Rail Vehicle Shutdown Zoning for ASRS Maintenance Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated storage and retrieval systems face challenges in accessing the rail system for inspection or maintenance of malfunctioning container handling vehicles, requiring a complete shutdown which is costly and undesirable, especially in large systems with many vehicles in operation.
Innovation Solution
A method that allows personnel to enter the rail system to address malfunctioning vehicles by registering anomalies, bringing vehicles to a halt, setting up a two-dimensional shutdown zone, and rerouting other vehicles to avoid the area, enabling maintenance without a full system shutdown.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the entire rail system is shut down for maintenance of malfunctioning vehicles, then personnel can safely access the system for inspection and repair, but system productivity is severely reduced and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rail system is divided into multiple independent zones with separate access points. When a malfunctioning vehicle is detected, only the specific zone containing the malfunctioning vehicle is isolated and shut down, while other zones continue to operate normally. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access the malfunctioning area without halting the entire system, thus resolving the contradiction between maintenance access and system productivity.
2Productivity
If the rail system operates continuously without shutdown, then productivity is maintained, but personnel cannot safely perform inspection and maintenance of malfunctioning vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic zone isolation where shutdown boundaries are not fixed but adapt based on the location and nature of malfunctioning vehicles. The control system dynamically adjusts which zones are isolated and which remain operational, allowing the system to maintain maximum productivity while providing safe access for maintenance. This dynamic approach resolves the contradiction by making the shutdown scope flexible rather than all-or-nothing.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a large shutdown zone is created around malfunctioning vehicles, then personnel safety is ensured, but more vehicles are affected and rerouted, reducing overall system productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The shutdown zone is localized precisely to the area immediately surrounding the malfunctioning vehicle, rather than creating a large buffer zone. Safety measures such as physical barriers and controlled access are implemented specifically at the boundaries of this localized zone. This approach ensures personnel safety while minimizing the number of vehicles affected, as only vehicles in or near the immediate malfunction area need to be rerouted.
4Productivity
If the rail system is divided into multiple zones with separate access, then maintenance can be performed without full shutdown, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system implements a universal zone management framework that can handle multiple zones, multiple access points, and various malfunction scenarios through a single integrated platform. This multi-functional control architecture manages the complexity of divided zones by providing standardized procedures for zone isolation, vehicle rerouting, and maintenance coordination across the entire system, thus enabling partial operation during maintenance without proportionally increasing operational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for handling malfunctioning vehicles (240,340) on a rail system (108,308) constituting part of a storage and retrieval system (1) configured to store a plurality of stacks (107) of storage containers (106), wherein the storage and retrieval system (1) comprises—a plurality of remotely operated vehicles (230,330,240,340,250,350) configured to move laterally on the rail system (108,308) and—a control system (109) for monitoring and controlling wirelessly movements of the plurality of vehicles (230,330,240,340,250,350), the control system (109) forms by wireless data communication at least the following steps: A. registering an anomaly in an operational condition of a vehicle (this 240,340) on the rail system (108,308), B. registering the vehicle with the anomalous operational condition as a malfunctioning vehicle (240,340), C. bringing the malfunctioning vehicle (240,340) to a halt, D. registering a halt position of the malfunctioning vehicle (240,340) relative to the supporting rail system (108,308), E. setting up a two-dimensional shutdown zone (225) within the rail system (108,308) into which the malfunctioning vehicle (240,340) is halted and F. updating movement pattern of the plurality of remotely operated vehicles (230,330, 250,350) outside the two-dimensional shutdown zone (225) such that entrance into the two-dimensional shutdown zone (225) is avoided.