Elevator Call Allocation for Cable-Free Battery Charge Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Travelling cable-free elevator cars face issues with limited energy storage capacity, leading to potential power loss and cell voltage imbalances, which can disrupt elevator operations and safety.
Innovation Solution
An elevator call allocation system that considers charge information and cell imbalance to optimize the allocation of elevator calls, ensuring energy storages are maintained within optimal operating ranges, preventing disruptions and enhancing efficiency, safety, and extending battery life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If elevator cars operate with on-board energy storages to enable cable-free movement, then mobility and modernization of the elevator system are improved, but the limited storage capacity leads to low charge levels and potential power loss
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary charging actions by allocating elevator calls to cars with lower charge levels, ensuring energy storages are recharged before critical depletion occurs. The group controller proactively monitors charge levels and schedules charging opportunities during normal operation intervals.
2Use of energy by moving object
If battery packs are used for energy storage, then portable power supply is enabled, but cell voltage imbalance reduces utilizable capacity and risks overcharging or discharging
Solution Approach 1:
The group controller continuously receives charge information from each elevator car's energy storage system, monitoring cell voltages and charge levels. Based on this feedback, the controller allocates calls strategically to enable charging of cars with imbalanced or low charge levels, correcting imbalances during normal operation.
3Productivity
If elevator calls are allocated without considering charge information, then traffic handling performance is maintained, but energy storages may reach critical charge levels causing service disruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The call allocation strategy dynamically adapts based on real-time charge information. The group controller adjusts allocation decisions according to the charge levels of different elevator cars, routing calls to cars with sufficient charge while directing cars with lower charge levels to charging floors, optimizing both service performance and energy management.
4Reliability
If elevator cars are taken out of service for charging, then energy storage charge levels are maintained, but service level and productivity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service charging by allocating elevator calls to floors equipped with charging arrangements. Elevator cars automatically recharge during normal stopping operations without requiring dedicated charging time or being taken out of service, integrating energy management into routine operations.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an aspect, there is provided a method for elevator call allocation in an elevator system. The method comprises receiving charge information associated with an energy storage of an elevator car from each of a plurality of elevator cars of the elevator system; receiving an elevator call to a floor providing a charging arrangement for the energy storages; and allocating the elevator call to an elevator car of the plurality of elevator cars at least partly based on the charge information received from each of the plurality of elevator cars.