AGV Battery Charging Management via Voltage Detection Markers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated guided vehicle (AGV) charging systems face challenges in simplifying the structure for centralized control, leading to congestion at charging routes, and require specific installation positions for charging stations, limiting flexibility and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a marker for battery voltage checks on the main route to redirect AGVs to an automatic charge station, allowing them to charge at unused chargers and manage the flow to maintain a fixed number of vehicles on the main route, enabling flexible installation of charge stations and efficient charging without delaying operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the AGV is redirected to the charge route when battery voltage is low, then the battery can be charged automatically, but the structure and construction for centralized control becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The AGV autonomously detects its own battery voltage using its built-in voltage detection unit, determines when charging is needed, and independently redirects itself to the charge route without requiring complex centralized control intervention. The system serves itself by having the AGV make its own charging decisions based on detected voltage levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The AGV continuously monitors its battery voltage and uses this feedback information to trigger routing decisions. When the detected voltage falls below a threshold, the system automatically initiates the charging process by redirecting the AGV to the charge route, creating a closed-loop control system that responds to real-time battery status.
2Reliability
If multiple AGVs wait to be charged or fully-charged AGVs accumulate, then charging capacity is increased, but they clog the entrance to the charge route and hamper smooth operation of the line
Solution Approach 1:
The AGV proactively redirects itself to the charge route before the battery is completely depleted, based on predicted voltage trends and charging requirements. This preliminary action prevents last-minute charging rushes that would cause congestion at the charge route entrance, as AGVs distribute their charging requests more evenly over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the routing decisions of individual AGVs based on real-time conditions at the charge route entrance. When congestion is detected, the control system or AGVs themselves adjust their charging timing and routing to avoid accumulating vehicles at critical bottlenecks, maintaining fluid operation of the production line.
3Loss of time
If the charging device is installed on the main route, then charging is faster and more convenient, but it delays the conveyance along the main route
Solution Approach 1:
The charging function is segmented from the main conveyance route into a separate charge route. This allows the charging operation to occur in parallel without blocking the main route, as AGVs exit the main route to charge and then return to continue conveyance operations uninterrupted.
Solution Approach 2:
The charge route acts as an intermediary pathway that connects to but is separate from the main conveyance route. This intermediary structure enables AGVs to access charging facilities without directly interfering with the flow of vehicles on the main route, effectively mediating between charging needs and conveyance efficiency.
4Ease of manufacture
If the charge station is installed at a specific position on the main route, then charging operations are simplified, but the installation position is constrained and flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The charge route is designed as a universal structure that can be implemented at various positions along the main route while maintaining the same functional characteristics. The standardized charge route design allows it to be adapted to different installation locations without requiring custom modifications, providing both operational simplicity and positioning flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows the charge route to be positioned at different locations along the main route by changing the spatial parameter of installation position. The charge route's design parameters are configured to maintain functional equivalence regardless of location, enabling flexible installation while preserving charging operation simplicity through parameter adaptation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for managing charge of a plurality of battery-driven AGVs (automated guided vehicles) circulating on the main route provided with an automatic charge station includes: a first step of detecting, using an AGV, a marker for battery voltage check provided on a main route to measure the voltage of a battery of the AGV; a second step of changing the route of the AGV to advance it into a charge route provided in an automatic charge station, stopping the AGV in a charging position, and charging the battery automatically by using an automatic charger, if the measured battery voltage has lowered to a level requiring charging; and a third step of conveying the AGV that has been automatically charged to a standby place provided in the automatic charge station.