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| Cat's new large mining trucks put to the test  Caterpillar announced that it will upgrade all mechanical drive mining trucks—785C, 789C, 793D and 797B. Additionally, Cat announced that it will offer two AC electric drive truck models of more than 200 short tons capacity. One of the first steps in developing the new trucks is the integration of drive train components with the Cat C175 diesel engine, which will power both mechanical and AC electric drive trucks. The state-of-the-art C175 will be available in 12, 16 and 20 cylinder configurations and also will be used in electric power generation. In its new application powering trucks, the C175 produces 2,000 to 4,000 horsepower. It delivers more power from a smaller package and offers improved fuel economy and longer life between rebuilds.Engineers at the Caterpillar Technology and Solutions Division in Mossville, Illinois, USA, have designed and constructed three full scale power train simulators—two for mechanical drive and one for AC electric drive—to help integrate and validate the C175 and the drive train components that put the power to the wheels. The simulators come into play after extensive computer-based and laboratory-based modeling and simulations during component and software development. The two mechanical drive simulators occupy 3,500 square feet of space and the AC electric drive simulator is housed in 1,740 square feet of space. The mechanical drive simulator includes the engine, torque converter, driveshaft, transmission and differential all positioned just as they are on a real truck. Similarly, the AC electric drive simulator, depending on the test, can include the engine, alternator, power inverter, retarding grids, cooling system and wheel motors. Both simulators incorporate the electronic controls and software that govern performance of the system, and all components are fully instrumented for monitoring appropriate parameters. The simulators provide a means to optimize component interaction for performance and durability. They also allow setting up scenarios that closely follow real world applications. This enables engineers to efficiently optimize and validate truck systems, such as transmission shift parameters. The simulators also quickly validate enhancements that could be applied to pilot test trucks. For many years into the future, the simulators will test changes proposed for trucks working in the field. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Construction News :: home page |