Performance investigation of hybrid converter systems for mobile mining applications

To supply the AC high power drive systems, several Active Front-Ends (AFEs) with DC choppers are currently used to ensure reliable operation and an acceptable harmonic current spectrum. Recently, integration of the energy storage system with the mining equipment as an example of large mobile multimotor applications has received industry attention, especially for peak load shaving and energy management of the mines. Currently, the regenerative energy is often burnt into the choppers. The industry is motivated to capture this regenerative energy since it can be as high as 60% of the motoring power, as high as 3MJ in every operation cycle and 24 MW peak power. Hybrid approach for the front-end converter system has shown a technology path to deploy on-board energy storage without sacrificing the efficiency and reliability of the entire system. This paper addresses the dynamic performance analysis of such systems through detailed simulation and laboratory scale experiments.