A double-trolley shore-based crane distributed control system

By implementing a distributed control system, the main trolley and the gantry trolley of the dual-trolley quay crane can be controlled independently, which solves the problems of limited operation efficiency and low system reliability in the existing technology, improves operation efficiency and system stability, and ensures that fault handling is uninterrupted.

CN121063403BActive Publication Date: 2026-02-03SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL PORT +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202511631514.1
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-11-10
Publication Date
2026-02-03
Estimated Expiration
2045-11-10

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing dual-trolley gantry crane control system suffers from limited operational efficiency and low system reliability. In particular, when the gantry trolley fails, manual intervention is required, which causes the overall operation process to be interrupted. Furthermore, the centralized architecture is susceptible to the risk of single-node downtime.

Method used

A decentralized distributed control system is adopted, with distributed operating consoles that support multiple operating consoles to control the same dual-trolley gantry crane simultaneously. This enables independent control of the main trolley and the gantry trolley, as well as multi-mode switching of the operating consoles. A distributed election mechanism is used to solve the problem of chaotic control allocation, ensuring that the system can maintain stable control even when some operating consoles or communication links fail.

Benefits of technology

It improves operational efficiency, ensures uninterrupted operation during fault handling, enhances the system's fault tolerance and scheduling reliability in multi-operator collaborative scenarios, and reduces the difficulty of fault diagnosis.

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Abstract

The application discloses a double-trolley shore-based crane distributed control system, which comprises a shore-based crane equipment module and an operation platform module connected with the shore-based crane equipment module; the shore-based crane equipment module comprises a plurality of double-trolley shore-based cranes; the double-trolley shore-based crane comprises a main trolley and a gantry trolley; the operation platform module comprises a plurality of distributed operation platforms; when a plurality of operation platforms simultaneously apply for the same trolley, an application pool is established, and the optimal operation platform is elected based on a distributed election method to obtain control right. The technical scheme provided by the application adopts a decentralized architecture, sets distributed operation platforms, optimizes the operation platform control mode and system architecture, realizes independent control of the main trolley and the gantry trolley and the multi-mode switching function of the operation platform, and improves the operation efficiency; through the distributed election mechanism, the control right distribution confusion problem in the case of concurrent requests of multiple operation platforms and node exceptions is solved, the operation is ensured not to be interrupted during fault processing, and the fault tolerance and scheduling reliability of the system are improved.
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Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of shore crane control, and in particular to a distributed control system for a double-trolley shore crane. BACKGROUND

[0002] A double-trolley shore crane (double-lifting-trolley shore-based container crane) is a core handling equipment in a modern container terminal. Through the coordinated operation of the main trolley and the gantry trolley, the double-trolley shore crane realizes efficient division of labor and spatial optimization of the container handling process. The main trolley of the double-trolley shore crane realizes the transportation of containers between the ship side and the transfer platform, and the gantry trolley realizes the transportation of containers between the transfer platform and the horizontal transportation mechanism (such as an automated guided vehicle AGV, a straddle carrier, or a truck), and the coordinated operation of the two can greatly improve the handling efficiency.

[0003] Currently, taking the Yangshan Phase IV double-trolley shore crane as an example, the control system thereof has the following key problems:

[0004] (1) Limited operation efficiency: In the existing scheme, the shore crane operator needs to simultaneously operate the main trolley and the gantry trolley. When the gantry trolley fails and needs manual intervention, the operator must pause the operation of the main trolley to handle the gantry fault, which causes the overall operation process to be interrupted and the efficiency to be significantly reduced.

[0005] (2) Low system reliability: The traditional remote control system adopts a centralized RCCS (Remote Center Control System) architecture, and the RCCS is responsible for binding idle operation stations and shore cranes to be intervened. This architecture has two core defects: first, there are many interactive nodes (RCCS→operation station→shore crane), and it is difficult to locate the cause when a fault occurs; second, there is a single-node downtime risk, and when any unit of the RCCS fails, the entire remote control system will be paralyzed.

[0006] To solve the above problems, a decentralized solution is needed to support independent control of the main trolley and the gantry trolley, optimize the operation station control mode and system architecture, and adapt the algorithm functions to break through the existing technical bottlenecks. SUMMARY

[0007] In view of the above deficiencies in the prior art, the present application provides a distributed control system for a double-trolley shore crane, which adopts a decentralized architecture, sets up distributed operation stations, supports simultaneous control of the same double-trolley shore crane by multiple operation stations, supports independent control of the main trolley and the gantry trolley of the shore crane, realizes independent control of the main trolley and the gantry trolley and multi-mode switching function of the operation station, and improves the operation efficiency.

[0008] To achieve the above purpose, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0009] A double-trolley shore-based crane distributed control system, comprising: a shore-based crane device module, an operation console module connected with the shore-based crane device module; wherein,

[0010] The shore-based crane device module comprises a plurality of double-trolley shore-based cranes.

[0011] The double-trolley shore-based crane comprises a main trolley and a gantry trolley, and the double-trolley shore-based crane is internally provided with an independent device control PLC.

[0012] The operation console module comprises a plurality of distributed operation consoles, and the operation consoles are internally provided with independently controlled PLCs.

[0013] Each operation console is connected with each double-trolley shore-based crane through a communication network.

[0014] The operation console is provided with a mode selection assembly, and can switch to control the main trolley or the gantry trolley to work.

[0015] According to an aspect of the present application, after the double-trolley shore-based crane distributed control system is powered on, each operation console scans the double-trolley shore-based cranes in the network through the communication network, and is communicatively connected with each shore-based crane to establish an interactive connection channel capable of bidirectional communication.

[0016] According to an aspect of the present application, the double-trolley shore-based crane distributed control system comprises:

[0017] When multiple operation consoles simultaneously apply for control right of the same trolley of the same double-trolley shore-based crane, the double-trolley shore-based crane establishes an application pool for all the operation consoles that apply, and elects an optimal operation console to obtain the control right based on a preset distributed election method.

[0018] According to an aspect of the present application, the distributed election method is an optimized Raft algorithm, each operation console scores other operation consoles according to multi-dimensional data of the operation console and the double-trolley shore-based crane, the double-trolley shore-based crane summarizes all the scores, and the operation console with the highest score is the optimal operation console.

[0019] According to an aspect of the present application, the operation console comprises the following three control modes:

[0020] Main / gantry trolley mode, the operation console simultaneously controls the main trolley and the gantry trolley of the double-trolley shore-based crane;

[0021] Main trolley mode, the operation console only controls the main trolley of the double-trolley shore-based crane, and the gantry trolley can be controlled by other operation consoles or kept in automatic operation;

[0022] Gantry trolley mode, the operation console only controls the gantry trolley of the double-trolley shore-based crane, and the main trolley can be controlled by other operation consoles or kept in automatic operation.

[0023] According to one aspect of the present application, the double-trolley shore-based crane distributed control system comprises:

[0024] The driver selects the double-trolley shore-based crane and the control mode to be controlled according to the work requirements through the mode selection assembly of the console;

[0025] The console sends the application instruction to the corresponding double-trolley shore-based crane;

[0026] After the double-trolley shore-based crane receives the application instruction, if the target trolley control right is in an idle state, the console is elected from the application pool based on a preset distributed election method;

[0027] The double-trolley shore-based crane sends a right allocation notification to the elected console;

[0028] The elected console confirms the right allocation and obtains the target trolley control right of the double-trolley shore-based crane, and the driver controls the target trolley to work through the console;

[0029] After the work is completed, the driver sends a release instruction to the controlled double-trolley shore-based crane through the console;

[0030] After the double-trolley shore-based crane receives the release instruction, the control right of the console is released, and the console enters an idle state.

[0031] According to one aspect of the present application, the double-trolley shore-based crane distributed control system comprises:

[0032] The driver selects the double-trolley shore-based crane and the control mode to be controlled according to the work requirements through the mode selection assembly of the console;

[0033] The console sends the application instruction to the corresponding double-trolley shore-based crane;

[0034] After the double-trolley shore-based crane receives the application instruction, if the target trolley is in a controlled state, the console enters an application pool;

[0035] After the target trolley control right is released, a new election process is started immediately.

[0036] According to one aspect of the present application, the double-trolley shore-based crane distributed control system comprises:

[0037] When the gantry trolley of the double-trolley shore-based crane fails, the double-trolley shore-based crane establishes a connection with an idle console in a gantry trolley mode according to a preset console selection strategy;

[0038] The console that is controlling the main trolley can continue to work in the main trolley mode without pausing;

[0039] The idle console in the gantry trolley mode performs fault intervention processing on the gantry trolley;

[0040] After the fault handling is completed, the gantry trolley resumes automatic operation or is continued to be controlled by the operation station, and the main trolley and the gantry trolley perform parallel operation.

[0041] According to an aspect of the present application, the operation station is configured to display an interface, to display in real time the current control mode and the operation parameters of the controlled trolley, fault information, and to support fault alarm, record and view operation logs.

[0042] According to an aspect of the present application, the shore crane equipment module further comprises:

[0043] A video acquisition sub-module is configured to acquire video of the double-trolley shore crane operation area.

[0044] The present application has the following advantages:

[0045] The present application provides a double-trolley shore crane distributed control system, which adopts a decentralized architecture, sets a distributed operation station, optimizes the operation station control mode and system architecture, supports simultaneous control of the same double-trolley shore crane by multiple operation stations, supports independent control of the main trolley and the gantry trolley of the shore crane, realizes independent control of the main trolley and the gantry trolley and multi-mode switching function of the operation station, and improves operation efficiency; establishes a temporary coordination node through a distributed election mechanism, solves the problem of chaotic control right allocation when multiple operation stations concurrently request and node is abnormal, ensures that the system can still maintain stable control logic when some operation stations or communication links fail, guarantees uninterrupted operation during fault handling, further improves the fault tolerance and scheduling reliability of the system in the multi-operation station collaborative scenario, and reduces the difficulty of troubleshooting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0046] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described in the following are only some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained without creative labor on the basis of these drawings.

[0047] Figure 1 The structure diagram of the double-trolley shore crane distributed control system according to the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely in the following with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0049] Embodiment one

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown, a distributed control system for a dual-trolley quay crane includes: a quay crane equipment module and an operating console module connected to the quay crane equipment module.

[0051] Specifically, the quay crane equipment module includes several double-trolley quay cranes. In practical applications, port terminals typically require multiple double-trolley quay cranes for container loading, unloading, and transportation.

[0052] The dual-trolley quay crane includes a main trolley and a gantry trolley. The main trolley realizes the transportation of containers between the ship's side and the transshipment platform, while the gantry trolley realizes the transportation of containers between the transshipment platform and horizontal transportation mechanisms (such as automated guided vehicles, straddle carriers, or container trucks).

[0053] Each dual-trolley quay crane has a built-in independent equipment control PLC, specifically a Siemens S7-1500, with a dual-mode communication interface supporting Profinet and EtherNet protocols.

[0054] Specifically, the control panel module includes several distributed control panels, each with a built-in independently controlled PLC, such as a Siemens S7-1500, featuring its own PLC control logic. The control panel can be configured with a dual design of touchscreen and physical buttons (to prevent accidental operation), working in conjunction with a distributed network architecture and automation programs. The PLC on each control panel possesses autonomous control logic, enabling control of multiple quay cranes without relying on a centralized unit. The operator can control the quay crane's trolley to perform specific operations via the control panel.

[0055] Preferably, the control panel can also be configured with a display interface to display the current control mode and the operating parameters and fault information of the controlled vehicle in real time, and support fault alarms, recording and viewing operation logs, and can also display on-site monitoring screens, etc.

[0056] Each control panel is connected to each of the double trolley quay cranes via a communication network.

[0057] After the system is powered on and started, each control console scans the existing dual-trolley quay cranes in the network through the communication network, establishes a communication connection with each quay crane, and establishes an interactive connection channel that can perform two-way communication.

[0058] Assume there are m quay cranes and n control consoles. Each quay crane's PLC has n TCP communication ports, establishing a stable interactive connection channel with all control consoles. Each control console's PLC has m TCP communication interfaces, establishing a stable interactive connection channel with all quay cranes. Each quay crane's PLC also has 2 TCP communication ports for the control consoles to establish formal control communication channels. Each quay crane supports simultaneous connection and operation of two control consoles, facilitating the control consoles to control the trolleys during operations.

[0059] In the interactive connection channel, the operator console can send its status to all connected dual-trolley quay cranes. The dual-trolley quay cranes, in the interactive connection channel, can also send the operating status of the main trolley and gantry trolley to all connected operator consoles.

[0060] The control panel is equipped with a mode selection component, which allows switching between controlling the main trolley or the gantry trolley of the quay crane for operation by selecting different modes. Specifically, the control panel includes the following three control modes:

[0061] (1) Main / Gantry Trolley Mode: The control panel can simultaneously control the main trolley and gantry trolley of the dual-trolley quay crane. This mode is suitable for normal independent operation scenarios.

[0062] For example, when driver 1 operates console 1 and selects "main / gantry trolley mode" to operate the quay crane trolley, the main trolley picks up containers from the cargo ship and transfers them to the transshipment platform, while the gantry trolley simultaneously transfers the containers from the transshipment platform to the truck.

[0063] (2) Main trolley mode: The control panel only controls the main trolley of the double trolley quay crane. The gantry trolley can be controlled by other control panels or kept in automatic operation. This mode is suitable for the continuous operation scenario of the main trolley when the gantry is in trouble.

[0064] (3) Gantry trolley mode: the control panel only controls the gantry trolley of the double trolley quay crane. The main trolley can be controlled by other control panels or kept in automatic operation. This mode is suitable for gantry fault handling when the main trolley is operating normally.

[0065] When multiple operators simultaneously request control of the same trolley on the same dual-trolley quay crane, the dual-trolley quay crane establishes an application pool for all requesting operators, and elects the optimal operator from the application pool based on a preset distributed election method to obtain control.

[0066] Distributed election methods can be implemented in the following ways: First, an election based on application time priority, where the console with the earliest application time in the application pool gains control. Second, an election based on preset priorities, where priorities are pre-defined based on relevant parameters or data of the consoles, and the console with the highest priority is selected for control. Third, the Bully algorithm compares console IDs, selecting the one with the largest ID. Fourth, the Raft algorithm allows all consoles in the application pool to vote, with the console receiving the most votes gaining control. Fifth, the ZAB algorithm compares the console node ID and data ID, with the one having the larger value gaining control, and so on.

[0067] When the quay crane trolley requested by the driver is idle, the system's specific processing procedure is as follows:

[0068] (1) The driver selects the dual trolley quay crane and control mode to be operated according to the operation requirements through the mode selection component on the control panel.

[0069] For example, if driver 2 operates console 2 and needs to control the main trolley of quay crane 2 to perform operations, then select "main trolley mode".

[0070] (2) The control panel sends the application instruction to the corresponding dual trolley quay crane.

[0071] In practical applications, when the control console triggers a control request, it sends a request command containing control console information to the PLC of the target gantry crane. Specifically, the control console information may include: the control console's unique identifier, the control mode or target controlled object (main trolley / gantry trolley), the system time of the command transmission, its own health status (CPU load, memory usage, etc.), and historical operation success rate.

[0072] (3) After receiving the application instruction, if the target trolley control is idle, the dual trolley quay crane will lock the control authority of the corresponding trolley and assign the control authority to the application console.

[0073] In practice, each quay crane PLC will establish an independent control right application pool for the main trolley and the gantry trolley, which is used to receive and store the operating console information for applying for control right of the corresponding trolley.

[0074] After receiving the application instruction sent from the control panel, the quay crane PLC verifies whether the control panel has completed the communication connection. If the connection is complete and normal, it adds the application to the application pool of the corresponding target trolley.

[0075] If the application pool contains only the current console, then the console can directly obtain control permissions for the corresponding vehicle.

[0076] If there are multiple operating consoles in the application pool, the quay crane PLC will elect the operating console with control authority from the application pool based on a preset distributed election method.

[0077] For example, if an election method based on application time priority is used, the console with the earliest application time in the application pool gains control. If the Bully algorithm is used, the console with the largest ID in the application pool gains control. If the ZAB algorithm is used, the console node ID and data ID are compared, and the one with the larger ID gains control.

[0078] (4) The dual trolley quay cranes send permission allocation notifications to the selected operating console.

[0079] Preferably, the control panel display can display a message "Control pending confirmation".

[0080] (5) Select the operating console to confirm the permission allocation, obtain the control of the target trolley of the double trolley quay crane, and the driver controls the target trolley to carry out the operation through the operating console.

[0081] The driver confirms the permission allocation within a certain time, such as 10 seconds. The quay crane PLC establishes control communication with the operator's console, and the driver controls the target trolley to perform operations via the console, removing the console information from the application pool. If no confirmation is made within 10 seconds, the system determines it as "application abandoned," removes the console information, and initiates a new election.

[0082] When a gantry crane trolley is being operated by a specific control panel, the control of that trolley will be locked, preventing other control panels from seizing control. The application pool automatically enters a "pending election" state, with all applicants updating their status information in real time. Once the current control is released, a new election process will immediately begin for the next round of permission allocation.

[0083] (6) After the operation is completed, the driver sends a release command to the double trolley quay crane controlled by the control panel.

[0084] (7) After receiving the release command, the dual trolley quay crane releases the control authority of the control panel and the control panel enters the idle state.

[0085] At this time, the quay crane will also unlock the control permissions of the corresponding vehicle. Other operating consoles can apply for control permissions of the vehicle, or start the election process according to the application pool to begin the next round of permission allocation.

[0086] In practice, after receiving the release command, the quay crane PLC can immediately trigger a new election process, quickly complete a new round of election and allocate control based on the latest application pool status and console information.

[0087] When the quay crane trolley requested by the driver is being controlled by another control panel, the specific processing procedure of the system is as follows:

[0088] (1) The driver selects the dual trolley quay crane and control mode to be operated according to the operation requirements through the mode selection component on the control panel.

[0089] (2) The control panel sends the application instruction to the corresponding dual trolley quay crane.

[0090] (3) After receiving the application instruction, if the target trolley is under control, the control panel enters the application pool. After the current control is released, the election process is started to carry out the next round of permission allocation.

[0091] (4) Once the control of the target vehicle is released, a new election process is immediately initiated to allocate permissions.

[0092] This system can also enable fault handling and collaborative operations:

[0093] (1) When the gantry trolley of the dual-trolley quay crane malfunctions, the dual-trolley quay crane selects an idle operating station in gantry trolley mode to establish a connection according to a preset station selection strategy. For example, an idle operating station can be selected from the application pool for fault handling based on the aforementioned distributed election method.

[0094] (2) The control panel that is controlling the main trolley can continue to operate in the main trolley mode without pausing.

[0095] (3) Idle operating console in gantry trolley mode, to perform fault intervention processing on gantry trolley.

[0096] (4) After the fault is resolved, the gantry trolley resumes automated operation or is controlled by the control panel, and the main trolley and the gantry trolley operate in parallel.

[0097] When the main trolley malfunctions, the handling method is similar to the steps above. The control panel that is controlling the gantry trolley can maintain the gantry trolley mode and continue to operate, while other control panels handle the malfunction of the main trolley.

[0098] If a failure occurs again during parallel operation, the system will automatically repeat the fault handling and coordination steps to ensure the continuity and stability of the system.

[0099] For example, when the gantry trolley of quay crane 1 experiences an "overload" fault, the PLC of quay crane 1 sends a fault code to all control consoles. Operator 1 at control console 1 remains in "main trolley mode," continuing to control the main trolley of quay crane 1 for loading and unloading containers from the cargo ship. Meanwhile, operator 2 at control console 2 takes over control of the gantry trolley of quay crane 1, selects "gantry trolley mode," receives gantry fault information and video stream data, remotely resets the motor overload protection, and completes the fault handling within 3 minutes. During the aforementioned gantry trolley fault handling, the main trolley operation is not interrupted, and the operational efficiency can be improved by 20% compared to traditional solutions.

[0100] Preferably, this system also has the following conflict resolution mechanisms:

[0101] (1) Duplicate application conflict: When the same operating console repeatedly sends application instructions for the same target trolley, the quay crane PLC only retains the record corresponding to the first application time.

[0102] (2) Cross-mode application conflict: When the operator requests control of the main trolley and the gantry trolley at the same time (such as when triggered by misoperation), the system will treat them as two independent applications and add them to the corresponding application pool to participate in the election, but will adjust the scoring weight according to the operator's load status.

[0103] (3) Emergency Priority Adaptation: The system also features a rapid election process. When a quay crane trolley experiences a major malfunction (such as structural damage that may endanger equipment or personnel safety), emergency intervention is required. The control panel can send an "emergency request" command, and the system will initiate a rapid election process, adding a 20% weighting to the emergency control panel's score. Simultaneously, to prevent abuse of emergency stops, a recording and review mechanism for emergency requests can be added, with post-event review conducted.

[0104] (4) Handling election anomalies: If the election fails for three consecutive times, the system will automatically activate the backup mechanism, allocate control rights according to the application time order, and record the anomaly log for subsequent analysis.

[0105] The beneficial effects of this embodiment are as follows:

[0106] This system is particularly suitable for automated container terminals such as Yangshan Phase IV. It adopts a decentralized architecture, sets up distributed control consoles, optimizes the control mode and system architecture of the control consoles, supports multiple control consoles to control the same dual-trolley quay crane at the same time, supports independent control of the main trolley and gantry trolley of the quay crane, realizes independent control of the main trolley and gantry trolley and the multi-mode switching function of the control console, and improves the efficiency of operation.

[0107] This system establishes temporary coordination nodes through a distributed election mechanism, which solves the problem of chaotic control allocation when multiple consoles make concurrent requests or when nodes are abnormal. It ensures that the system can maintain stable control logic even when some consoles or communication links fail, and guarantees that the operation is not interrupted during fault handling. This further improves the fault tolerance and scheduling reliability of the system in multi-console collaborative scenarios and reduces the difficulty of fault diagnosis.

[0108] Example 2

[0109] like Figure 1 As shown, a distributed control system for a dual-trolley quay crane includes: a quay crane equipment module and an operating console module connected to the quay crane equipment module.

[0110] Specifically, the quay crane equipment module includes several double-trolley quay cranes. In practical applications, port terminals typically require multiple double-trolley quay cranes for container loading, unloading, and transportation.

[0111] The dual-trolley quay crane includes a main trolley and a gantry trolley. The main trolley realizes the transportation of containers between the ship's side and the transshipment platform, while the gantry trolley realizes the transportation of containers between the transshipment platform and horizontal transportation mechanisms (such as automated guided vehicles, straddle carriers, or container trucks).

[0112] Each dual-trolley quay crane has a built-in independent equipment control PLC, specifically a Siemens S7-1500, with a dual-mode communication interface supporting Profinet and EtherNet protocols.

[0113] Preferably, the quay crane equipment module further includes:

[0114] The video acquisition submodule is used to acquire video of the operating area of ​​the dual-trolley quay crane.

[0115] High-definition cameras can be installed on the main trolley and gantry trolley of the quay crane to capture video images of the work area and display them on the control panel, so that the driver can view the actual work scene in real time.

[0116] Specifically, the control panel module includes several distributed control panels, each with a built-in independently controlled PLC, such as a Siemens S7-1500, featuring its own PLC control logic. The control panel can be configured with a dual design of touchscreen and physical buttons (to prevent accidental operation), working in conjunction with a distributed network architecture and automation programs. The PLC on each control panel possesses autonomous control logic, enabling control of multiple quay cranes without relying on a centralized unit. The operator can control the quay crane's trolley to perform specific operations via the control panel.

[0117] Preferably, the control panel can also be configured with a display interface to display the current control mode and the operating parameters and fault information of the controlled vehicle in real time, and support fault alarms, recording and viewing operation logs, and can also display on-site monitoring screens, etc.

[0118] Each control panel is connected to each of the double trolley quay cranes via a communication network.

[0119] After the system is powered on and started, each control console scans the existing dual-trolley quay cranes in the network through the communication network, establishes a communication connection with each quay crane, and establishes an interactive connection channel that can perform two-way communication.

[0120] Assume there are m quay cranes and n control consoles. Each quay crane's PLC has n TCP communication ports, establishing a stable interactive connection channel with all control consoles. Each control console's PLC has m TCP communication interfaces, establishing a stable interactive connection channel with all quay cranes. Each quay crane's PLC also has 2 TCP communication ports for the control consoles to establish formal control communication channels. Each quay crane supports simultaneous connection and operation of two control consoles, facilitating the control consoles to control the trolleys during operations.

[0121] In the interactive connection channel, the operator console can send its status to all connected dual-trolley quay cranes. The dual-trolley quay cranes, in the interactive connection channel, can also send the operating status of the main trolley and gantry trolley to all connected operator consoles.

[0122] The control panel is equipped with a mode selection component, which allows switching between controlling the main trolley and the gantry trolley for operation by selecting different modes. Specifically, the control panel includes the following three control modes:

[0123] (1) Main / Gantry Trolley Mode: The control panel can simultaneously control the main trolley and gantry trolley of the dual-trolley quay crane. This mode is suitable for normal independent operation scenarios.

[0124] For example, when driver 1 operates console 1 and selects "main / gantry trolley mode" to operate the quay crane trolley, the main trolley picks up containers from the cargo ship and transfers them to the transshipment platform, while the gantry trolley simultaneously transfers the containers from the transshipment platform to the truck.

[0125] (2) Main trolley mode: The control panel only controls the main trolley of the double trolley quay crane. The gantry trolley can be controlled by other control panels or kept in automatic operation. This mode is suitable for the continuous operation scenario of the main trolley when the gantry is in trouble.

[0126] (3) Gantry trolley mode: the control panel only controls the gantry trolley of the double trolley quay crane. The main trolley can be controlled by other control panels or kept in automatic operation. This mode is suitable for gantry fault handling when the main trolley is operating normally.

[0127] When multiple operators simultaneously request control of the same trolley on the same dual-trolley quay crane, the dual-trolley quay crane establishes an application pool for all requesting operators, and elects the optimal operator from the application pool based on a preset distributed election method to obtain control.

[0128] Distributed election methods can be implemented in the following ways: First, an election based on application time priority, where the console with the earliest application time in the application pool gains control. Second, an election based on preset priorities, where priorities are pre-defined based on relevant parameters or data of the consoles, and the console with the highest priority is selected for control. Third, the Bully algorithm compares console IDs, selecting the one with the largest ID. Fourth, the Raft algorithm allows all consoles in the application pool to vote, with the console receiving the most votes gaining control. Fifth, the ZAB algorithm compares the console node ID and data ID, with the one having the larger value gaining control, and so on.

[0129] Preferably, the distributed election method can also employ an optimized Raft algorithm. Each operator station scores other operator stations based on multi-dimensional data from the operator station and the dual-trolley quay crane. The dual-trolley quay crane aggregates all scores, and the operator station with the highest score is the optimal operator station. Specific scoring criteria may include operator station health, historical operation success rate, response speed, and current load status. Furthermore, a time coefficient can be added to the election scoring; the longer the waiting time, the larger the time coefficient, increasing the probability of gaining control and preventing any operator station from failing to obtain control.

[0130] By adopting the optimized Raft algorithm described above, more intelligent and reliable control allocation of quay cranes can be achieved, which can meet the low latency requirements of the industrial control industry. At the same time, the strong consistency of the Raft protocol can ensure data consistency.

[0131] When the quay crane trolley requested by the driver is idle, the system's specific processing procedure is as follows:

[0132] (1) The driver selects the dual trolley quay crane and control mode to be operated according to the operation requirements through the mode selection component on the control panel.

[0133] For example, if driver 2 operates console 2 and needs to control the main trolley of quay crane 2 to perform operations, then select "main trolley mode".

[0134] (2) The control panel sends the application instruction to the corresponding dual trolley quay crane.

[0135] In practical applications, when the control console triggers a control request, it sends a request command containing control console information to the PLC of the target gantry crane. Specifically, the control console information may include: the control console's unique identifier, the control mode or target controlled object (main trolley / gantry trolley), the system time of the command transmission, its own health status (CPU load, memory usage, etc.), and historical operation success rate.

[0136] (3) After receiving the application instruction, if the target trolley control is idle, the dual trolley quay crane will lock the control authority of the corresponding trolley and assign the control authority to the application console.

[0137] In practice, each quay crane PLC will establish an independent control right application pool for the main trolley and the gantry trolley, which is used to receive and store the operating console information for applying for control right of the corresponding trolley.

[0138] After receiving the application instruction sent from the control panel, the quay crane PLC verifies whether the control panel has completed the communication connection. If the connection is complete and normal, it adds the application to the application pool of the corresponding target trolley.

[0139] If the application pool contains only the current console, then the console can directly obtain control permissions for the corresponding vehicle.

[0140] If there are multiple operating consoles in the application pool, the quay crane PLC will elect the operating console with control authority from the application pool based on a preset distributed election method.

[0141] For example, if an election method based on application time priority is used, the console with the earliest application time in the application pool gains control. If the Bully algorithm is used, the console with the largest ID in the application pool gains control. If the ZAB algorithm is used, the console node ID and data ID are compared, and the one with the larger of the two gains control.

[0142] Preferably, the system can also use an optimized Raft algorithm for election. The quay crane PLC broadcasts an "election preparation notice" to all operating stations in the application pool that have applied for the target vehicle. Each operating station in the application pool acts as an election node, scoring other operating stations based on the following indicators:

[0143] Health status: including CPU load, memory usage, network latency, etc.

[0144] Historical operation success rate: The percentage of operations that were successfully completed in the past 24 hours.

[0145] Response speed: Historical average command response time.

[0146] Current load: The number of devices currently being controlled.

[0147] Each operator station sends its scoring results to the quay crane PLC. The quay crane PLC aggregates all scores and calculates a weighted average score for each operator station. The quay crane PLC can add a time coefficient to each operator station's score; the longer the waiting time, the larger the time coefficient, increasing the probability of gaining control and preventing any operator station from failing to obtain control. Finally, the operator station with the highest score becomes the candidate operator station and can obtain control of the quay crane trolley.

[0148] Preferably, the quay crane PLC can also send the election results to each operator station. If a candidate operator station receives approval from more than 50% of the applicant operator stations, it will be elected as the optimal control operator station and gain control of the quay crane trolley; otherwise, the scoring and election will be carried out again. In order to improve efficiency, a maximum of 3 rounds of election can be conducted.

[0149] (4) The dual trolley quay cranes send permission allocation notifications to the selected operating console.

[0150] Preferably, the control panel display can display a message "Control pending confirmation".

[0151] (5) Select the operating console to confirm the permission allocation, obtain the control of the target trolley of the double trolley quay crane, and the driver controls the target trolley to carry out the operation through the operating console.

[0152] The driver confirms the permission allocation within a certain time, such as 10 seconds. The quay crane PLC establishes control communication with the operator's console, and the driver controls the target trolley to perform operations via the console, removing the console information from the application pool. If no confirmation is made within 10 seconds, the system determines it as "application abandoned," removes the console information, and initiates a new election.

[0153] When a gantry crane trolley is being operated by a specific control panel, the control of that trolley will be locked, preventing other control panels from seizing control. The application pool automatically enters a "pending election" state, with all applicants updating their status information in real time. Once the current control is released, a new election process will immediately begin for the next round of permission allocation.

[0154] (6) After the operation is completed, the driver sends a release command to the double trolley quay crane controlled by the control panel.

[0155] (7) After receiving the release command, the dual trolley quay crane releases the control authority of the control panel and the control panel enters the idle state.

[0156] At this time, the quay crane will also unlock the control permissions of the corresponding vehicle. Other operating consoles can apply for control permissions of the vehicle, or start the election process according to the application pool to begin the next round of permission allocation.

[0157] In practice, after receiving the release command, the quay crane PLC can immediately trigger a new election process, quickly complete a new round of election and allocate control based on the latest application pool status and console information.

[0158] When the quay crane trolley requested by the driver is being controlled by another control panel, the specific processing procedure of the system is as follows:

[0159] (1) The driver selects the dual trolley quay crane and control mode to be operated according to the operation requirements through the mode selection component on the control panel.

[0160] (2) The control panel sends the application instruction to the corresponding dual trolley quay crane.

[0161] (3) After receiving the application instruction, if the target trolley is under control, the control panel enters the application pool. After the current control is released, the election process is started to carry out the next round of permission allocation.

[0162] (4) Once the control of the target vehicle is released, a new election process is immediately initiated to allocate permissions.

[0163] This system can also enable fault handling and collaborative operations:

[0164] (1) When the gantry trolley of the dual-trolley quay crane malfunctions, the dual-trolley quay crane selects an idle operating station in gantry trolley mode to establish a connection according to a preset station selection strategy. For example, an idle operating station can be selected from the application pool for fault handling based on the aforementioned distributed election method.

[0165] (2) The control panel that is controlling the main trolley can continue to operate in the main trolley mode without pausing.

[0166] (3) Idle operating console in gantry trolley mode, to perform fault intervention processing on gantry trolley.

[0167] (4) After the fault is resolved, the gantry trolley resumes automated operation or is controlled by the control panel, and the main trolley and the gantry trolley operate in parallel.

[0168] When the main trolley malfunctions, the handling method is similar to the steps above. The control panel that is controlling the gantry trolley can maintain the gantry trolley mode and continue to operate, while other control panels handle the malfunction of the main trolley.

[0169] If a failure occurs again during parallel operation, the system will automatically repeat the fault handling and coordination steps to ensure the continuity and stability of the system.

[0170] For example, when the gantry trolley of quay crane 1 experiences an "overload" fault, the PLC of quay crane 1 sends a fault code to all control consoles. Operator 1 at control console 1 remains in "main trolley mode," continuing to control the main trolley of quay crane 1 for loading and unloading containers from the cargo ship. Meanwhile, operator 2 at control console 2 takes over control of the gantry trolley of quay crane 1, selects "gantry trolley mode," receives gantry fault information and video stream data, remotely resets the motor overload protection, and completes the fault handling within 3 minutes. During the aforementioned gantry trolley fault handling, the main trolley operation is not interrupted, and the operational efficiency can be improved by 20% compared to traditional solutions.

[0171] Preferably, this system also has the following conflict resolution mechanisms:

[0172] (1) Duplicate application conflict: When the same operating console repeatedly sends application instructions for the same target trolley, the quay crane PLC only retains the record corresponding to the first application time.

[0173] (2) Cross-mode application conflict: When the operator requests control of the main trolley and the gantry trolley at the same time (such as when triggered by misoperation), the system will treat them as two independent applications and add them to the corresponding application pool to participate in the election, but will adjust the scoring weight according to the operator's load status.

[0174] (3) Emergency Priority Adaptation: The system also features a rapid election process. When a quay crane trolley experiences a major malfunction (such as structural damage that may endanger equipment or personnel safety), emergency intervention is required. The control panel can send an "emergency request" command, and the system will initiate a rapid election process, adding a 20% weighting to the emergency control panel's score. Simultaneously, to prevent abuse of emergency stops, a recording and review mechanism for emergency requests can be added, with post-event review conducted.

[0175] (4) Handling election anomalies: If the election fails for three consecutive times, the system will automatically activate the backup mechanism, allocate control rights according to the application time order, and record the anomaly log for subsequent analysis.

[0176] The beneficial effects of this embodiment are as follows:

[0177] The distributed election mechanism of this system adopts the optimized Raft algorithm, which can realize a more intelligent and reliable allocation of control rights for the quay crane. The system is also equipped with a video acquisition submodule, which can capture video images of the quay crane operation area, so that the driver can view the actual operation scene in real time and improve the safety and efficiency of the operation.

[0178] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A distributed control system for a dual-trolley quay crane, characterized in that, include: The quay crane equipment module and the control panel module connected to the quay crane equipment module; among them... The quay crane equipment module includes several double-trolley quay cranes; The dual-trolley quay crane includes a main trolley and a gantry trolley, and the dual-trolley quay crane has a built-in independent equipment control PLC; The control panel module includes several distributed control panels, each with a built-in independently controlled PLC. Each control panel is connected to each double-trolley quay crane via a communication network; The control panel is equipped with a mode selection component, and the control panel has the following 3 control modes that can be switched: In the main / gantry trolley mode, the control panel simultaneously controls the main trolley and gantry trolley of the dual-trolley quay crane; In the main trolley mode, the control panel only controls the main trolley of the dual-trolley quay crane, while the gantry trolley can be controlled by other control panels or kept in automated operation. In gantry trolley mode, the control panel only controls the gantry trolley of the dual-trolley quay crane, while the main trolley can be controlled by other control panels or maintain automated operation. The distributed control system for the dual-trolley quay crane includes: When multiple operators simultaneously request control of the same trolley on the same dual-trolley quay crane, the dual-trolley quay crane establishes an application pool for all requesting operators, and elects the optimal operator from the application pool based on a preset distributed election method to obtain control.

2. The distributed control system for a dual-trolley quay crane according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the dual-trolley quay crane distributed control system is powered on and started, each operating station scans the dual-trolley quay cranes in the network through the communication network, establishes a communication connection with each quay crane, and establishes an interactive connection channel that can perform two-way communication.

3. The distributed control system for a dual-trolley quay crane according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distributed election method is an optimized Raft algorithm. Each operator station scores other operator stations based on multi-dimensional data from the operator station and the dual-trolley quay crane. The dual-trolley quay crane aggregates all scores, and the operator station with the highest score is the optimal operator station.

4. The distributed control system for a dual-trolley quay crane according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distributed control system for the dual-trolley quay crane includes: The driver selects the appropriate components and control mode via the control panel, choosing the dual trolley quay cranes and control mode to operate based on the operational requirements. The control panel sends the application instruction to the corresponding dual-trolley quay crane; After receiving the application instruction, if the target trolley is in an idle state, the dual-trolley quay crane will elect an operator from the application pool based on a preset distributed election method. The dual-trolley quay cranes send permission allocation notifications to the selected control panel; Once the selected operator console is used to confirm the allocation of permissions, the driver gains control of the target trolley of the dual-trolley quay crane and controls the target trolley to perform operations through the operator console. After the operation is completed, the driver sends a release command to the dual trolley quay cranes he is controlling via the control panel; After receiving the release command, the dual-trolley quay crane releases the control authority of the control panel, and the control panel enters an idle state.

5. The distributed control system for a dual-trolley quay crane according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distributed control system for the dual-trolley quay crane includes: The driver selects the appropriate components and control mode via the control panel, choosing the dual trolley quay cranes and control mode to operate based on the operational requirements. The control panel sends the application instruction to the corresponding dual-trolley quay crane; After receiving the application instruction, if the target trolley is in a controlled state, the control panel enters the application pool. Once control of the target vehicle is released, a new election process will be initiated immediately.

6. The distributed control system for a dual-trolley quay crane according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distributed control system for the dual-trolley quay crane includes: When the gantry trolley of the dual-trolley quay crane malfunctions, the dual-trolley quay crane selects an idle operating station in gantry trolley mode to establish a connection according to the preset station selection strategy. The control panel that is controlling the main trolley can continue operating in the main trolley mode without pausing; The idle control panel in gantry trolley mode is used to handle faults in the gantry trolley. After the fault is resolved, the gantry trolley resumes automated operation or continues to be controlled by the control panel, with the main trolley and the gantry trolley operating in parallel.

7. The distributed control system for a dual-trolley quay crane according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control panel is equipped with a display interface that displays the current control mode and the operating parameters and fault information of the controlled vehicle in real time, and supports fault alarms, recording, and viewing of operation logs.

8. The distributed control system for a dual-trolley quay crane according to claim 1, characterized in that, The quay crane equipment module also includes: The video acquisition submodule is used to acquire video of the operating area of ​​the dual-trolley quay crane.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Port wharf quay crane control system and computer program

    CN119143016A