Automatic rail-mounted gantry crane high-voltage cable trough cleaning system

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic rail-mounted gantry crane high-voltage cable trough cleaning system which is characterized in that a cable trough cleaning device is mounted on a guardrail of a sea-side / land-side automatic rail-mounted gantry crane cart, the device is composed of a telescopic motor, a broom rod and a replaceable broom head, and during operation of the sea-side / land-side automatic rail-mounted gantry crane, the broom rod can be replaced by the replaceable broom head. The telescopic motor is controlled by the PLC control system of the automatic rail-mounted gantry crane, so that the broom head extends into the cable trough to sweep the cable trough during the operation of the automatic rail-mounted gantry crane, and garbage in the cable trough is swept to the end part of the storage yard when the automatic rail-mounted gantry crane operates from the middle part of the storage yard to the sea side / land side. The problems that the cable trough is difficult to clean, long in consumed time, high in cost and the like are fundamentally solved, and safe operation of the high-voltage cable of the automatic rail-mounted gantry crane is effectively protected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of automated yard electromechanical technology, specifically, it relates to an automated rail-mounted gantry high-voltage cable trough cleaning system. Background Technology

[0002] Automated Container Terminals (ACTs) utilize advanced automation facilities and are integrated with the overall terminal layout design to automate container loading and unloading operations. A single yard typically features two Automated Rail Mounted Gantry (ARMGs), one on the sea side and one on the land side, allowing both ARMGs to perform point-to-point loading and unloading operations simultaneously. The high-voltage cables are led out from an underground cable pit in the center of the yard, running through recessed cable troughs (high-voltage cable troughs) to the ARMGs on both the sea and land sides. When an ARMG operates towards the end of the yard, the cable reel extends the cable; when it operates towards the interior of the yard, the cable reel retracts the cable. During later maintenance, the recessed cable troughs are prone to accumulating debris and dust, leading to clogged drainage outlets and rainwater accumulation, significantly reducing the lifespan of the ARMG main cables. Furthermore, the high cost of manual cleaning of the cable troughs and the long downtime for equipment maintenance hinder the efficient operation of automated yards. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To extend the lifespan of the main cable of automated rail-mounted gantry cranes, reduce cable trough cleaning costs, and fundamentally solve the problems of difficult, time-consuming, and expensive cable trough cleaning, this invention proposes an automated rail-mounted gantry high-voltage cable trough cleaning system. This system uses the equipment's existing PLC as the main control unit to automate the cleaning of recessed cable troughs, sweeping most of the dust and debris to the end of the storage area, reducing dust and debris accumulation within the cable trough, preventing drainage blockage, and effectively solving the cleaning and drainage problems of the cable trough. Simultaneously, it reduces labor costs and downtime for subsequent maintenance of recessed cable troughs, further improving the equipment's standby utilization efficiency.

[0004] The present invention is implemented using the following technical solutions: An automated rail-mounted high-voltage cable trough cleaning system is proposed for use in an automated storage and retrieval yard, which is equipped with: Automated rail-mounted gantry cranes on the seaside and automated rail-mounted gantry cranes on the landside; The high-voltage power supply system for the rail-mounted gantry cranes supplies power to the automated rail-mounted gantry cranes on both the sea and land sides via high-voltage cables. The high-voltage cables are led out from the underground cable pit in the middle of the yard and supply power to the rail-mounted gantry cranes on both the sea and land sides from the cable trench. The cable trough is laid on the side of the storage yard; The cable trough cleaning device is installed on the guardrail of the rail-mounted crane on the sea / land side. It consists of a connecting bracket, a telescopic motor, a broom handle, and a broom head. The connecting bracket is fixed to the guardrail, and the telescopic motor is fixed to the connecting bracket, with its extension direction perpendicular to the ground. The broom head is connected to the output end of the telescopic motor through the broom handle. When the telescopic motor extends, the broom head extends into the cable trough, and when the telescopic motor retracts, the broom head exits the cable trough. The PLC control system for the rail-mounted gantry crane is used to control the extension motor to extend so that the broom head can be inserted into the cable trough when the automated rail-mounted gantry crane is operating in the seaside cleaning area and moving from the middle of the yard towards the seaside, and to clean the cable trough as the automated rail-mounted gantry crane moves towards the seaside; and to control the extension motor to extend so that the broom head can be inserted into the cable trough when the automated rail-mounted gantry crane is operating in the landside cleaning area and moving from the middle of the yard towards the landside, and to clean the cable trough as the automated rail-mounted gantry crane moves towards the landside.

[0005] In some embodiments of the present invention, the rail-mounted crane PLC control system is further used for: When the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the seaside is operating in the seaside cleaning area and moving from the seaside towards the center of the yard, the telescopic motor is controlled to retract so that the broom head exits the cable tray; and when the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the landside is operating in the landside cleaning area and moving from the landside towards the center of the yard, the telescopic motor is controlled to retract so that the broom head exits the cable tray.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present invention, the rail-mounted crane PLC control system is further used for: When the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the seaside or landside is operating across half of the field, the telescopic motor is controlled to retract so that the broom head can exit the cable tray.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cable trough cleaning device further includes a broom head non-cleaning position limiter and a broom head cleaning position limiter, which are installed on the side of the broom handle in an up-down position relationship. The output signals of the broom head non-sweeping position limit and the broom head sweeping position limit are sent to the rail crane PLC control system; when the broom head sweeping position limit output signal is output, the rail crane PLC control system controls the broom head to extend; when the broom head non-sweeping position limit output signal is output, the rail crane PLC control system controls the broom head to retract.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the PLC control system of the rail-mounted crane performs cable trough cleaning according to the following control: S1: Obtain the positions of the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the sea side and the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the land side, and determine whether they have entered the cleaning area; if the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the sea side is operating in the sea side cleaning area or the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the land side is operating in the land side cleaning area, proceed to step S; if the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the sea side or the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the land side is operating across half of the field, proceed to step S. S2: When the automated rail crane on the sea side is moving towards the sea side or the automated rail crane on the land side is moving towards the land side, the broom head is extended; when the automated rail crane on the sea side is moving towards the sea side or the automated rail crane on the land side is moving towards the center of the yard, the broom head is retracted. S3: When the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the sea side or the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the land side is operating across half of the field, control the broom head to retract.

[0009] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages and positive effects of this invention are as follows: The automated rail-mounted gantry high-voltage cable trough cleaning system proposed in this invention installs a cable trough cleaning device on the guardrail of the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the sea / land side. This device consists of a telescopic motor, a broom handle, and a replaceable broom head. During the operation of the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the sea / land side, the telescopic motor allows the broom head to extend into the cable trough for cleaning. This is carried out as the automated rail-mounted gantry crane moves from the middle of the storage yard towards the sea / land side, ensuring that the debris in the cable trough is swept to the end of the storage yard. This fundamentally solves the problems of difficult, time-consuming, and costly cable trough cleaning, effectively protecting the safe operation of the high-voltage cables of the automated rail-mounted gantry crane, and also has the following advantages: Independence: As an auxiliary system for ARMG, the system of this invention is not introduced into the ARMG automated operation process, thus not interrupting the automated operation of ARMG.

[0010] High coordination: It can capture the movement direction signal of the ARMG large vehicle in a timely manner and control the extension motor of the broom head to perform the action in a timely manner.

[0011] Simplicity: PLC programming is simple and easy to understand, and on-site wiring and installation are simple and convenient, which is conducive to later optimization and adjustment by technical personnel.

[0012] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer after reading the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The accompanying drawings, as part of this invention, are provided to further illustrate the invention. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions are used to explain the invention but do not constitute an undue limitation thereof. Clearly, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments; those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0014] Figure 1 A top view of the automated yard layout structure; Figure 2 The structure of the automated rail-mounted high-voltage cable trough cleaning system proposed in this invention; Figure 3 The structure of the cable trough cleaning device proposed in this invention; Figure 4 This is a side view of the automated rail-mounted high-voltage cable trough cleaning system proposed in this invention. Figure 5 The cleaning control steps of the automated rail-mounted high-voltage cable trough cleaning system proposed in this invention are as follows: Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the automated rail-mounted gantry high-voltage cable trench cleaning system in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] It should be noted that these accompanying drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0017] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0018] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or a connection indirectly through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0019] The automated rail-mounted gantry high-voltage cable trough cleaning system proposed in this invention solves the cleaning problem of recessed cable troughs in automated storage and yards by utilizing the movement of the automated rail-mounted gantry itself. The broom head of the cable trough cleaning device is extended and retracted by the PLC of the automated rail-mounted gantry, and the movement of the gantry crane sweeps the debris in the high-voltage cable trough to both ends of the storage yard, thereby achieving automated cleaning of the cable trough and effectively protecting the safe operation of the high-voltage cables in the automated rail-mounted gantry.

[0020] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the automated yard is equipped with two automated rail-mounted gantry cranes (ARMGs), one on the sea side and one on the land side. The ARMG1 on the sea side is responsible for container operations from the sea side to the middle of the yard, while the ARMG2 on the land side is responsible for container operations from the middle of the yard to the land side. The high-voltage cables supplying power to the ARMGs are led out from an underground cable pit in the middle of the automated yard and run from the recessed cable trough 10 to the sea side and the land side.

[0021] The cable trough cleaning device of the present invention is installed at the guardrail 7 of the ARMG trolley, and is located on the outside of the cable reel (seaside or landside), and is fixed by bolt hinge. Figure 2 As shown, the device consists of a connecting bracket 1, a non-sweeping position limiter 2 for the broom head, a telescopic motor 3, a sweeping position limiter 4 for the broom head, a broom handle 5, and a replaceable broom head 6. The telescopic motor 3 is position-limited by a sensing iron block 8. Figure 6 As shown, the guardrail 7 of the ARMG truck is installed on the outside of the truck wheels to protect the truck wheels and to run synchronously with the truck.

[0022] The replaceable broom head 6 makes soft contact with the recessed cable tray 10, preventing gaps in the metal cable tray that could damage the ARMG main cable and thus avoid the risk of electrical leakage. The broom head is detachable, allowing for replacement with plastic brushes, soft scrapers, etc., depending on the actual working conditions.

[0023] Based on this cable trough cleaning device, the automated rail-mounted high-voltage cable trough cleaning system of the present invention is designed with the following control logic to achieve the cleaning function of recessed cable troughs: (1) When the ARMG moves toward the end of the automated yard (sea side or land side), the broom head 6 extends into the recessed cable trough 10. As the ARMG moves toward the end, the broom head 6 rubs against the recessed cable trough 10, thereby achieving the cleaning function.

[0024] (2) When the ARMG moves into the automated storage yard, the broom head 6 retracts out of the recessed cable trough 10. As the ARMG moves into the yard, the broom head 6 does not come into contact with the recessed cable trough 10, thereby realizing the function of garbage and dust gathering at the end of the automated storage yard.

[0025] (3) When the sea-side or land-side ARMG crosses half of the yard for operation (sea-side ARMG crosses the area from the middle of the yard to the land side, and land-side ARMG crosses the area from the middle of the yard to the sea side), it will exceed the underground cable outlet pit in the middle of the yard. The broom head 6 must retract into the recessed cable trough 10 to avoid contact with the cable in the cable trough, thereby realizing the cable protection function of the high-voltage cable trough cleaning system.

[0026] Based on the above, the control of the automated rail-mounted high-voltage cable trough cleaning system of the present invention includes: (1) Obtain the position of the automated rail gantry crane and determine whether it has entered the cleaning area.

[0027] Obtain the current operating positions of the seaside ARMG and landside ARMG from the terminal equipment management system. If the seaside ARMG is operating in the seaside cleaning area or the landside ARMG is operating in the landside cleaning area, proceed to step S2; if the seaside ARMG or the landside ARMG is operating across half of the yard, proceed to step S4.

[0028] (2) When the automated rail crane on the sea side moves towards the sea side or the automated rail crane on the land side moves towards the land side, the broom head is extended.

[0029] When the ARMG trolley moves from the sea side to the sea side or the land side, the broom head extends into the recessed cable trough 10. As the trolley moves towards the sea side or the land side, the broom head cleans the cable trough. When the trolley reaches the sea side or the land side end, the garbage and dust in the cable trough are pushed and swept to the sea side or the land side end.

[0030] (3) When the automated rail crane on the sea side moves towards the sea side or the automated rail crane on the land side moves towards the middle of the yard, control the broom head to retract.

[0031] When the ARMG trucks on the sea side move towards the sea side or the ARMG trucks on the land side move towards the center of the yard, the broom heads retract to avoid bringing garbage back into the cable trough.

[0032] (4) When the automated rail crane is working across half of the field, control the broom head to retract.

[0033] When the ARMG trolley is operating across half the field, the cable is located behind the cable cleaning device, and its retraction is controlled to avoid contact friction on the cable.

[0034] The above control is implemented by the PLC of the automated rail gantry control system. The sweeping position limit 4 and the non-sweeping position limit 2 of the broom head serve as input signals to the PLC, making the movement of the telescopic motor 3 more precise. When the sweeping position limit 4 of the broom head outputs a signal, the PLC controls the broom head to extend. When the non-sweeping position limit 2 of the broom head outputs a signal, the PLC controls the broom head to retract.

[0035] Furthermore, this invention first determines the location of the ARMG (ArmG). When the ARMG's position is less than 260 meters, it is determined that the tractor has entered the seaside cleaning area; when the ARMG's position is greater than 310 meters, it is determined that the tractor has entered the landside cleaning area. When the ARMG enters the seaside cleaning area and is a seaside ARMG, the cable cleaning device is activated, and the broom head is extended. When the ARMG enters the landside cleaning area and is a landside ARMG, the cable cleaning device is activated, and the broom head is extended. When the ARMG enters the seaside cleaning area but is a landside ARMG, or when the ARMG enters the landside cleaning area but is a seaside ARMG, the cable cleaning device is deactivated, and the broom head retracts.

[0036] It should be noted that, in the specific implementation process, the above-mentioned control part can be implemented by a hardware processor executing computer-executable instructions in software form stored in memory, which will not be elaborated here. The programs corresponding to the actions performed by the above control circuit can all be stored in the computer-readable storage medium of the system in software form, so that the processor can call and execute the operations corresponding to the above modules.

[0037] The computer-readable storage media mentioned above may include volatile memory, such as random access memory; may also include non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory, flash memory, hard disk or solid-state drive; and may also include combinations of the above types of memory.

[0038] The term "processor" as mentioned above can also refer to a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, a processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, and it can also be a special-purpose processor.

[0039] It should be noted that the above description is not intended to limit the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the examples given above. Any changes, modifications, additions or substitutions made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention should also fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated rail-mounted gantry high-voltage cable trough cleaning system, applied in an automated stockyard, wherein the automated stockyard is equipped with: Seaside automated rail-mounted gantry (91) and landside automated rail-mounted gantry (92); The high-voltage power supply system for the rail-mounted gantry crane supplies power to the marine automated rail-mounted gantry crane (91) and the landside automated rail-mounted gantry crane (92) via high-voltage cables; The high-voltage cable is led out from the underground cable pit in the middle of the yard and supplies power to the rail cranes on both the land and sea sides from the cable trough (10); The cable trough is laid on the side of the storage yard; Its characteristic is that it further includes: The cable trough cleaning device is installed on the guardrail (7) of the seaside / landside rail crane trolley and consists of a connecting bracket (1), a telescopic motor (3), a broom handle (5), and a broom head (6). The connecting bracket (1) is fixed on the guardrail (7), and the telescopic motor (3) is fixed on the connecting bracket (1), with its extension direction perpendicular to the ground. The broom head (6) is connected to the output end of the telescopic motor (3) through the broom handle (5). When the telescopic motor (3) extends, the broom head (6) extends into the cable trough (10), and when the telescopic motor (3) retracts, the broom head (6) exits the cable trough (10). The rail-mounted gantry PLC control system is used to control the extension motor (3) to extend so that the broom head (6) extends into the cable trough (10) when the sea-side automated rail-mounted gantry (91) is operating in the sea-side cleaning area and is moving from the middle of the yard to the sea side, and to clean the cable trough (10) as the sea-side automated rail-mounted gantry (91) moves to the sea side; and to control the extension motor (3) to extend so that the broom head (6) extends into the cable trough (10) when the land-side automated rail-mounted gantry (92) is operating in the land-side cleaning area and is moving from the middle of the yard to the land side, and to clean the cable trough (10) as the land-side automated rail-mounted gantry (92) moves to the land side.

2. The automated rail-mounted gantry high-voltage cable trough cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The PLC control system for the rail-mounted crane is also used for: When the seaside automated rail gantry crane (91) is operating in the seaside cleaning area and moving from the seaside to the center of the yard, the telescopic motor (3) is controlled to retract so that the broom head (6) exits the cable tray (10); and when the landside automated rail gantry crane (92) is operating in the landside cleaning area and moving from the landside to the center of the yard, the telescopic motor (3) is controlled to retract so that the broom head (6) exits the cable tray (10).

3. The automated rail-mounted gantry high-voltage cable trough cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The PLC control system for the rail-mounted crane is also used for: When the seaside automated rail gantry crane (91) or the landside automated rail gantry crane (92) crosses the half-field operation, the telescopic motor (3) is controlled to retract so that the broom head (6) exits the cable trough (10).

4. The automated rail-mounted gantry high-voltage cable trough cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cable trough cleaning device also includes a broom head non-cleaning position limiter (2) and a broom head cleaning position limiter (4), which are installed on the side of the broom handle (5) in an up-down position relationship; The output signals of the non-sweeping position limit (2) and the sweeping position limit (4) of the broom head are sent to the PLC control system of the rail crane. When the sweeping position limit (4) of the broom head outputs a signal, the PLC control system of the rail crane controls the broom head (6) to extend. When the non-sweeping position limit (2) of the broom head outputs a signal, the PLC control system of the rail crane controls the broom head (6) to retract.

5. The automated rail-mounted gantry high-voltage cable trough cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The PLC control system of the rail-mounted gantry crane performs cable trough cleaning according to the following control: S1: Obtain the positions of the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the sea side and the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the land side, and determine whether they have entered the cleaning area; if the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the sea side is operating in the sea side cleaning area or the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the land side is operating in the land side cleaning area, proceed to step S2; if the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the sea side or the automated rail-mounted gantry crane is operating across half of the field, proceed to step S3. S2: When the automated rail crane on the sea side is moving towards the sea side or the automated rail crane on the land side is moving towards the land side, the broom head is extended; when the automated rail crane on the sea side is moving towards the sea side or the automated rail crane on the land side is moving towards the center of the yard, the broom head is retracted. S3: When the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the sea side or the automated rail-mounted gantry crane on the land side is operating across half of the field, control the broom head to retract.

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