Sway-Optimized Crane Transport Route Segmentation

Solution Overview

Problem

Cranes face challenges in efficiently transporting loads due to sway, which increases the 'effective-volume' of the load, requiring longer transport routes and more time and energy, and existing sway reduction methods often increase crane wear and reduce productivity by limiting acceleration and trajectory changes throughout the transport process.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that optimize the transport route by allowing initial sway within safe limits, followed by active sway restraint at the end of each segment, using a resource optimizer to determine optimal acceleration, deceleration, and sway-restraint maneuvers, thereby reducing resource consumption while ensuring safe and precise load placement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If conventional sway reduction methods are used to limit crane accelerations and trajectory changes, then sway is reduced, but transport time increases and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesway controlVSAvoidtransport time

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The transport route is divided into multiple segments, each with specific sway constraints. During initial acceleration phases, larger sway is permitted, while sway is restricted during final deceleration phases before each segment's destination. This segmented approach allows faster overall transport while maintaining stability where required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different sway constraints are applied to different portions of the transport route. The system allows greater freedom of movement and larger sway during acceleration phases and open space segments, while imposing strict sway limits during deceleration phases and near destination points. This localized differentiation optimizes both speed and stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Stability of the object's composition

If conventional sway reduction methods are used to limit crane accelerations and trajectory changes, then sway is reduced, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesway controlVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The transport route is divided into multiple segments, each with specific sway constraints. During initial acceleration phases, larger sway is permitted, while sway is restricted during final deceleration phases before each segment's destination. This segmented approach allows faster overall transport while maintaining stability where required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different sway constraints are applied to different portions of the transport route. The system allows greater freedom of movement and larger sway during acceleration phases and open space segments, while imposing strict sway limits during deceleration phases and near destination points. This localized differentiation optimizes both speed and stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If the transport route is extended to accommodate swaying load, then safe transport is ensured, but transport time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafe transportVSAvoidtransport time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The transport route is divided into multiple segments, each with specific sway constraints. During initial acceleration phases, larger sway is permitted, while sway is restricted during final deceleration phases before each segment's destination. This segmented approach allows faster overall transport while maintaining stability where required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system manages sway not just by extending the transport route in one dimension, but by introducing temporal dimension through segmented phases. Different sway tolerances are applied at different times during the transport process, allowing the load to sway more during acceleration and less during critical phases, thereby reducing overall transport time while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS11987475B2System and method for transporting a swaying hoisted load

Publication Date: 2024.05.21 CRANE COCKPIT TECH LTD

AI summary

A system transports a load along a transport route, wherein the load is hoisted and kept suspended along the route. The system includes a bridge, a hoisting module hanging from the bridge, a haul mechanism, and a resource optimizer for determining an optimal-resource consumption route, including determining parameters of acceleration, deceleration, and sway-restraint maneuvers. The route is segmented, wherein a respective segment safe-travel sway-span and a respective segment hand-over sway-span are predetermined. Each segment includes an initial acceleration section, and a final deceleration section. The resource optimizer determines segment minimum resource consumption routes including determining respective parameters of acceleration, deceleration, and sway-restraint maneuvers, per the segment safe-travel sway-span and the segment hand-over sway-span, and combines possible minimum resource consumption routes, for selecting an optimal resource consuming route out of the possible minimum resource consuming routes. Transporting of the load is conducted pursuant to the optimal resource consumption route.