Procedure for the control of a crane

Claim 2

In a crane wherein a load is suspended on a hoisting rope from a trolley supported by a bridge, a method of damping load swing during traversing movement of the trolley and/or bridge driven by a traversing motor under control of at least one command signal representative of trolley and/or bridge speed, comprising the steps of: (a) determining a length of the hoisting rope and calculating a load oscillation period therefrom; (b) determining if a speed change command signal has been developed; (c) developing a prevailing swing compensation signal to compensate for swing prevailing at a time when the speed change command is developed; (d) developing speed change acceleration signals in response to a new speed setting from the speed command signal; and (e) additively applying the acceleration signals and the swing compensation signals to the traversing motor change load speed while minimizing load sway.

Claim 3

The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: (f) determining a prevailing momentary total oscillation generated by previous control actions from an equation considering rope length and acceleration from previous reference signals; said step (c) developing a first acceleration reference and a second acceleration reference; (g) compensating a final acceleration caused by application of the first acceleration reference in said step (e); and (h) determining magnitude, direction and starting moment of the first acceleration reference from a angle of deflection of the rope at a moment the acceleration reference is determined.

Claim 4

The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first acceleration reference has a first magnitude and said step (c) includes the step of: (c1) developing the second acceleration reference as two equal acceleration reference changes having opposed polarities and a magnitude equal to one half the first magnitude and having a time interval therebetween equalling half a time of oscillation.

Claim 5

The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the acceleration signals include first and second acceleration sequences of equal duration and magnitude, a time interval between a beginning of the two sequences being equal to half of an oscillation cycle.

Claim 6

The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of: (f) monitoring a total momentary oscillation to determine if the total momentary oscillation exceeds a predetermined limit during a traversing moment before a speed change command is received in said step (b) and, when the total momentary oscillation exceeds the predetermined limit, performing said step (c).

Claim 7

The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step (d) comprises the steps of: (d1) forming a first acceleration sequence; and (d2) forming a second acceleration sequence, the second acceleration sequence being separated from the first acceleration sequence by a half cycle of oscillation; said step (c) monitoring the first and second acceleration sequences and removing the first acceleration sequence after a first point of time when the speed change command is developed and removing the second acceleration sequence a half cycle of oscillation from the first point of time.

Claim 8

The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said step (d) begins forming the acceleration sequences when a new speed change is received and the acceleration sequences are formed until the desired speed has been reached.

Claim 9

The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the method periodically updates all measurements and calculations and periodically monitors for speed change commands.

Claim 10

The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step (e) adds the swing compensation signals and the speed changing acceleration signals to form an overall control signal which is applied to the traversing motor.

Claim 11

The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: (f) monitoring motor current and speed; and (g) limiting acceleration and speed so as not to exceed the limits of the motor.

Claim 12

In a crane wherein a load is suspended on a hoisting rope from a trolley supported by a bridge, a method of damping load swing during traversing movement of the trolley and/or bridge driven by a traversing motor under control of at least one command signal representative of trolley and/or bridge speed, comprising the steps of: (a) determining a length of the hoisting rope and calculating a load oscillation period therefrom; (b) determining if a speed change command signal has been developed; (c) developing a prevailing swing compensation signal to compensate for swing prevailing at a time when the speed change command is developed; (d) developing speed changing acceleration signals in response to a new speed setting from the speed command signal; (e) additively applying the acceleration signals and the swing compensation signals to the traversing motor change load speed while minimizing load sway; (f) determining a prevailing momentary total oscillation generated by previous control actions from an equation considering rope length and acceleration from previous reference signals; said step (c) developing a first acceleration reference and a second acceleration reference; (g) compensating a final acceleration caused by a application of the first acceleration reference in said step (e); and (h) determining magnitude, direction and starting moment of the first acceleration reference form an angle of deflection of the rope and oscillation velocity at a moment the acceleration reference is determined.

Claim 13

In a crane wherein a load is suspended on a hoisting rope from a trolley supported by a bridge, a method of damping load swing during traversing movement of the trolley and/or bridge driven by a traversing motor under control of at least one command signal representative of trolley and/or bridge speed, comprising the steps of: (a) determining a length of the hoisting rope and calculating a load oscillation period therefrom; (b) determining if a speed change command signal has been developed; (c) developing a prevailing swing compensation signal to compensate for swing prevailing at a time when the speed change command is developed; (d) developing speed changing acceleration signals in response to a new speed setting from the speed command signal; (e) additively applying the acceleration signals and the swing compensation signals to the traversing motor change load speed while minimizing load sway; (f) determining a prevailing momentary total oscillation generated by previous control actions from an equation considering rope length and acceleration from previous reference signals; said step (c) developing a first acceleration reference and a second acceleration reference; (g) compensating a final acceleration caused by a application of the first acceleration reference in said step (e); and (h) determining magnitude, direction and starting moment of the first acceleration reference form an angle of deflection of the rope and oscillation velocity at a moment the acceleration reference is determined.

Claim 14

The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the first acceleration reference has a first magnitude and said step (c) includes the step of: (c1) developing the second acceleration reference as two equal acceleration reference changes having opposed polarities and a magnitude equal to one half the first magnitude and having a time interval therebetween equalling half a time of oscillation.

Claim 15

The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the acceleration signals include first and second acceleration sequences of equal duration and magnitude, a time interval between a beginning of the two sequences being equal to half of an oscillation cycle.

Claim 16

The method as claimed in claim 11 further comprising the steps of: (i) monitoring a total momentary oscillation to determine if the total momentary oscillation exceeds a predetermined limit during a traversing movement before a speed change command is received in said step (b) and, when the total momentary oscillation exceeds the predetermined limit, performing said step (c).

Claim 17

The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein said step (d) comprises the steps of: (d1) forming a first acceleration sequence; and (d2) forming a second acceleration sequence, the second acceleration sequence being separated from the first acceleration sequence by a half cycle of oscillation; said step (c) monitoring the first and second acceleration sequences and removing the first acceleration sequence after a first point of time when the speed change command is developed and removing the second acceleration sequence a half cycle of oscillation from the first point of time.

Claim 18

The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said step (d) begins forming the acceleration sequences when a new speed change command is received and the acceleration sequences are formed until the desired speed has been reached.

Claim 19

The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the method periodically updates all measurements and calculations and periodically monitors for speed change commands.

Claim 20

The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein said step (e) adds the swing compensation signals and the speed changing acceleration signals to form a overall control signal which is applied to the traversing motor.

Claim 21

The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the steps of: (i) monitoring motor current and speed; and (j) limiting acceleration and speed so as not to exceed the limits of the motor.