PLC control intelligent stacker-reclaimer unattended system
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202611222992.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-08-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-11-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing unattended stacker-reclaimer systems cannot detect track deformation in real time, leading to problems such as deviation in cantilever operation height, material leakage during reclaiming, and irregular stacking. Furthermore, the lack of adaptive adjustment methods affects equipment stability and efficiency.
The track settlement sensing module collects data synchronously with the vehicle, and the PLC main control module performs filtering and dynamic correction. Combined with two-level graded compensation control logic, adaptive adjustment is achieved through the cantilever pitch adjustment module and safety interlock early warning module to ensure stable operation of the equipment.
It enables accurate acquisition and real-time compensation of track deformation data, reduces equipment wear, improves operational continuity and safety, reduces the need for manual intervention, adapts to complex working conditions, and ensures the stable automated operation of the stockyard.
Smart Images
Figure CN123026017A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated operation technology for bulk material storage yards, specifically to a PLC-controlled intelligent stacker-reclaimer unmanned system. Background Technology
[0002] Stacker-reclaimers are widely used in bulk material yards to store, retrieve, and transfer materials such as coal, ore, and sand. Traditional equipment mostly relies on on-site personnel for real-time operation, resulting in high labor costs, dusty working environments, high labor intensity, and significant challenges in on-site safety management. With the upgrading of industrial intelligence, the industry is gradually promoting the unmanned transformation of stacker-reclaimers. Existing unmanned equipment relies on track positioning and remote control to achieve basic automated operation. However, stockyards are subject to the long-term effects of heavy material pressure, repeated rolling by trolleys, and rain erosion. The track subgrade is prone to uneven settlement and lateral deviation. Track deformation directly changes the trolley's travel reference, causing deviations in the cantilever operating height, and misalignment of the bucket wheel contact position with the stockpile, leading to problems such as material leakage during retrieval and irregular stockpile slopes. Long-term operation also exacerbates the wear and tear on the equipment's traveling mechanism and cantilever structure. Conventional unmanned control systems lack real-time perception and adaptive adjustment methods for track deformation.
[0003] Currently, mainstream unmanned control systems for stacker-reclaimers rely solely on factory-preset fixed positioning parameters and cantilever pitch control logic, lacking real-time track settlement sensing components. This prevents the synchronous acquisition of real-time data on longitudinal track settlement and lateral offset. Some systems rely solely on periodic manual inspections to measure track deformation, a method that suffers from lag and cannot synchronously collect settlement data point-to-point as the trolley moves, resulting in inaccurate matching between settlement values and trolley positions. Existing control schemes lack settlement data filtering and calculation stages; sensor noise from on-site vibrations and walking impacts interferes with settlement acquisition accuracy, and there are no corresponding dynamic correction algorithms for positioning parameters, meaning the cantilever pitch angle cannot be automatically compensated after track settlement. Most systems only have a single shutdown protection threshold, failing to dynamically adjust for small settlement changes and directly shutting down the entire machine for large settlements, leading to poor operational continuity. Furthermore, using the same control logic for both large and small settlement conditions fails to differentiate between walking speed and angle compensation levels, making it difficult to balance operational efficiency and stability.
[0004] In summary, existing unmanned stacker-reclaimer solutions have significant shortcomings in track deformation sensing, settlement data processing, and adaptive graded compensation control. The method of manually periodically detecting track settlement lacks real-time capability, and the fixed-parameter control mode cannot adapt to the complex working conditions of continuous roadbed deformation. Settlement-induced operational deviations, equipment wear and tear, and frequent downtime have long hindered the stable automated operation of stockyards. This invention addresses the deficiencies of existing technologies by designing a track settlement synchronous sensing module paired with PLC main control graded compensation control logic. It optimizes settlement acquisition accuracy through sliding weighted filtering, and incorporates a dynamic pitch angle correction algorithm. Two-level compensation is implemented to differentiate between large and small settlement conditions. A graded safety interlock mechanism is also set up, allowing for independent local operation even during communication interruptions. This enables the entire process to operate without manual intervention, adaptively offsetting operational errors caused by track settlement and ensuring stable, unmanned operation of the stacker-reclaimer for extended periods. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and provide a PLC-controlled intelligent stacker-reclaimer unmanned system. This system uses a settlement sensing module to synchronously collect track settlement and offset data along with the machine. The PLC filters the raw sensor data and dynamically corrects the cantilever pitch angle by combining it with the trolley's coded positioning information. It employs a two-level, graded compensation control logic to differentiate between different settlement conditions and perform two types of operations: adjusting only the cantilever and synchronously reducing speed for coordinated adjustment. The system relies on a hydraulic closed-loop mechanism to smoothly adjust the cantilever. If settlement exceeds the limit, the system will shut down and lock the equipment in stages, uploading a warning record. Work tasks are issued remotely. When communication is interrupted, the PLC can operate independently locally. After the link is restored, all offline data is automatically synchronized, achieving fully automated and stable unmanned stacker-reclaimer operation.
[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a PLC-controlled intelligent stacker-reclaimer unmanned system, the system comprising:
[0007] Track settlement sensing module: It is deployed at the wheel frame points on both sides of the trolley and moves synchronously with the trolley to collect the longitudinal settlement and lateral offset of the track. The collected sensing signals are transmitted to the PLC main control module in real time.
[0008] PLC main control module: Receives settlement data and trolley position data, has built-in settlement deviation filtering and calculation logic and dynamic correction rules for positioning parameters, is equipped with a two-level graded compensation control strategy, outputs action commands to each execution module, and coordinates the entire process of stacking and reclaiming operations.
[0009] Trolley travel execution module: Equipped with a travel drive unit and an incremental coding unit, it travels back and forth along the preset track in the yard and feeds back the trolley position coordinates and travel speed parameters to the PLC main control module in real time;
[0010] Cantilever pitch adjustment module: Receives angle adjustment commands from the PLC main control module, drives the cantilever to adjust the working height, and matches the working requirements of different settlement conditions;
[0011] Safety interlock early warning module: Triggers protective actions based on the hierarchical instructions of the PLC main control module, and pushes early warning information and fault data to the remote interactive dispatch module;
[0012] Remote interactive scheduling module: sends stacking and reclaiming operation task parameters to the PLC main control module, and receives and displays the overall machine operation status data and early warning information.
[0013] Furthermore, the track settlement sensing module adopts a pair of tilt sensing units and displacement sensing units. At least one set of sensing units is set on each side of the traveling wheel frame. Each set of sensing units moves synchronously with the traveling wheel frame of the trolley and collects the longitudinal settlement and lateral offset at the corresponding position point by point along the entire track. The collection action is synchronized with the trolley's movement, so that the settlement data corresponds one-to-one with the trolley's position coordinates.
[0014] Furthermore, the PLC main control module performs sliding weighted filtering on the raw settlement data collected by the track settlement sensing module. The specific calculation formula is as follows: ,in, This represents the effective settlement calculated for the i-th sampling point. These are the original settlement data collected at the corresponding time points; These are the weight factors corresponding to the sampling points of time-series index k, and all weight factors are positive numbers. The time sequence index k decreases as the time sequence index k increases; n is the number of sampling points contained in the sliding window; k is the time sequence index of the sampling point in the sliding window, k=0 represents the current sampling point, and k=n−1 represents the oldest sampling point in the window; the effective settlement obtained after the solution is completed is used as the input basis for subsequent positioning parameter correction.
[0015] Furthermore, the PLC main control module performs dynamic correction of positioning parameters based on the calculated effective settlement amount. The formula for calculating the pitch angle correction is as follows: ,in, This is the correction amount for the cantilever pitch angle; is the effective settlement calculated for the i-th sampling point; L is the fixed physical length of the cantilever. The current pitch angle of the cantilever before this correction action is set, and θ0 ≠ 90°; the corrected pitch angle parameters are directly sent to the cantilever pitch adjustment module to execute the adjustment action.
[0016] Furthermore, the first level of compensation in the two-level graded compensation control strategy corresponds to a small settlement condition where the settlement amount is less than the preset first critical threshold. Under this condition, the PLC main control module only outputs angle adjustment commands to the cantilever pitch adjustment module, and the trolley travel execution module maintains the normal operating speed. The compensation adjustment process is executed point by point during travel. Each time a new set of settlement data is collected, an angle correction command is generated accordingly. The compensation action is triggered synchronously with the data acquisition. Under this level of compensation, the overall machine operation parameters do not change additionally. Only the cantilever operating height is adjusted to correspond to the positional changes caused by track settlement.
[0017] Furthermore, the second level of compensation in the two-level graded compensation control strategy corresponds to a large settlement condition where the settlement amount is greater than or equal to the preset first critical threshold. Under this condition, the PLC main control module outputs a cantilever pitch angle adjustment command and simultaneously outputs a travel speed reduction command to the trolley travel execution module. The reduction in travel speed is correspondingly matched with the amount of settlement; the larger the settlement, the lower the travel speed. The angle compensation amplitude is synchronously matched and adjusted with the amount of settlement. The speed adjustment process is executed in a smooth and gradual manner. Under this level of compensation, the equipment maintains its operating state and does not trigger a complete machine shutdown action.
[0018] Furthermore, the incremental encoding unit of the trolley travel execution module works in conjunction with the travel drive unit, rotating synchronously with the travel drive unit to output pulse signals. The PLC main control module calculates the real-time travel distance of the trolley through pulse counting, using the following formula: ,in, This represents the real-time distance traveled by the vehicle from the baseline zero point at the current sampling time. The cumulative pulse count of the incremental encoding unit at the current sampling time; Pi; D is the diameter of the trolley's traveling wheel; P is the number of pulses output by the incremental encoding unit per revolution; r is the transmission reduction ratio of the traveling drive unit, which is defined as the ratio of the input speed to the output speed, and r>1;
[0019] The calculation formula used to convert the real-time position coordinates of the trolley from the reference zero-point coordinates is as follows: ,in, The real-time track position coordinates of the large vehicle; Fix the coordinates of the orbital reference zero point; The current sampling time represents the real-time travel distance of the trolley from the reference zero point. Positive values are taken along the positive direction of the track, and negative values are taken along the negative direction of the track. The feedback of position data is synchronized with the collection of settlement data to establish a correlation mapping between position and settlement.
[0020] Furthermore, the cantilever pitch adjustment module uses a hydraulic drive to adjust the cantilever angle, and has a built-in angle detection unit and a hydraulic drive unit: the angle detection unit provides real-time feedback on the current cantilever pitch angle, forming a closed-loop adjustment circuit with the PLC main control module; after the angle adjustment command is issued, the hydraulic drive unit smoothly adjusts the cantilever angle according to the system's preset adjustment rate, and the angle detection unit transmits the angle value back in real time; when the deviation between the detected actual angle and the target angle is within the allowable range, the adjustment action stops and the current angle state is maintained; the pitch angle correction adjustment is performed synchronously with the trolley's movement, and the compensation process does not interrupt the normal stacking and reclaiming operation process.
[0021] Furthermore, the safety interlock early warning module triggers an interlock protection action when the settlement exceeds a preset second critical threshold. The preset second critical threshold is greater than the preset first critical threshold. First, it outputs a stop command to the trolley travel execution module, then outputs a cantilever locking command to the cantilever pitch adjustment module to keep the cantilever at its current angle and in a locked state, and then outputs a step-by-step shutdown command to the bucket wheel drive mechanism. Simultaneously, it triggers the on-site audible and visual warning device, and at the same time, it organizes the location coordinates, settlement data, and offset data of the settlement exceeding the standard point into early warning information and pushes it to the remote interactive scheduling module. The early warning information includes the settlement data and location information of the corresponding point. Simultaneously, it records the time of the fault occurrence and the equipment operating status at the time of triggering, and stores them in the PLC main control module.
[0022] Furthermore, the work tasks issued by the remote interactive scheduling module include work area, work type, and process requirement parameters. After receiving the task, the PLC main control module first verifies the completeness and validity of the parameters. If the verification is successful, it autonomously plans the work path and executes it. When the communication connection between the remote interactive scheduling module and the PLC main control module is interrupted, the PLC main control module continues to execute the work process based on the locally stored task parameters and control program. After the communication connection is restored, the PLC main control module automatically uploads the offline stage operation data, work progress, and early warning records to the remote interactive scheduling module, completing the fully automated data synchronization process.
[0023] Compared with existing technologies, this PLC-controlled intelligent stacker-reclaimer unmanned system has the following advantages:
[0024] I. This invention, by synchronously deploying track settlement sensing units on the trolley's traveling wheel frame, can collect track deformation data synchronously throughout the trolley's movement, achieving a precise correspondence between settlement values and the trolley's track position. Furthermore, relying on the PLC's internal filtering logic, it eliminates sensor interference caused by on-site vibration and traveling impact, improving the accuracy of track deformation data. Simultaneously, a dynamic correction mechanism for positioning parameters is employed, calculating the cantilever pitch adjustment in real time based on track settlement changes. This eliminates the need for manual on-site track remeasurement and manual modification of equipment control parameters. A two-level, graded compensation control logic differentiates between different settlement conditions: minor settlement only requires adjusting the cantilever working height, while significant settlement synchronously matches and reduces the trolley's traveling speed. Continuous stacking and reclaiming operations can be performed without interruption. This not only offsets working height deviations caused by uneven track settlement, avoiding problems such as material leakage and messy stacking slopes, but also reduces the continuous wear and tear on the traveling mechanism and cantilever structure caused by settlement impact, extending the service life of the entire machine's components.
[0025] II. This invention establishes a hierarchical safety interlocking early warning logic, implementing differentiated protective actions based on varying degrees of track settlement exceeding limits. Minor deformation only requires adaptive adjustment, while when settlement exceeds safe limits, the traveling, cantilever, and bucket wheel mechanisms are locked in stages. Simultaneously, complete on-site early warning information and equipment operation records are pushed to the remote dispatch terminal, balancing operational continuity and equipment safety. The remote interactive dispatch module and PLC main control adopt a local offline autonomous operation mode. When the communication link is disconnected, the equipment can continue to complete the stacking and reclaiming process based on locally stored tasks. After the link is restored, all offline operation data is automatically synchronized without manual intervention to supplement information. The entire system relies on the PLC to coordinate the collaborative operation of all sensing, execution, and dispatching units, eliminating the need for on-site personnel to operate, reducing on-site manual input, and minimizing the risks of personnel working in harsh dust environments. At the same time, the remote terminal can intuitively grasp the equipment operation, track deformation, and fault information at all times, facilitating unified management and control of yard production operations by management personnel.
[0026] Other advantages, objectives and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following examination or study, or may be learned from the practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description
[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0028] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a PLC-controlled intelligent stacker-reclaimer unattended system.
[0029] Figure 2 The flowchart for PLC settlement data processing and two-level compensation control of this system is shown below;
[0030] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the remote task assignment and offline operation process for this system. Detailed Implementation
[0031] To further illustrate the technical means and effects of the present invention in achieving its intended purpose, the following detailed description of the specific implementation methods, structures, features, and effects of the present invention, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments, is provided below.
[0032] Example
[0033] The remote interactive scheduling module sends stacking operation task parameters, including operation area, operation type, and process requirements, to the PLC main control module. Remote dispatchers input and send task parameters through the remote interactive scheduling module, eliminating the need to physically visit the equipment for setup. This adapts to the unmanned operation mode of the stockyard and reduces the safety risks of personnel entering dusty work areas. Dispatchers can simultaneously monitor the operation status of multiple devices. After task issuance, continuous monitoring is unnecessary; the system can autonomously complete the entire process, significantly improving personnel management efficiency in the stockyard. Upon receiving the task, the PLC main control module first verifies the completeness and validity of the parameters, checking the operation scope boundaries, stacking layer requirements, and material stacking slope limitations. After confirming that all parameters comply with system operating rules and equipment performance boundaries, it autonomously plans the operation path and stacking procedures, arranging the operation steps according to a layered stacking and step-by-step progression logic. After completing the internal logic configuration, it sends start commands to each execution module, coordinating the entire machine to enter the stacking operation preparation state. When the communication connection between the remote interactive scheduling module and the PLC main control module is interrupted, the PLC main control module continues to execute the work process based on the locally stored task parameters and control program. There will be no work interruption or logical inconsistency due to communication fluctuations. After the communication connection is restored, the PLC main control module automatically uploads the offline running data, work progress, and early warning records to the remote interactive scheduling module, completing the entire data synchronization process automatically. No manual intervention is required to re-transmit data, and there will be no inconsistency issues between the two ends. Figure 3 As shown.
[0034] The trolley travel execution module is equipped with a travel drive unit and an incremental encoder unit. Upon receiving a start command, it drives the trolley along a preset track in the yard towards the target work area. The incremental encoder unit works in conjunction with the travel drive unit, rotating synchronously with the travel drive unit and outputting pulse signals. The PLC main control module calculates the real-time travel distance of the trolley using the formula: ,in, This represents the real-time distance traveled by the vehicle from the baseline zero point at the current sampling time. The cumulative pulse count of the incremental encoding unit at the current sampling time; Where π is pi; D is the diameter of the trolley's traveling wheels; P is the number of pulses output by the incremental encoder unit per revolution; r is the transmission reduction ratio of the traveling drive unit; and the real-time track position coordinates of the trolley are calculated using the formula: ,in, The real-time track position coordinates of the large vehicle; Fix the coordinates of the orbital reference zero point; This represents the real-time travel distance of the trolley from the reference zero point at the current sampling moment. During travel, the trolley's travel execution module continuously feeds back the trolley's position coordinates and travel speed parameters to the PLC main control module. The feedback of position data is synchronized with the acquisition of settlement data, establishing a correlation mapping between position and settlement, providing accurate point coordinate references for subsequent settlement compensation actions. The incremental coding feedback mode can continuously output position change information during travel, completing the position calculation for the entire journey without relying on external positioning base stations, reducing the system's dependence on external facilities, and adapting to the dusty and signal-blocking working environment of the stockyard. At the same time, it ensures that the update frequency of position data is perfectly matched with the settlement acquisition frequency, avoiding compensation point deviations caused by asynchrony, and ensuring that each compensation action corresponds to the current track position of the wheels. The normal operating travel speed can meet the daily stacking cycle requirements of the stockyard, and with the layered stacking process arrangement, the stacking operation of a single batch of materials can be completed within the specified time.
[0035] The track settlement sensing module is deployed at the wheel frame points on both sides of the trolley, moving synchronously with the trolley to collect longitudinal settlement and lateral offset of the track. This module uses paired tilt and displacement sensing units, with at least one set of sensing units on each side of the wheel frame. Each set of sensing units moves synchronously with the trolley's wheel frame, collecting longitudinal settlement and lateral offset at corresponding points along the entire track. The data collection action is triggered synchronously with the trolley's movement. Each time the trolley reaches a sampling point, the sensing unit completes data collection at that point. The sampling interval matches the trolley's speed, ensuring data collection is completed at fixed intervals and preventing uneven sampling density due to trolley speed variations. This ensures a one-to-one correspondence between settlement data and trolley position coordinates. The collected sensing signals are transmitted to the PLC main control module in real time. The sensing units are directly deployed on the wheel frame near the wheel-bearing end, enabling them to directly acquire the actual deformation state of the track directly beneath the wheel. This avoids transmission errors caused by indirect measurements. The continuous point-to-point acquisition mode covers the entire track range of the trolley operation. Regardless of where the trolley is located in the yard, it can acquire track status data for the corresponding position, providing complete data support for settlement adaptation and adjustment throughout the entire journey. The symmetrically deployed sensing units on both sides can simultaneously acquire settlement and offset data from both sides of the track, comprehensively reflecting the overall deformation state of the track. This avoids the risk of operational deviation caused by missing lateral offsets due to unilateral acquisition and can also detect uneven track settlement, providing a more comprehensive basis for subsequent compensation and adjustment.
[0036] The PLC main control module receives settlement data and trolley position data, incorporates settlement deviation filtering and calculation logic and dynamic correction rules for positioning parameters, and employs a two-level hierarchical compensation control strategy. It outputs action commands to each execution module, coordinating the entire stacking and reclaiming operation. For the raw settlement data transmitted by the track settlement sensing module, the PLC main control module performs sliding weighted filtering processing, using the following formula: ,in, This represents the effective settlement calculated for the i-th sampling point. These are the original settlement data collected at the corresponding time points; Here, n is the weight factor corresponding to the sampling point at time index k; n is the number of sampling points contained in the sliding window; k is the time index of the sampling point within the sliding window; and the effective settlement obtained after the calculation is used as the input basis for subsequent positioning parameter correction. The sliding weighted filtering method can filter noise data caused by trolley vibration, material drop impact, and on-site electromagnetic interference during the acquisition process, preserving the true trend of track settlement changes. The weight factor is set to decrease as the time index increases, giving higher reference weights to data collected closer to the current sampling point, making the calculation results more consistent with the actual settlement state of the current location. The number of sampling points in the sliding window is adapted to the trolley's travel speed and sampling frequency, ensuring both filtering effect and minimal response delay, ensuring the real-time performance of compensation actions. The settlement data after filtering effectively reduces the probability of misjudgment, avoids unnecessary compensation actions caused by interference signals, ensures the stability and accuracy of subsequent control logic, provides a reliable judgment basis for the accurate triggering of the graded compensation strategy, and prevents the system from misjudging the settlement amplitude due to accidental interference pulses, such as... Figure 2 As shown.
[0037] The PLC main control module compares the calculated effective settlement with a preset first critical threshold of 25mm. If the settlement at the current sampling point is less than the preset first critical threshold, it falls under the small settlement condition, triggering the first level of compensation in the two-level graded compensation control strategy. Under this condition, the PLC main control module only outputs angle adjustment commands to the cantilever pitch adjustment module. The trolley travel execution module maintains normal operating speed. The compensation adjustment process is executed point-by-point during travel. Each time a new set of settlement data is collected, a corresponding angle correction command is generated, and the compensation action is triggered synchronously with data acquisition. Under this level of compensation, the overall machine operating parameters do not change; only the positional change caused by track settlement is adjusted by adjusting the cantilever working height. The first-level compensation mode is suitable for the common small-scale settlement scenarios in the daily operation of the stockpile tracks. This type of settlement is mostly caused by long-term slow deformation of the foundation and normal wear of the tracks, which will not affect the basic safety of the equipment operation. Under this condition, the trolley's travel rhythm and operating efficiency are not changed. The operating accuracy requirements can be met simply by adjusting the cantilever height, avoiding unnecessary speed reduction or machine stoppage intervention that would affect the overall turnover efficiency of the stockpile. The point-to-point synchronous compensation mode allows the cantilever height to be adjusted in real time according to the track settlement status, without cumulative height deviation, ensuring the stacking accuracy of the entire operating range. Each compensation adjustment corresponds to the settlement of a single sampling point. The adjustment range is small and the frequency is high, without large cantilever movements. The stacking process remains stable, ensuring that each layer of the stacked material is of uniform thickness and the slope is flat.
[0038] The PLC main control module dynamically corrects the positioning parameters based on the calculated effective settlement. The correction amount for the cantilever pitch angle is obtained using the following formula: ,in, This is the correction amount for the cantilever pitch angle; is the effective settlement calculated for the i-th sampling point; L is the fixed physical length of the cantilever. This refers to the current pitch angle of the cantilever before the correction action; the corrected pitch angle parameter is directly sent to the cantilever pitch adjustment module to execute the adjustment action. The angle correction amount, derived from the effective settlement, can accurately offset the height change at the cantilever end caused by track settlement, ensuring that the relative working height of the cantilever's working end remains within the preset process range. This avoids issues such as uneven material pile shape, material spillage, or collisions between the working mechanism and the material pile caused by track settlement, due to deviations in the material drop point height. The angle correction parameter is updated point-by-point with the settlement data. Each sampling point generates a correction value adapted to the settlement state at that point, achieving accurate adaptation across the entire track range. This avoids local accuracy deviations caused by large-scale uniform adjustments, ensuring that the material drop point height at each point meets process requirements even if the track settlement is unevenly distributed. The calculation of the correction amount also combines the current angle and physical length parameters of the cantilever, ensuring consistent height adaptation for settlement compensation at different pitch angles, preventing over-compensation at low angles and under-compensation at high angles.
[0039] The cantilever pitch adjustment module receives angle adjustment commands from the PLC main control module, driving the cantilever to adjust its working height to match the operational requirements of different settlement conditions. This module uses a hydraulic drive to adjust the cantilever angle, incorporating an angle detection unit and a hydraulic drive unit. The angle detection unit provides real-time feedback on the current cantilever pitch angle, forming a closed-loop adjustment circuit with the PLC main control module. After the angle adjustment command is issued, the hydraulic drive unit smoothly adjusts the cantilever angle at a preset adjustment rate of 0.3° / s. The angle detection unit transmits the angle value in real time. When the deviation between the detected actual angle and the target angle is within the allowable range of ±0.15°, the adjustment stops and maintains the current angle state. Pitch angle correction is performed synchronously with the trolley's movement, ensuring the compensation process does not interrupt the normal stacking and reclaiming operation. The hydraulic drive adjustment method outputs a stable driving torque, preventing severe angle jitter during adjustment, avoiding impact on the material chute at the cantilever end, ensuring the stability of the material flow, and maintaining the regularity of the material pile shape. The hydraulic system's built-in buffer circuit allows for a smoother start-up and stop process during angle adjustment, preventing angle overshoot and further improving adjustment accuracy. The closed-loop adjustment circuit design keeps the final angle deviation within the allowable range of the process, ensuring that each compensation adjustment achieves the expected high degree of fit. The synchronous operation mode allows the compensation action to be fully integrated into the normal operation process, eliminating the need for separate adjustment time and ensuring that overall operation efficiency is not affected by the compensation action.
[0040] The safety interlock early warning module triggers protective actions based on the hierarchical instructions of the PLC main control module, pushing early warning information and fault data to the remote interactive dispatch module. Throughout this minor settlement operation, the effective settlement at each sampling point was below the preset second critical threshold of 60mm, failing to reach the early warning trigger threshold. The safety interlock early warning module maintained normal monitoring status, simultaneously synchronizing equipment operating status, settlement monitoring data, and compensation execution records to the remote interactive dispatch module in real time. This real-time monitoring mechanism can respond immediately to sudden changes in track settlement, eliminating the need for regular manual on-site inspections to monitor the safety status of the track and equipment, significantly reducing the workload and safety risks for on-site maintenance personnel. The early warning module also monitors the operating status of various equipment mechanisms, providing not only settlement warnings but also synchronous feedback on the routine operating parameters of the traveling mechanism and hydraulic system, achieving comprehensive monitoring of equipment status. Normal data synchronization allows remote dispatchers to intuitively grasp the track deformation and compensation effect throughout the operation, providing data reference for the formulation of subsequent track maintenance plans. Multi-level threshold warning settings can distinguish the response level of different settlement degrees, avoid small routine settlements triggering unnecessary shutdown alarms, ensure the smoothness of unattended operations, and reduce the interference of invalid alarms on dispatching work.
[0041] After all material stacking operations are completed, the PLC main control module coordinates all execution modules to stop their operations in an orderly manner, controls the trolley to return to the standby position along the track, adjusts the cantilever to the safe standby angle, stops the bucket wheel and other operating mechanisms, and all sensing and execution units enter a low-power standby state. The location data, settlement acquisition data, compensation adjustment records, and equipment operating parameters of the entire operation are uniformly organized and synchronously uploaded to the remote interactive scheduling module for storage and archiving. The archived data includes the timestamps, location information, settlement values, and compensation execution records of the entire operation, which can be retrieved and reviewed at any time, providing complete data for subsequent equipment fault diagnosis and process optimization. Complete operation data archiving provides comprehensive data support for subsequent system parameter optimization and track maintenance. Maintenance personnel can analyze the deformation patterns of the track through long-term accumulated settlement data and arrange targeted maintenance work in advance. The fully unmanned operation execution and completion process further reduces manual intervention, fully realizing the goal of unmanned operation of stacking and reclaiming operations, and also improving the overall management level of the stockyard operation. Figure 1 As shown.
[0042] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A PLC-controlled intelligent stacker-reclaimer unmanned system, characterized in that, The system includes: Track settlement sensing module: It is deployed at the wheel frame points on both sides of the trolley and moves synchronously with the trolley to collect the longitudinal settlement and lateral offset of the track. The collected sensing signals are transmitted to the PLC main control module in real time. PLC main control module: Receives settlement data and trolley position data, has built-in settlement deviation filtering and calculation logic and dynamic correction rules for positioning parameters, is equipped with a two-level graded compensation control strategy, outputs action commands to each execution module, and coordinates the entire process of stacking and reclaiming operations. Trolley travel execution module: Equipped with a travel drive unit and an incremental coding unit, it travels back and forth along the preset track in the yard and feeds back the trolley position coordinates and travel speed parameters to the PLC main control module in real time; Cantilever pitch adjustment module: Receives angle adjustment commands from the PLC main control module, drives the cantilever to adjust the working height, and matches the working requirements of different settlement conditions; Safety interlock early warning module: Triggers protective actions based on the hierarchical instructions of the PLC main control module, and pushes early warning information and fault data to the remote interactive dispatch module; Remote interactive scheduling module: sends stacking and reclaiming operation task parameters to the PLC main control module, and receives and displays the overall machine operation status data and early warning information.
2. The PLC-controlled intelligent stacker-reclaimer unmanned system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The track settlement sensing module uses a pair of tilt sensing units and displacement sensing units. At least one set of sensing units is set on each side of the traveling wheel frame. Each set of sensing units moves synchronously with the traveling wheel frame of the trolley and collects the longitudinal settlement and lateral offset at the corresponding position point by point along the entire track. The collection action is synchronized with the movement of the trolley, so that the settlement data corresponds one-to-one with the position coordinates of the trolley.
3. The PLC-controlled intelligent stacker-reclaimer unmanned system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The PLC main control module performs sliding weighted filtering on the raw settlement data collected by the track settlement sensing module. The specific calculation formula is as follows: ,in, This represents the effective settlement calculated for the i-th sampling point. These are the original settlement data collected at the corresponding time points; is the weight factor corresponding to the sampling point at time index k; n is the number of sampling points contained in the sliding window; k is the time index of the sampling point in the sliding window; the effective settlement obtained after the solution is completed is used as the input basis for subsequent positioning parameter correction.
4. The PLC-controlled intelligent stacker-reclaimer unmanned system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The PLC main control module performs dynamic correction of positioning parameters based on the calculated effective settlement. The formula for calculating the pitch angle correction is as follows: ,in, This is the correction amount for the cantilever pitch angle; is the effective settlement calculated for the i-th sampling point; L is the fixed physical length of the cantilever. The current pitch angle of the cantilever before this correction action is set; the corrected pitch angle parameters are directly sent to the cantilever pitch adjustment module to execute the adjustment action.
5. The PLC-controlled intelligent stacker-reclaimer unmanned system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first level of compensation in the two-level graded compensation control strategy corresponds to a small settlement condition where the settlement amount is less than the preset first critical threshold. Under this condition, the PLC main control module only outputs angle adjustment commands to the cantilever pitch adjustment module, and the trolley travel execution module maintains the normal operating speed. The compensation adjustment process is executed point by point during travel. Each time a new set of settlement data is collected, an angle correction command is generated accordingly. The compensation action is triggered synchronously with the data acquisition. Under this level of compensation, the overall machine operation parameters do not change. Only the cantilever operating height is adjusted to correspond to the positional changes caused by track settlement.
6. The PLC-controlled intelligent stacker-reclaimer unmanned system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second level of compensation in the two-level graded compensation control strategy corresponds to a large settlement condition where the settlement amount is greater than or equal to the preset first critical threshold. Under this condition, the PLC main control module outputs a cantilever pitch angle adjustment command and simultaneously outputs a travel speed reduction command to the trolley travel execution module. The reduction in travel speed is matched with the magnitude of the settlement; the larger the settlement, the lower the travel speed. The angle compensation magnitude is synchronously matched and adjusted with the magnitude of the settlement. The speed adjustment process is executed in a smooth and gradual manner. Under this level of compensation, the equipment maintains its operating state and does not trigger a complete machine shutdown.
7. The PLC-controlled intelligent stacker-reclaimer unmanned system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The incremental encoding unit of the trolley travel execution module works in conjunction with the travel drive unit, rotating synchronously with the travel drive unit to output pulse signals. The PLC main control module calculates the real-time travel distance of the trolley by counting the pulses. The calculation formula is as follows: ,in, This represents the real-time distance traveled by the vehicle from the baseline zero point at the current sampling time. The cumulative pulse count of the incremental encoding unit at the current sampling time; π is the mathematical constant pi; D is the diameter of the trolley's traveling wheel; P is the number of pulses output by the incremental encoder unit per revolution; r is the transmission reduction ratio of the traveling drive unit. The calculation formula used to convert the real-time position coordinates of the trolley from the reference zero-point coordinates is as follows: ,in, The real-time track position coordinates of the large vehicle; Fix the coordinates of the orbital reference zero point; This represents the real-time travel distance of the vehicle from the baseline zero point at the current sampling time; the feedback of location data is synchronized with the collection of settlement data to establish a correlation mapping between location and settlement.
8. The PLC-controlled intelligent stacker-reclaimer unmanned system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cantilever pitch adjustment module uses a hydraulic drive to adjust the cantilever angle. It has a built-in angle detection unit and a hydraulic drive unit: the angle detection unit provides real-time feedback on the current cantilever pitch angle, forming a closed-loop adjustment circuit with the PLC main control module; after the angle adjustment command is issued, the hydraulic drive unit smoothly adjusts the cantilever angle according to the system's preset adjustment rate, and the angle detection unit transmits the angle value back in real time; when the deviation between the detected actual angle and the target angle is within the allowable range, the adjustment action stops and the current angle state is maintained; the pitch angle correction adjustment is performed synchronously with the trolley's movement, and the compensation process does not interrupt the normal stacking and reclaiming operation process.
9. The PLC-controlled intelligent stacker-reclaimer unmanned system according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the settlement exceeds the preset second critical threshold, the safety interlock early warning module triggers the interlock protection action. First, it outputs a stop command to the trolley travel execution module, then outputs a cantilever locking command to the cantilever pitch adjustment module to keep the cantilever at the current angle and in a locked state, and then outputs a step-by-step shutdown command to the bucket wheel drive mechanism. Simultaneously trigger the on-site audible and visual warning device, and at the same time, compile the location coordinates, settlement data and offset data of the settlement exceeding the standard into early warning information and push it to the remote interactive dispatch module. The early warning information includes the settlement data and location information of the corresponding point. The time of the fault occurrence and the equipment operating status at the time of triggering are recorded synchronously and stored in the PLC main control module.
10. The PLC-controlled intelligent stacker-reclaimer unmanned system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The remote interactive scheduling module issues work tasks that include work area, work type, and process requirement parameters. After receiving the task, the PLC main control module first verifies the completeness and validity of the parameters. If the verification is successful, it autonomously plans the work path and executes it. When the communication connection between the remote interactive scheduling module and the PLC main control module is interrupted, the PLC main control module continues to execute the work process based on the locally stored task parameters and control program. After the communication connection is restored, the PLC main control module automatically uploads the offline stage operation data, work progress, and early warning records to the remote interactive scheduling module, completing the fully automated data synchronization process.