, opposed surfaces 320 and 322 to which the conductors 108 and 1 10 are mounted include bevelled or substantially faceted sidewalls to break water flow on the surface of the relocatable conductor assembly into droplets and thereby improve the electrical isolation properties of the conductor assembly 106. [0052] In other embodiments, the conductor assembly 106 may additionally or alternatively be fixedly located to the ground by weighing, partial burial in dirt or use of other fixation mechanisms.

[0053] It can be seen from Figures 3 and 4 that the conductors 108 and 1 10 are mounted so as to be elevated at a distance d from the roadway 318. The relocatable conductor assembly 106 supports the conductors 108 and 1 10 above the roadway 318 in a manner that minimises contact with or build-up of extraneous matter, such as dirt, water and debris. Supporting the conductors 108 and 1 10 in this manner minimises the risk of conductor arching, tracking and shorting as well as the risk of that debris and water will impacting or prevent operation of the delivery system. It further enables the delivery system to operate in harsh environments such as those encountered along roadways at mine sites.

[0054] The relocatable conductor assembly 106 includes a shroud 320 extending along the top of the vertically extending wall 300 along the length of the assembly 106 to provide further hazard protection to the conductors 108 and 1 10, which in this embodiment are otherwise exposed to the elements.

[0055] A track guide 322 runs along the top of the shroud 320 to enable the contact assembly 1 12 to be guided on the conductor assembly 106 and thereby enable the contacts to bear against the conductors 108 and 1 10. The contact assembly 1 12 includes a base 500 extending across the shroud 320 and includes rollers (for example roller 502) for locating the contact assembly 1 12 on the track guide 322. Plates 506 and 508 extend downwardly from the base 500 and across the surface of conductors 108 and 1 10. Contacts 510 and 512 are affixed to inward surfaces respectively of the plates 506 and 508 so as to face the contacts 108 and 1 10. In the embodiment depicted in Figure 4, the contacts are in a form of pads and may be manufactured from carbon/graphite, wear-resistant metal, composites of conducting materials or other suitable material.

[0056] In other embodiments of the invention, the contacts need not have the form of a pad but may be in the form of the contact wheel or other form used to create and maintain a sliding or rolling contact with the conductors 108 and 1 10. [0057] The plates 506 and 508 are urged against the conductors 108 and 1 10 to by biasing members, such as springs, and may be located for example at the pivot points between the plates 506 and 508 and the base 500. In other embodiments however other forms of force can be used to maintain contact between the contactors and the conductors 108 and 1 10, including another form of internal load, an external load (such as that provided by the electric current collector), gravity or magnetic force.

[0058] Stabilising members 600 and 602 are fixed to the underside of the contact assembly plate 500. The stabilising members 600 and 602 have exterior surfaces 604 and 606 that correspond to the upper surfaces of the shroud 320 and minimise rotational movement of the contact assembly 1 12 about the roller 502.

[0059] Embodiments of the invention described in relation to Figures 1 to 4 include a relocatable conductor assembly mountable on the roadway and along the path of intended travel of the vehicle 102 so that the vehicle 102 passes over the top of the relocatable conductor assembly in operation. Figure 5 depicts a further embodiment in which the relocatable conductor assembly is mounted on the roadway but to the side of the intended path of travel of the vehicle 102. In this embodiment, the electric current collector 700 which carries electric power from the contacts to the vehicle 700 is in the form of an arm having one or more rigid mechanical linkages. The arm 106 is preferably retractable so as to remove the contact assembly from the relocatable conductor assembly and withdraw the contact assembly towards the vehicle 102 when not in use.

[0060] A further embodiment of the invention is depicted in Figures 6. In this embodiment, a relocatable conductor assembly 800 is anchored to one or more panels forming a roadside barrier extending along the roadway 104. The roadside barrier and the mounting position of the relocatable conductor assembly ensure that the conductors are positioned at a known location relative to the roadway 104 to minimise contact with or build-up of extraneous matter, such as water or debris. Once again, an electric current collector in the form of an arm 802 having one or more rigid mechanical linkages interconnectors the relocatable 802 assembly 800 to the vehicle 102.

[0061] As can be seen in Figure 7 to 10, in some embodiments a relocatable conductor assembly is mounted to a roadside barrier 900 formed from panels 902 to 908 (being exemplary panels only), the panels may be located and not interconnected Alternatively, the panels be connected by joints that are either compliant in one or more axes, or fully rigid such as the joint 912 shown in Figures 8 and 9.

[0062] Exemplary conductor portions 914 and 916 of a first conductor 930 and exemplary conductor portions 942 and 944 of a second conductor 940 that both extending along a roadway are shown in Figures 7 and 8. A relocatable conductor assembly for supporting the conductors 930 and 940 is formed by a series of conductor mounts, such as the conductor mounts referenced 918 to 924, that attach the conductors portions 914, 916, 942 and 944 to the side of the roadside barrier 900

[0063] Adjacent conductor portions 916 and 918, and 942 and 944, can be connected in this or other embodiments of the invention in the manner depicted in Figures 1 1 and 12. These figures depict exemplary adjacent conductor portions 1000 and 1002 in both plan and side elevations. Adjacent conductor portions 1000 and 1002 are interconnected by a flexible electrical connector 1004, thereby enabling relative movement between the conductor 1000 and 1002 without comprising the electrical integrity of the entire conductor. Attachment to the adjacent conductors 1000 and 1002 may be any one of crimping, screwing, riveting, press fitting, bonding, welding, braising, clamping or by an interference fit. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 1 and 12, attachment is by means of bolts 1006 to 1012 and corresponding nuts 1014 to 1020.

[0064] Figures 13 and 14 depict further details of the delivery system shown in Figure 6. In this embodiment, the delivery system 1 100 includes a relocatable conductor assembly 1 102, contact assembly 1 104 and electric current collector 1 106. The relocatable conductor assembly 1 102 includes flexible attachments 1 108 and 1 1 10 to a panel 1 108 of a roadside barrier. The relocatable conductor assembly 1 102 further includes a body 1 1 14 made from electrically insulating material and housing conductors 1 1 16 and 1 1 18 within the body 1 1 14. Access to the conductors is provided via a channel 1 120 having a V-shaped entrance 1 122.

[0065] In use, the retractable arm 1 106 causes the contact assembly 1 104 to be extended towards the channel 1 120. The contact assembly 1 104 includes contacts 1 124 and 1 126 intended to be brought into contact with conductors 1 1 16 and 1 1 18 respectively. The contact assembly 1 104 also includes a contact support member 1 128 made from electrically insulating material. [0066] As shown in Figure 13, when the arm extends the contact assembly 1 104 towards to the relocatable conductor assembly 1 102, the contacts 1 124 and 1 126 are guided by the V-shaped entry 1 122 into the channel 1 120 and the contact assembly 1 104 is then inserted so that, as shown in Figure 14, the contacts 1 124 and 1 126 engage with the conductors 1 1 16 and 1 1 18. The conductor assembly body 1 1 14 may further include a guide mechanism 1 130 for engagement with a track guide 1 132 when inserted into the channel 1 120. By engagement in the track guide 1 132, the guide mechanism 1 130 ensures that consistent contact is maintained between contacts 1 124 and 1 126 and conductors 1 1 16 and 1 1 18.

[0067] The guide mechanism 1 130 may include two wheels 1 134 and 1 136 mounted on the contact support member 1 128 so as to be freely rotatable along the track guide 1 132 when the contact support member 1 128 is inserted into the channel 1 120. The mounts may include springs or other biasing devices to cause the two wheels 1 134 and 1 136 bear against the track guide 1 132 (as shown in Figure 14) and resist against removal after insertion.

[0068] Preferably, the channel 1 124 is angled to enable water/debris or other extraneous material to fall from the channel 1 124.

[0069] Figure 15 depicts a further embodiment in which a relocatable conductor assembly 1300 includes two pairs of conductors 1302 and 1304, and 1306 and 1308, each pair of conductors being associated with a separate channel 1310 and 1312 to enable simultaneous engagement of two contact assemblies, one with each pair of conductors. The relocatable conductor assembly 1300 further includes flexible mounts 1314 and 1316 for mounting to a panel 1400 of a roadside barrier or alternatively to a pole or other intermediate object having a known location relative to the roadway 104.

[0070] Figures 16 to 19 depict various embodiments of arms in the form of two single arms pentagraphs having different arrangements of mechanical linkages and forming an electric current connector to carry electric power from the contacts to the vehicle 102. The arm 1500 depicted in Figures 16 and 17 includes 4 linkages 1502 to 1508 the ends of linkages 1502 and 1504 attached to vehicle 102 whilst ends of linkages 1506 and 1508 attached contact assembly (not shown). In this embodiment, the attachment points of linkages 1502 to 1508 to both the vehicle 102 and the contact assembly are configured to allow for lateral pivoting movement while maintaining a parallel orientation at both ends (Fig. 17).

[0071] The arm 1600 depicted in Figure 18 similarly includes four linkages 1602 to 1608 arranged in a double-arm pantograph configuration.

[0072] A third embodiment of an arm 1700 is shown in Figure 19 and in this case includes three interconnected linkages 1702, 1704 and 1706 interconnecting the vehicle 102 and a contactor assembly 1708.

[0073] Figures 20 and 21 are respectively a cross-sectional side view and a plan view of an alternative embodiment of a delivery system for providing electric power to a vehicle. In this embodiment, each conductor is formed by a continuous, flexible conductor 1800, such as a cable, extending along a channel 1802 running along the length of the relocatable conductor assembly 1804. The conductor 1800 is suspended by wires or other hangers 1806 attached to both the cable and a surface of the body of the conductor assembly 1804 that defines the channel 1802. An electric current collector in the form of an arm 1810 having a single linkage only and attached to a contact assembly 1812 (is caused to be inserted into the channel 1802, which has a V- shaped form to guide the contact assembly 1812 onto the conductor 1800. Upon insertion of the contact assembly 1812 into the channel 1802, one or more contacts are brought into engagement with the conductor 1800 in order to establish an electrical connection between the conductor and the vehicle 102. The arm 1810 may be caused to be brought into engagement with the contactor assembly 1804 by any convenient mechanism, such as a spring or other biasing member acting in conjunction with a suitably located pivot at the truck mounted end of the arm 1808.

[0074] Figures 22 and 23 depict yet another embodiment of a delivery system for providing electric power to a vehicle. In this example, the contact assembly includes a first pair of linkages 2000 and 2002 pivotally connected to each other at one end, and a second pair of linkages 2004 and 2004 also pivotally connected to each other at one end. The other ends of linkages 2000 and 2004 are connected to a housing 2008 in which a contact 2010 and biasing members 2012 are housed. The biasing member 2012 acts to urge the contacts 2010 against conductor 2014. Similarly, the other ends of linkages 2002 and 2006 are connected to a housing 2016 in which a contact 2018 and biasing member 2020 are housed. The biasing member 2020 acts to urge the contact 2018 against conductor 2022. In this embodiment, the shape of conductors 2014 and 2022 cooperate with the shape of the contacts 2010 and 2018 to guide the contacts along the length of the conductors. [0075] As depicted in Figure 24, the delivery system may further include an entry station 2012 to guide the contact assembly into engagement with the relocatable conductor assembly and cause the two or more contacts to make an electrical connection with the two or more conductors. Similarly, an exit station 2010 may be provided to assist in the decoupling of the contactor assembly from the relocatable track assembly. In this Figure, the entry station 2102 includes V-shaped chute or funnel shaped guide 2104 to guide a contact assembly 2106 towards engagement with the relocatable conductor assembly 2108 as a vehicle 2110 travels from position A to position B.

[0076] It will be appreciated that the foregoing embodiments optimise electrical performance characteristics of the delivery system in a number of ways, including notably by minimising contact with, or build-up of, extraneous matter and/or providing electrical clearance and creepage distances between the two or more conductors and the roadway.

[0077] Finally, it should be appreciated that modifications and/or alterations may be made to the delivery system without departing from the ambit of the present invention described herein.

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows

1. A delivery system for providing electric power to a vehicle suitable for travelling on a roadway at a mine, the system comprising: two or more conductors extending along the roadway; a relocatable conductor assembly for supporting the two or more conductors; a contact assembly including two or more contacts movable along, whilst maintaining an electrical connection with, the two or more conductors; and an electric current collector to carry electric power from the contacts to the vehicle, wherein the relocatable conductor assembly supports the conductors above the roadway in a manner which optimises electrical performance characteristics of the delivery system.

2. A delivery system according to claim 1 , wherein the relocatable conductor assembly is continuous along its length and formed from flexible material.

3. A delivery system according to claim 1 , wherein the relocatable conductor assembly is segmented along its length into conductor assembly portions.

4. A delivery system according to claim 3, wherein the conductor assembly portions are rigid.

5. A delivery system according to either one of claims 3 or 4, wherein adjacent conductor assembly portions are interconnected by joints.

6. A delivery system according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein relocatable conductor assembly isolates the conductors from each other and from ground.

7. A delivery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the relocatable conductor assembly includes a guide mechanism to guide the contact assembly and bring the contacts into electrical connection with the conductors.

8. A delivery system according to claim 7, wherein the guide mechanism includes a track guide extending along the length of the relocatable conductor assembly.

9. A delivery system according to any one of the preceding claims, and further comprising one or more standoffs acting to space the relocatable conductor assembly from the roadway.

10. A delivery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the relocatable conductor assembly includes one or more bevelled or substantially faceted sidewalls oriented to disrupt water flow.

11. A delivery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the relocatable conductor assembly includes a shroud to protect the conductors from extraneous matter.

12. A delivery system according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the two or more conductors are segmented into conductor portions, each conductor portion extending along the length of the one or more conductor assembly portions.

13. A delivery system according to claim 12, wherein adjacent conductor portions are interconnected by a flexible electrical connector.

14. A delivery system according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the two or more conductors extend along the length of the entire relocatable conductor assembly.

15. A delivery system according to any one the preceding claims, wherein conductors are located on opposing sides to the relocatable conductor assembly.

16. A delivery system according to claim 15, wherein the conductors are mounted to the relocatable conductor assembly by insulating mounts which create an air gap between the conductors and the relocatable conductor assembly.

17. A delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, and further comprising: one or more relocatable intermediary objects having a known location relative the roadway, wherein the relocatable conductor assembly is anchored to the one or more intermediary objects.

18. A delivery system according to claim 17, wherein the one or more intermediary objects form a roadside barrier extending along the roadway.

19. A delivery system according to claim 17, wherein the one or more intermediary objects are poles located in or next to the roadway.

20. A delivery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the contact assembly including biasing members to cause the contacts to bear against the conductors.

21. A delivery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein electric current collector includes an arm having one or more rigid mechanical linkages.

22. A delivery system according to claim 23, wherein the arm is retractable and pivotally connected to the vehicle when in a retracted position.

23. A delivery system according to any one of the preceding claims, and further including an entry station to guide the contactor assembly into engagement with the relocatable conductor assembly and cause the two or more contacts to make electrical connection with the two or more conductors.