Control device and control method of garbage crane

Abstract

To provide a control method for a garbage crane that prevents the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area of ​​a landfill from exceeding the limit. When the area in the landfill where garbage is dumped is called the receiving source area, the destination from which the garbage is transported from the receiving source area is called the receiving destination area, and the action of moving garbage from the receiving source area to the receiving destination area is called receiving, the operating mode is determined based on the increase in the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area and an automatic determination logic for the operating mode. Garbage receiving is performed according to the determined operating mode. The increase in the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area corresponds to the value obtained by subtracting the amount of garbage transported from the receiving source area to the receiving destination area per unit time from the amount of garbage dumped to the receiving source area per unit time. The automatic determination logic for the operating mode establishes a correspondence between the increase in the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area and the operating mode for receiving. The operating mode for receiving specifies the position or range at which the garbage transported in the receiving process falls into the receiving destination area.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a control device and control method for a crane. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Waste transported to the waste incineration plant is dumped from a waste collection truck into the receiving area of ​​the pit, and after being mixed, it is fed into the hopper. Patent Document 1 discloses a control method that switches the crane's operation to any one of "feeding," "receiving," or "reforming" based on the height of the waste mountain accumulated in the receiving area. However, Patent Document 1 does not disclose a technology to prevent the height of the waste mountain accumulated in the receiving area from exceeding a threshold, i.e., overflow. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 7161642 [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] [Problem to be solved by the invention] To provide a control method for a garbage crane that can prevent the height of garbage piles in the receiving source area of ​​a garbage pit from exceeding the limit.

[0005] This disclosure provides a control device and a control method for a garbage crane capable of solving the aforementioned problems. [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0006] The control device disclosed herein is equipped with a decision-making means. When the area in the garbage pit where garbage is thrown in is called the receiving source area, the destination from which the garbage is transported from the aforementioned receiving source area is called the receiving destination area, and the action of transporting garbage from the aforementioned receiving source area to the aforementioned receiving destination area is called receiving, the aforementioned decision-making means determines the aforementioned operating mode based on the increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area and the automatic determination logic of the operating mode. The increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area corresponds to the value obtained by subtracting the amount of garbage transported from the aforementioned receiving source area to the aforementioned receiving destination area per unit time from the amount of garbage thrown into the aforementioned receiving source area per unit time. The automatic determination logic of the aforementioned operating mode establishes a correspondence between the increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area and the aforementioned receiving operating mode. The aforementioned receiving operating mode specifies that the garbage transported in the aforementioned receiving falls to the position or range of the aforementioned receiving destination area.

[0007] The control method for the garbage crane disclosed herein refers to the area in the garbage pit where garbage is deposited as the receiving source area, the destination from which the garbage is transported from the receiving source area as the receiving destination area, and the action of moving garbage from the receiving source area to the receiving destination area as receiving. The operating mode is determined based on the increase in the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area and an automatic determination logic for the operating mode. Garbage receiving is performed according to the determined operating mode. The increase in the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area corresponds to the value obtained by subtracting the amount of garbage transported from the receiving source area to the receiving destination area per unit time from the amount of garbage deposited to the receiving source area per unit time. The automatic determination logic for the operating mode establishes a correspondence between the increase in the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area and the operating mode for receiving. The operating mode for receiving specifies the position or range at which the garbage transported in the receiving process falls to the receiving destination area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The control device and control method of the garbage crane disclosed herein can prevent the height of the garbage pile in the garbage receiving area from exceeding the limit.

Implementation Method

[0010] <Embodiment Version> Hereinafter, the control method of the crane in the waste treatment plant disclosed herein will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. (Composition) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the waste treatment plant according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the waste treatment plant 100 includes: a crane system 1, a pit 2, a hopper 3, a platform 5, and a control device 10. The pit 2 is a device for storing waste transported by the waste collection vehicle 6. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the pit 2 viewed from above. The hopper 3 is a waste inlet for sending waste to an incinerator (not shown). The waste is fed into the hopper 3 by the crane system 1. The crane system 1 is equipped with cranes C1 and C2 for performing actions such as mixing and conveying waste. The cranes C1 and C2 are configured to move on tracks R1 and R2. Crane C1 cannot move to the right of the paper beyond crane C2, and crane C2 cannot move to the left of the paper beyond crane C1. The various actions of the crane system 1 are controlled by the control device 10. The control device 10 moves cranes C1 and C2 in the left-right, up-down, and near-depth directions of the paper surface to perform operations such as feeding, receiving, and mixing. Feeding, receiving, and mixing will be described later; the control in this embodiment mainly concerns receiving. Platform 5 is the area where the garbage collection truck 6 feeds garbage into pit 2. The garbage collection truck 6 transports garbage to platform 5 and dumps it into pit 2. The dumped garbage falls into area 2c of pit 2 and is then transported by cranes C1 and C2 to area 2a or area 2b. Doors 4a-4e are provided on the wall near area 2c; garbage can only be fed into area 2c from the garbage collection truck 6 when doors 4a-4e are open. The roles of areas 2a and 2b may change daily, for example, on a certain day, area 2a may act as a source of garbage to be fed into hoppers 3a and 3b, while area 2b may act as a receiver of garbage fed from the garbage collection truck 6. In this case, area 2a is called the feeding area, and area 2b is called the receiving destination area. Zone 2c is also referred to as the receiving source zone. On the second day, the waste put into zone 2c is transported to zone 2a, and waste from zone 2b is put into hoppers 3a and 3b. In this case, zone 2a is the receiving destination zone, zone 2b is the input zone, and zone 2c remains the receiving source zone.

[0011] Hereinafter, the horizontal direction of the paper is used as rows and the vertical direction as columns. As illustrated in the figure, each area obtained by dividing slot 2 into 8 rows and 14 columns is called a cell. For example, the cell in row A and column 1 is recorded as cell (A, 1). In slot 2 illustrated in Figure 1, area 2a is set to a range of 5 cells × 5 cells in rows A to E and columns 9 to 13, and area 2b is set to a range of 5 cells × 5 cells in rows A to E and columns 3 to 7. However, this is just an example, and the position and range of areas 2a and 2b can be arbitrarily set by the user.

[0012] (Feeding) Feeding refers to the operation of feeding waste into hoppers 3a and 3b. Hoppers 3a and 3b are equipped with sensors that measure the height of the waste, which indicates the amount of waste stored in the hopper. When the waste height falls below a certain level, the amount of waste supplied to the incinerator (not shown) becomes insufficient. In this case, control device 10 controls crane C1 to feed waste from pit 2 into hopper 3a. The same applies to hopper 3b. When the waste height in the hopper exceeds a certain level, it is no longer necessary to feed waste. In this case, control device 10 does not feed waste into hoppers 3a and 3b.

[0013] (Receiving) Receiving refers to the operation of moving garbage deposited in the receiving source area (area 2c) to the receiving destination area (area 2a or 2b). The garbage height of each unit in pit 2 is managed. For example, sensors for measuring the garbage height of each unit can be installed on the walls, top, and upper space of pit 2, and the height can be measured by these sensors or estimated based on the amount of garbage moved by cranes C1 and C2. When the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area (area 2c) exceeds a predetermined threshold, it must be quickly moved to another location in pit 2 because it will affect the garbage collection truck 6. For example, when the garbage height of unit (H, 8) exceeds the threshold and area 2b is the receiving destination area, the control device 10 moves cranes C1 or C2 to unit (H, 8) to move the garbage from unit (H, 8) to the receiving destination area (area 2b). This operation is called "receiving". During receiving, for example, the control device 10 calculates the average height of the garbage in each column of zone 2b based on the garbage height of each unit in zone 2b, selects the column with the lowest average garbage height, and evenly distributes (spreads) the garbage transported from units (H, 8) across the entire selected column. The garbage height of each unit after being distributed is determined and managed by measurement and calculation. Furthermore, a comprehensive evaluation score representing the mixing state of the garbage in each unit after distribution is calculated, and the comprehensive evaluation score is managed for each unit. Any method can be used to calculate the comprehensive evaluation score. For example, a formula that states the more times the garbage is mixed, the higher the comprehensive evaluation score can be used.

[0014] (Stirring) Stirring refers to the operation of using cranes C1 and C2 to grab the waste from a unit and drop it into the same unit, or to move it to other units and then drop it. The waste stored in areas 2a and 2b is stirred to make the waste in each unit suitable for uniform combustion. Each stirring update updates the overall assessment score of the unit. Units with low overall assessment scores can be stirred first, while units with overall assessment scores above a predetermined threshold (indicating that they can be fed into hoppers 3a and 3b) are not stirred.

[0015] Garbage is continuously dumped from the garbage collection truck 6 into the receiving source area. If it is not received, the height of the garbage mountain in the receiving source area will exceed the limit. However, even if it is received, the garbage is still in a state unsuitable for combustion in the incinerator. Therefore, in this embodiment, cranes C1 and C2 are controlled to prevent the height of the garbage mountain in the receiving source area from exceeding the limit and to improve the overall evaluation score of the garbage in the receiving destination area. More specifically, the operating modes of cranes C1 and C2 are automatically switched according to the average increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the receiving source area (garbage input amount - receiving speed), and cranes C1 and C2 are controlled to receive appropriately and, if there is a margin, to stir.

[0016] (Function and Configuration of the Control Device) The control device 10 includes: a signal acquisition unit 11, an operation mode determination unit 12, a control unit 13, and a memory unit 14. The signal acquisition unit 11 acquires signals including the amount of garbage thrown into area 2c (t / h) (referred to as "garbage input amount") and the amount of garbage transported from area 2c to area 2a and area 2b (t / h) (referred to as "receiving speed"). In addition, the signal acquisition unit 11 also acquires signals including the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area (area 2c). For example, the signal acquisition unit 11 receives signals including the garbage input amount and receiving speed, and signals including the height of the garbage pile every hour, and records the information of garbage input amount and receiving speed contained in the received signals in the memory unit 14. Furthermore, the receiving speed can be calculated by the number of receptions (times / h) × the weight of garbage grabbed in one reception (t / time). In addition, the signal acquisition unit 11 can also acquire signals containing information related to the congestion level of platform 5 (e.g., the number of garbage collection trucks 6 located on platform 5).

[0017] The operation mode determination unit 12 determines the receiving-related operation modes of cranes C1 and C2. Here, an example of a receiving-related operation mode will be explained with reference to Figures 2 and 3. As explained below, in each operation mode, the range and position where the waste is dropped within the receiving destination area are specified. If the range where the waste is dropped is wide, it is expected that the waste in each unit will be homogenized into a state suitable for combustion. If the location where the waste is dropped is close to the receiving source area, the receiving speed can be expected to increase because more waste transfers can be performed.

[0018] [Stirring and Receiving Mode] The stirring and receiving mode is an operating mode that repeatedly performs the following actions: grabbing waste and spreading it to the depth of pit 2 x times, and stirring y times. In the stirring and receiving mode, as illustrated in Figure 2, crane C1 or C2, for example, performs x spreading actions and y stirring actions. The spreading action involves grabbing waste from unit (H, 11) and dropping it evenly onto each of the 6 columns in area 2b; the stirring action involves grabbing waste from unit (E, 6) and dropping it onto unit (A, 3). In this example, unit (H, 11), 6 columns, unit (E, 6), and unit (A, 3) are just one example; the x spreading and y stirring actions can also include other units and columns. The other operating modes illustrated below are the same. The stirring and receiving mode is an operating mode with a high degree of waste stirring and a low waste receiving speed.

[0019] [Normal Receiving Mode] Normal receiving mode refers to an operating mode in which the action of grabbing and spreading the waste into the depth of pit 2 is repeated. In normal receiving mode, as illustrated in Figure 2, cranes C1 or C2, for example, repeatedly perform the action of grabbing the waste from units (H, 11) and spreading it evenly to each of the 6 columns of units in area 2b. Normal receiving mode is an operating mode in which the degree of waste agitation is medium to high and the waste receiving speed is low.

[0020] [Semi-busy mode] Semi-busy mode refers to an operating mode in which the action of repeatedly grabbing garbage and dropping it to a specific location is performed. In semi-busy mode, as illustrated in Figure 3, cranes C1 or C2 perform the action of grabbing garbage from unit (H, 11) and dropping it towards unit (D, 6) within a certain unit of time. Semi-busy mode is an operating mode with moderate garbage mixing and receiving speed.

[0021] [Busy Mode] Busy mode is an operating mode in which the action of repeatedly grabbing garbage and dropping it onto a nearby area is performed. In busy mode, as illustrated in Figure 3, cranes C1 or C2 perform the action of grabbing garbage from unit (H, 11) and dropping it onto any unit in area 2a within a certain unit of time. Busy mode is an operating mode in which the degree of garbage agitation is low and the garbage receiving speed is high.

[0022] These operating modes are arranged in descending order of the degree of agitation (the degree to which they are homogenized to a state suitable for combustion), namely, agitated receiving mode, normal receiving mode, semi-busy mode, and busy mode. In addition, these operating modes are arranged in descending order of receiving speed, namely, busy mode, semi-busy mode, normal receiving mode, and agitated receiving mode.

[0023] Based on the inventor's experimental research, it was found that the average value of (garbage input - receiving speed) per unit time (e.g., 1 hour) and the increase in the height of the garbage mountain in area 2c (receiving source area) is linearly related to each other, as shown in Figure 4(a). The vertical axis of Figure 4(a) represents the "average increase in the height of the garbage mountain (m / h)" and the horizontal axis represents the "(garbage input - receiving speed) per hour". Using this relationship, according to the graph in Figure 4(a), when the "(garbage input - receiving speed) per hour" at 10 o'clock is x1 (t / h), the "average increase in the height of the garbage mountain (m / h)" is 0.5, and the height of the garbage mountain at 10 o'clock can be estimated as follows: Estimated height of the garbage mountain at 10 o'clock (m) = height of the garbage mountain at 9 o'clock (m) + 0.5 (m) The operation mode determination unit 12 uses this relationship to automatically switch the operation mode, which can prevent the height of the garbage mountain in area 2c from exceeding the limit.

[0024] The control unit 13 controls cranes C1 and C2 according to the operating mode determined by the operating mode determination unit 12. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the automatic switching of the operating mode when receiving is selected as the operation to be performed by cranes C1 and C2 will be explained. The control unit 13 determines which operation to perform—receiving, mixing, or loading—according to predetermined control logic. When receiving is performed, the receiving is carried out using the operating mode selected by the automatic switching function of the operating mode in this embodiment.

[0025] The memory unit 14 stores: information acquired by the signal acquisition unit 11, comprehensive evaluation scores of each unit, graphs showing the relationship between the hourly (garbage input amount - receiving speed) and the average increase in garbage pile height (Figure 4(a) etc.), automatic operation mode determination logic (Figure 4(b) etc.), various thresholds, etc.

[0026] (Method for Determining Operation Mode) Next, referring to Figures 4-8, the method for determining the operation mode will be explained. Figure 4(a) shows the linear relationship L1 between the average increase in the height of the garbage pile and the hourly (garbage input - receiving speed). Figure 4(b) shows the automatic determination logic of the operation mode. The vertical axis of Figure 4(b) represents the operation mode, and the horizontal axis represents the average increase in the height of the garbage pile. The graph in Figure 4(b) shows the threshold for automatic switching of the operation mode. When the average increase in the height of the garbage pile reaches the value corresponding to the upward solid line, the operation mode switches to one level higher in receiving speed; when the average increase in the height of the garbage pile reaches the value corresponding to the downward dashed line, the operation mode switches to one level lower in receiving speed. In the automatic determination logic, an insensitive band is provided to prevent chattering at the threshold boundary. Furthermore, the number of operation modes, threshold values, etc., are just examples and can be arbitrarily set.

[0027] Next, referring to Figure 5, an example of automatic switching of the operation mode will be explained. The vertical axis of Figure 5 represents the height of the garbage mountain in the receiving source area (area 2c), and the horizontal axis represents time. The operation mode determination unit 12 determines the operation mode according to the following procedure. (1) A threshold Th1 (Figure 5) is set based on the height of the garbage mountain in the receiving source area. When the height exceeds the threshold Th1, the automatic switching function of the operation mode is turned on (ON), and when the height is below the threshold Th1, the automatic switching function of the operation mode is turned off (OFF). (2) When the automatic switching function of the operation mode is ON, the increase in the average height of the garbage mountain (m / h) is calculated using the (garbage input amount - receiving speed) (t / h) per unit time (e.g., 1 hour) and the linear relationship L1 in Figure 4(a). Then, referring to the threshold of the automatic determination logic in Figure 4(b), the operation mode corresponding to the calculated increase in the average height of the garbage mountain is determined.

[0028] (Automatic switching of daytime operation mode) In the example of Figure 5, the height of the garbage pile at 9 o'clock is below the threshold Th1. Therefore, the operation mode determination unit 12 turns off the automatic operation mode switching function. The operation mode determination unit 12 determines the operation of the cranes C1 and C2 related to receiving as a predetermined operation mode.

[0029] At 10:00, the height of the garbage mountain exceeds the threshold Th1. Therefore, the operation mode determination unit 12 turns on the automatic operation mode switching function. Here, assuming that the (garbage input amount - receiving speed) at 10:00 is x0 (t / h) in Figure 4(a), since the average increase in the height of the garbage mountain corresponding to x0 is less than 0.0, the operation mode determination unit 12 determines the operation mode to be the mixing and receiving mode according to the automatic determination logic in Figure 4(b).

[0030] At 11:00, the height of the garbage mountain exceeds the threshold Th1. Therefore, the operation mode determination unit 12 turns on the automatic operation mode switching function. Here, assuming that the (garbage input amount - receiving speed) at 11:00 is x2 (t / h) in Figure 4(a), since the average increase in the height of the garbage mountain corresponding to x2 exceeds 2.0, the operation mode determination unit 12 switches the operation mode to busy mode according to the automatic determination logic in Figure 4(b).

[0031] At 12 o'clock, the height of the garbage pile exceeds the threshold Th1. Therefore, the operation mode determination unit 12 turns on the automatic operation mode switching function. Here, assuming that the (garbage input amount - receiving speed) at 12 o'clock is x3 (t / h) in Figure 4(a), since the average increase in the height of the garbage pile corresponding to x3 is less than 0.0, the operation mode determination unit 12 switches the operation mode to the mixing and receiving mode with reference to Figure 4(b). In this way, not only spreading is performed, but also mixing is performed. Assuming that even if the value of (garbage input amount - receiving speed) does not change significantly by 13 o'clock, the mixing and receiving mode is continued to be selected.

[0032] At 2 PM, the height of the garbage mountain exceeds the threshold Th1. Therefore, the operation mode determination unit 12 turns on the automatic operation mode switching function. Furthermore, at 2 PM, the height of the garbage mountain exceeds the threshold Th2. The threshold Th2 is used to detect when the height of the garbage mountain is close to exceeding the limit. When the height of the garbage mountain exceeds the threshold Th2, the operation mode determination unit 12 determines the operation mode according to an automatic determination logic different from that in Figure 4(b). Figure 6 shows an example of the automatic determination logic of the operation mode used when the height of the garbage mountain in the receiving source area exceeds the threshold Th2. Figure 6(a) shows the same linear relationship L1 as in Figure 4(a), but the insensitive band range is different from that in Figure 4(a). The automatic determination logic in Figure 6(b) is to correct the threshold of the operation mode determination. When the height of the garbage mountain is high (close to exceeding the limit), even if the average increase in the height of the garbage mountain (m / h) is small, the higher mode (the mode with a faster receiving speed) is selected. For example, in Figure 4(b), the busy mode is selected only when the average increase in the height of the garbage mountain is 2.0 or more. However, in Figure 6(b), this is corrected to select the busy mode when the average increase in the height of the garbage mountain is 1.5 or more. This allows the operating mode to be changed to be closer to human judgment; that is, when approaching the limit, the receiving speed is increased to avoid exceeding the limit. The correction range between the automatic judgment logic shown in Figure 4(b) and the automatic judgment logic shown in Figure 6(b) is adjustable.

[0033] Here, assuming that the (garbage input amount - receiving speed) at point 14 is x4 in Figure 6(a), since the average increase in the height of the garbage pile corresponding to x4 exceeds 1.5, the operation mode determination unit 12 switches the operation mode to busy mode with reference to Figure 6(b). This increases the receiving speed.

[0034] Next, assuming that the (garbage input amount - receiving speed) at 3 PM is x5 in Figure 6(a), since the average increase in the height of the garbage pile corresponding to x5 is less than 1.5 but more than 1.0, it becomes an insensitive zone. The operation mode determination unit 12 maintains the operation mode in busy mode with reference to Figure 6(b). In this way, receiving based on busy mode is performed until 4 PM. As an example, garbage is put in at 4 PM, and then maintenance is entered until 5 PM.

[0035] (Automatic switching of nighttime operation mode) Next, the operation mode at night (after 5 PM) when no garbage is disposed of will be explained. From the time garbage is disposed of until the next morning, since (garbage disposal amount - receiving speed) is below 0, the operation mode determination unit 12 determines the operation mode to be the stirring receiving mode with reference to Figure 4(b). The stirring receiving mode is an operation of stirring y times for every x times of receiving. The settings for x and y times can be set arbitrarily. For example, the user can set x and y times in the control device 10 according to the height of the garbage pile in the receiving area when garbage is disposed of, the day of the week, etc., and the control unit 13 will perform receiving based on the set x and y times in the stirring receiving mode. Figure 7 shows an example of the change in the height of the garbage pile at night. The vertical axis of Figure 7 represents the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area, and the horizontal axis represents time. Curve 71 shows the change in the height of the garbage pile when the height of the garbage pile is high when the disposal is completed, and curve 72 shows the change in the height of the garbage pile when the height of the garbage pile is low when the disposal is completed. When the height of the garbage pile is high, the number of x times is increased and the number of y times is decreased. This allows for a reduction in the height of the garbage pile the following morning. Furthermore, when the garbage pile is low, the number of passes (y) can be increased to enhance agitation, making the garbage suitable for combustion. Typically, the garbage is first dispersed (spread) from the receiving source area to the receiving destination area at night, and then agitated in the early morning. In this case, while the upper layer of garbage in the receiving destination area is agitated, the inner layers of garbage initially dispersed at night are not agitated and simply accumulate. In contrast, according to this embodiment, by selecting the agitation receiving mode, x spreads and y agitations are performed throughout the night, ensuring that not only the upper layers of garbage but also the inner layers accumulate while agitated. Thus, by utilizing the automatic switching of the operating mode of this embodiment, the optimal operating mode can be selected without the need for judgment by the operators of cranes C1 and C2, automatically preventing the receiving source area from exceeding limits and improving the overall evaluation score of the receiving destination area. Furthermore, receiving can be completed and the overall evaluation score improved during the period from the completion of input to the following morning (nighttime).

[0036] (Other Examples of Automatic Determination Logic) Figures 4 and 5 illustrate examples of switching the operation mode based on the average increase in the height of the garbage mountain. Alternatively, the average increase in the height of the garbage mountain per hour can be calculated based on the degree of congestion of platform 5, and the operation mode can be automatically switched. Figure 8(a) shows the relationship between the degree of congestion of platform 5 and the average increase in the height of the garbage mountain per hour (m / h). Similar to Figures 4(a) and 6(a), there is a linear relationship L2 between the two. The degree of congestion of the platform can be set, for example, based on the following criteria: when there are 0 garbage collection trucks 6 on platform 5, the congestion is "none"; when there are 1 to 3 trucks, the congestion is "slight"; when there are 4 to 6 trucks, the congestion is "moderate"; and when there are 7 or more trucks, the congestion is "severe". The operation mode determination unit 12 calculates the degree of congestion of platform 5 based on this criterion. The operation mode determination unit 12 can calculate the average increase in the height of the garbage mountain per hour based on the congestion level of the platform 5 and the graph in Figure 8(a), and determine the operation mode based on the calculated average increase in the height of the garbage mountain and the automatic judgment logic illustrated in Figures 4(b) and 6(b). Furthermore, when the operation mode determination unit 12 calculates the congestion level of the platform 5, it can also determine the operation mode based on the automatic judgment logic illustrated in Figure 8(b). For example, when the congestion level is mild, the operation mode determination unit 12 selects the normal receiving mode; when the congestion level is moderate, it selects the semi-busy mode. Regarding the non-sensitive zone, the non-sensitive zone can be set according to the number of garbage collection trucks 6. For example, if the operation mode is the busy mode (7 or more trucks), when the number of garbage collection trucks 6 on the platform 5 decreases from this state to 5, it changes to the semi-busy mode, and then when the number of garbage collection trucks 6 on the platform 5 becomes 2, it changes to the normal receiving mode. In this example, the number of congestion levels is not limited to four. Furthermore, in Figures 4(b) and 6(b), the operating mode is determined based on the average increase in the height of the garbage mountain per hour. However, the horizontal axis of Figures 4(b) and 6(b) can also be set to the hourly garbage input rate - receiving speed, and an automatic judgment logic can be provided to define the relationship between the hourly garbage input rate - receiving speed and the operating mode, so that the operating mode is determined directly based on the garbage input rate - receiving speed.

[0037] (Action) Next, the flow of the automatic switching process for the operating mode will be explained using Figure 9. Figure 9 shows a flowchart of an example of the automatic switching process for the operating mode in the implementation embodiment. The operating mode determination unit 12 repeatedly performs the following process every unit of time. First, the operating mode determination unit 12 determines whether the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area is below the threshold Th1 (step S1). If the height is below the threshold Th1 (step S1; Yes), the operating mode determination unit 12 OFFs the automatic switching function for the operating mode and sets the received operating mode to the normal stirring mode (step S2). Here, the normal stirring mode can be an operating mode that, since there is ample room until the height of the garbage pile exceeds the limit, not only receives (moving and spreading, scattering) but also includes a large amount of stirring. For example, the normal stirring mode can also perform the same operation as the stirring receiving mode.

[0038] When the threshold Th1 is exceeded (step S1; No), the operation mode determination unit 12 will turn on the automatic operation mode switching function (step S3). Next, the operation mode determination unit 12 will determine whether to select the mixing and receiving mode based on the following automatic judgment logic, such as the amount of waste input per unit time - receiving speed, or the average increase in the height of the waste pile per unit time, or the current congestion level of platform 5, and Figure 4(b) (step S4). When the waste input per unit time - receiving speed, etc., meet the conditions of the mixing and receiving mode (step S4; Yes), the operation mode determination unit 12 will determine the receiving operation mode as the mixing and receiving mode (step S5).

[0039] When the conditions for the mixing and receiving mode are not met (step S4; no), the operation mode determination unit 12 determines whether to select the normal receiving mode based on the automatic determination logic such as the average increase in the height of the garbage pile per unit time and Figure 4(b) (step S6). When the conditions for the normal receiving mode are met (step S6; yes), the operation mode determination unit 12 determines the operation mode as the normal receiving mode (step S7).

[0040] When the conditions for the normal receiving mode are not met (step S6; no), the operation mode determination unit 12 determines whether to select the quasi-busy mode based on the average increase in the height of the garbage mountain per unit time and the automatic determination logic shown in Figure 4(b) (step S8). When the average increase in the height of the garbage mountain per unit time meets the conditions for the quasi-busy mode (step S8; yes), the operation mode determination unit 12 determines the operation mode as the quasi-busy mode (step S9), and when the conditions are not met (step S8; no), the operation mode is determined as the busy mode (step S10). In addition, when the height of the garbage mountain in the receiving area exceeds the threshold Th2, the determination in steps S4, S6, and S8 can use the automatic determination logic shown in Figure 6(b). In the flowchart of Figure 9, the operating mode during automatic switching can be switched to any one of the following: stirring and receiving mode, normal receiving mode, semi-busy mode, and busy mode. However, the operating mode is not limited to these four modes. It can also be switched to any one of five or more operating modes, or to any one of three or fewer operating modes.

[0041] (Effect) As explained above, according to this embodiment, the receiving operation mode is automatically switched based on the relationship between (waste input amount - receiving speed) and the average increase in the height of the waste pile per unit time. This allows for earlier switching of the operation mode, preventing the waste receiving source area from exceeding limits, compared to, for example, comparing the waste pile height to a threshold and controlling the operation to avoid exceeding the threshold. Furthermore, when the height of the waste pile in the receiving source area exceeds the threshold Th2, even if the average increase in the height of the waste pile relative to (waste input amount - receiving speed) is equivalent to the normal receiving mode, a correction is made by selecting a semi-busy mode or a busy mode, thereby more reliably preventing exceeding limits. Additionally, from the time waste is deposited until the next morning, because the average increase in the height of the waste pile relative to (waste input amount - receiving speed) is at its lowest, receiving is performed in a mixing receiving mode. This reduces the height of the waste pile and improves the overall waste assessment score. Furthermore, as explained above, the average increase in (garbage input - receiving speed) and garbage mountain height per unit time is linearly related. However, this embodiment can still be applied even if the relationship is not simply linear but expressed as a polynomial. For example, complex regression, spinal regression, neural networks, etc., can all be applied as long as they produce outputs that are correlated with the input to a certain extent.

[0042] Figure 10 shows an example of the hardware structure of the control device. The computer 900 includes: a CPU 901, a main memory 902, an auxiliary memory 903, an input / output interface 904, and a communication interface 905. The aforementioned control device 10 is assembled in the computer 900. Moreover, the aforementioned functions are stored in the auxiliary memory 903 in the form of a program. The CPU 901 reads the program from the auxiliary memory 903 and loads it into the main memory 902, and performs the aforementioned processing according to the program. In addition, the CPU 901 secures a memory area in the main memory 902 according to the program. Furthermore, the CPU 901 secures a memory area in the auxiliary memory 903 according to the program, and stores the data being processed in that memory area.

[0043] Alternatively, a program for implementing all or part of the functions of the control device 10 can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, allowing the computer system to read and execute the program recorded on the recording medium, thereby performing processing based on each functional unit. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as an operating system and peripherals. Furthermore, if the "computer system" utilizes a WWW (World Wide Web) system, it also includes a homepage providing environment (or display environment). Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as CDs, DVDs, and USB drives, and memory devices such as hard drives built into the computer system. Furthermore, when the program is transmitted to the computer 900 via a communication line, the computer 900, upon receiving the program, can load the program into the main memory device 902 and perform the aforementioned processing. Moreover, the aforementioned program can be a part of the functions described above, or it can be a further combination of the aforementioned functions with programs already recorded in the computer system to achieve the aforementioned functions.

[0044] The above describes several embodiments of this disclosure. All embodiments are provided as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations, like those included in the scope and spirit of the invention, are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0045] <Note> The control device and crane control method described in the embodiment can be controlled, for example, as follows.

[0046] (1) The control device of the first state is equipped with a determination means that, when the area in the garbage pit where garbage is thrown in is called the receiving source area, the destination from which the garbage is transported from the aforementioned receiving source area is called the receiving destination area, and the action of transporting garbage from the aforementioned receiving source area to the aforementioned receiving destination area is called receiving, the aforementioned determination means determines the aforementioned operating mode based on the increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area and the automatic determination logic of the operating mode. The increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area corresponds to the value obtained by subtracting the amount of garbage transported from the aforementioned receiving source area to the aforementioned receiving destination area per unit time from the amount of garbage thrown into the aforementioned receiving source area per unit time. The automatic determination logic of the aforementioned operating mode establishes a correspondence between the increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area and the aforementioned receiving operating mode. The aforementioned receiving operating mode specifies that the garbage transported in the aforementioned receiving falls to the position or range of the aforementioned receiving destination area. In this way, the height of the garbage mountain in the receiving source area can be prevented from exceeding the limit.

[0047] (2) The control device of the second state is equipped with a determination means that, when the area in the garbage pit where garbage is thrown is called the receiving source area, the destination from which the garbage is transported from the aforementioned receiving source area is called the receiving destination area, and the action of moving the garbage from the aforementioned receiving source area to the aforementioned receiving destination area is called receiving, the aforementioned determination means determines the aforementioned operating mode based on the increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area and the automatic determination logic of the operating mode. The increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area corresponds to the congestion level of the garbage collection vehicle that throws garbage into the aforementioned receiving source area. The automatic determination logic of the aforementioned operating mode establishes a correspondence between the increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area and the aforementioned receiving operating mode. The aforementioned receiving operating mode specifies that the garbage transported in the aforementioned receiving falls to the position or range of the aforementioned receiving destination area. This prevents the height of the garbage mountain in the receiving source area from exceeding the limit.

[0048] (3) The control device of the third state is, in the control devices of (1) to (2), the automatic determination logic of the aforementioned operating mode is established in a way that the amount of garbage transported from the aforementioned receiving source area to the aforementioned receiving destination area increases as the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area increases, and in a way that the state of garbage in the aforementioned receiving destination area becomes more homogeneous as the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area decreases. In this way, when the height of the garbage mountain increases significantly, the receiving is carried out with more emphasis on moving towards the receiving destination area than with stirring, thereby preventing over-limitation; when the height of the garbage mountain increases slightly, the state of garbage can be homogenized into a state suitable for combustion by stirring and spreading the garbage over a wide area.

[0049] (4) The control device of the fourth state is, in the control devices of (1) to (3), the automatic determination logic of the aforementioned operating mode establishes a correspondence with the aforementioned operating mode when the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area is higher than the predetermined threshold indicating that it is close to exceeding the limit, in a way that even if the increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area is less than that in the case where it is not higher than the aforementioned predetermined threshold, the amount of garbage transported from the aforementioned receiving source area to the aforementioned receiving destination area will still increase. In this way, the exceeding of the limit in the height of the garbage mountain in the receiving source area can be prevented more reliably.

[0050] (5) The control method of the fifth state garbage crane, when the area where garbage is put into the garbage pit is called the receiving source area, the destination from which the garbage is transported from the aforementioned receiving source area is called the receiving destination area, and the action of transporting garbage from the aforementioned receiving source area to the aforementioned receiving destination area is called receiving, the aforementioned operating mode is determined based on the increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area and the automatic determination logic of the operating mode, and the garbage is received in accordance with the determined aforementioned operating mode. The increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area corresponds to the value obtained by subtracting the amount of garbage transported from the aforementioned receiving source area to the aforementioned receiving destination area per unit time from the amount of garbage put into the aforementioned receiving source area per unit time. The automatic determination logic of the aforementioned operating mode establishes a correspondence between the increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area and the aforementioned receiving operating mode. The aforementioned receiving operating mode specifies that the garbage transported in the aforementioned receiving falls to the location or range of the aforementioned receiving destination area.

[0051] (6) The control method of the garbage crane in the sixth state, when the area where garbage is thrown into the garbage pit is called the receiving source area, the destination from which the garbage is transported from the aforementioned receiving source area is called the receiving destination area, and the action of moving the garbage from the aforementioned receiving source area to the aforementioned receiving destination area is called receiving, the aforementioned operating mode is determined based on the increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area and the automatic determination logic of the operating mode, and the garbage is received in accordance with the determined aforementioned operating mode. The increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area corresponds to the degree of congestion of the garbage collection vehicle that throws the garbage into the aforementioned receiving source area. The automatic determination logic of the aforementioned operating mode establishes a correspondence between the increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area and the aforementioned receiving operating mode. The aforementioned receiving operating mode specifies that the garbage transported in the aforementioned receiving falls to the location or range of the aforementioned receiving destination area. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0009] [Figure 1] is a schematic diagram of the waste treatment plant in the implementation form. [Figure 2] is the first diagram illustrating the operation mode of the implementation form. [Figure 3] is the second diagram illustrating the operation mode of the implementation form. [Figure 4] (a)(b) is the first diagram illustrating the automatic switching logic of the operation mode of the implementation form. [Figure 5] is the first diagram showing an example of the automatic switching of the operation mode of the implementation form. [Figure 6] (a)(b) is the second diagram illustrating the automatic switching logic of the operation mode of the implementation form. [Figure 7] is the second diagram showing an example of the automatic switching of the operation mode of the implementation form. [Figure 8] (a)(b) is the third diagram illustrating the automatic switching logic of the operation mode of the implementation form. [Figure 9] is a flowchart showing an example of the automatic switching process of the operation mode of the implementation form. [Figure 10] is an example showing the hardware structure of the control device in the implementation form.

Claims

1. A control device comprising a determination means, wherein an area in a landfill where garbage is deposited is called a receiving source area, the destination from which garbage is transported from the receiving source area is called a receiving destination area, and the action of transporting garbage from the receiving source area to the receiving destination area is called receiving, the determination means determining the operating mode based on the increase in the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area and an automatic determination logic of the operating mode, wherein the increase in the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area corresponds to a value obtained by subtracting the amount of garbage transported from the receiving source area to the receiving destination area per unit time from the amount of garbage deposited to the receiving source area per unit time, and the automatic determination logic of the operating mode establishes a correspondence between the increase in the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area and the operating mode of receiving, wherein the operating mode of receiving specifies the position or range of the garbage transported in the receiving process to fall into the receiving destination area.

2. A control device comprising a determination means, wherein an area in a garbage pit where garbage is deposited is called a receiving source area, the destination from which the garbage is transported from the aforementioned receiving source area is called a receiving destination area, and the action of transporting garbage from the aforementioned receiving source area to the aforementioned receiving destination area is called receiving, the determination means determining the aforementioned operating mode based on the increase in the height of the garbage pile in the aforementioned receiving source area and an automatic determination logic of the operating mode, wherein the increase in the height of the garbage pile in the aforementioned receiving source area corresponds to the congestion level of the garbage collection vehicle that deposits garbage into the aforementioned receiving source area, and the automatic determination logic of the aforementioned operating mode establishes a correspondence between the increase in the height of the garbage pile in the aforementioned receiving source area and the aforementioned receiving operating mode, wherein the aforementioned receiving operating mode specifies the position or range at which the garbage transported in the aforementioned receiving falls into the aforementioned receiving destination area.

3. The control device as requested in item 1 or 2, wherein, The automatic judgment logic of the aforementioned operating mode is based on the fact that as the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area increases, the amount of garbage transported from the aforementioned receiving source area to the aforementioned receiving destination area increases, and the logic is based on the fact that as the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area decreases, the state of garbage in the aforementioned receiving destination area becomes more homogeneous, and the logic is based on the fact that the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area decreases, and the state of garbage in the aforementioned receiving destination area becomes more homogeneous.

4. The control device as requested in item 1 or 2, wherein, The automatic judgment logic of the aforementioned operating mode establishes a correspondence with the aforementioned operating mode when the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area is higher than the predetermined threshold indicating that it is close to exceeding the limit, in a way that even though the increase in the height of the garbage mountain in the aforementioned receiving source area is smaller than that in the case where it is not higher than the aforementioned predetermined threshold, the amount of garbage transported from the aforementioned receiving source area to the aforementioned receiving destination area increases.

5. A control method for a garbage crane, wherein the area in a garbage pit where garbage is deposited is called a receiving source area, the destination from which the garbage is transported from the aforementioned receiving source area is called a receiving destination area, and the action of transporting garbage from the aforementioned receiving source area to the aforementioned receiving destination area is called receiving, the operating mode is determined based on the increase in the height of the garbage pile in the aforementioned receiving source area and an automatic determination logic of the operating mode, and garbage receiving is performed in accordance with the determined operating mode, wherein the increase in the height of the garbage pile in the aforementioned receiving source area corresponds to a value obtained by subtracting the amount of garbage transported from the aforementioned receiving source area to the aforementioned receiving destination area per unit time from the amount of garbage deposited to the aforementioned receiving source area per unit time, and the automatic determination logic of the aforementioned operating mode establishes a correspondence between the increase in the height of the garbage pile in the aforementioned receiving source area and the aforementioned receiving operating mode, and the aforementioned receiving operating mode specifies that the garbage transported in the aforementioned receiving falls to the position or range of the aforementioned receiving destination area.

Images