IP Library Granted Patent US 12673560
Granted Patent B2
US 12673560 · App. 18/717,442 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Haul vehicle and method for controlling haul vehicle

Inventor: Natsuki Watanabe (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
B60L50/53B60L50/75B60L58/40B60L5/26B60L2200/36B60L2200/44B60L2240/60
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12673560
App. No.
18/717,442
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A haul vehicle includes a dump body, a vehicle body supporting the dump body, a traveling apparatus including driving wheels and supporting the vehicle body, a trolley power receiving apparatus to which power is supplied from a trolley wire, a fuel cell that generates power through electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, and an electric motor that generates driving force for rotating the driving wheels on a basis of power from at least one of the trolley wire or the fuel cell.

Claims (63)

1 . A haul vehicle comprising:

a dump body;

a vehicle body supporting the dump body;

a traveling apparatus including driving wheels and supporting the vehicle body;

a trolley power receiving apparatus to which power is supplied from a trolley wire;

a fuel cell that generates power through electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen;

an electric motor that generates driving force for rotating the driving wheels on a basis of power from at least one of the trolley wire or the fuel cell;

a shared DC/DC converter that converts voltage of the trolley wire and voltage of the fuel cell, wherein in a first state, power is supplied from the trolley wire to the electric motor via the shared DC/DC converter, and in a second state, power is supplied from the fuel cell to the electric motor via the shared DC/DC converter; and

an inverter that converts a direct current from the shared DC/DC converter into a three-phase alternating current and supplies the three-phase alternating current to the electric motor.

2 . The haul vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a first DC/DC converter that converts voltage of the trolley wire,

wherein the voltage converted by the first DC/DC converter is applied to the electric motor.

3 . The haul vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a second DC/DC converter that converts voltage of the fuel cell,

wherein the voltage converted by the second DC/DC converter is applied to the electric motor.

4 . The haul vehicle according to claim 1 ,

wherein the shared DC/DC converter steps up the voltage supplied from the fuel cell and steps down the voltage supplied from the trolley wire.

5 . The haul vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a switch mechanism that switches between the first state and the second state.

6 . The haul vehicle according to claim 5 , further comprising:

a position sensor that detects a current position of the vehicle body;

a topographical information storage unit that stores map information regarding a work site; and

an FC trolley switching section that determines whether it is a trolley section and controls the switch mechanism in such a way as to switch between the first state and the second state on a basis of the current position and the map information.

7 . The haul vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a storage battery charged with power from at least one of the trolley wire or the fuel cell,

wherein the electric motor generates the driving force on a basis of power from the storage battery.

8 . The haul vehicle according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a third DC/DC converter that converts voltage of the storage battery,

wherein the voltage converted by the third DC/DC converter is applied to the electric motor.

9 . The haul vehicle according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a trolley storage battery charging section that charges the storage battery with power from the trolley wire on a basis of a charge state of the storage battery.

10 . A haul vehicle comprising:

a dump body;

a vehicle body supporting the dump body;

a traveling apparatus including driving wheels and supporting the vehicle body;

a trolley power receiving apparatus to which power is supplied from a trolley wire;

a first storage battery charged via a charging port;

an electric motor that generates driving force for rotating the driving wheels on a basis of power from at least one of the trolley wire or the first storage battery;

a shared DC/DC converter that converts voltage of the trolley wire and voltage of a fuel cell, wherein in a first state, power is supplied from the trolley wire to the electric motor via the shared DC/DC converter, and in a second state, power is supplied from the fuel cell to the electric motor via the shared DC/DC converter; and

an inverter that converts a direct current from the shared DC/DC converter into a three-phase alternating current and supplies the three-phase alternating current to the electric motor.

11 . The haul vehicle according to claim 10 ,

wherein the shared DC/DC converter converts voltage of the trolley wire and voltage of the first storage battery.

12 . The haul vehicle according to claim 11 , further comprising:

a switch mechanism that switches between the first state and the second state.

13 . The haul vehicle according to claim 12 , further comprising:

a position sensor that detects a current position of the vehicle body;

a topographical information storage unit that stores map information regarding a work site; and

a storage battery trolley switching section that controls the switch mechanism in such a way as to switch between the first state and the second state on a basis of the current position and the map information.

14 . The haul vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising:

a second storage battery charged with power from at least one of the trolley wire or the first storage battery,

wherein the electric motor generates the driving force on a basis of power from the second storage battery.

15 . The haul vehicle according to claim 14 , further comprising:

a second DC/DC converter that converts voltage of the second storage battery,

wherein the voltage converted by the second DC/DC converter is applied to the electric motor.

16 . The haul vehicle according to claim 14 , further comprising:

a trolley storage battery charging section that charges the second storage battery with power from the trolley wire on a basis of a charge state of the second storage battery.

17 . A method of controlling a haul vehicle, the method comprising:

supplying power from a trolley wire to the haul vehicle;

causing a fuel cell of the haul vehicle to generate power;

supplying power from at least one of the trolley wire or the fuel cell to an electric motor of the haul vehicle;

causing the haul vehicle to travel on driving force generated by the electric motor

using a shared DC/DC converter to convert voltage of the trolley wire and voltage of the fuel cell, wherein in a first state, power is supplied from the trolley wire to the electric motor via the shared DC/DC converter, and in a second state, power is supplied from the fuel cell to the electric motor via the shared DC/DC converter; and

using an inverter to convert a direct current from the shared DC/DC converter into a three-phase alternating current and suppling the three-phase alternating current to the electric motor.