IP Library Granted Patent US 7,392,915
Granted Patent B2
US 7,392,915 · App. 10/515,252 · Granted Jul 1, 2008

Method for controlling spreader in crane

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,392,915
App. No.
10/515,252
Granted
Jul 1, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling swaying and swinging of a spreader in a crane and the load attached thereto, the crane comprising: a trolley, hoist gears, hoisting ropes, on which the spreader is suspended from the trolley, auxiliary gears provided with motors and motor control equipment and auxiliary ropes, and in which method the forces of the auxiliary ropes exerted on the spreader are controlled by moving the auxiliary ropes using the auxiliary gears by means of torque instructions (T control ) obtained on the basis of the rope forces (F rope ) of the auxiliary ropes and the rotating speed data (n) of the auxiliary gears, and whereby the torque instruction of the motor control equipment in each auxiliary gear is formed gear-specifically as a sum of a static (T stat ) and a dynamic (T dyn, calc ) term.

Claims (28)

1. A method for controlling swaying and swinging of a spreader in a crane and the load attached thereto, the crane comprising:

a trolley,

hoist gears provided with hoist drums placed in the trolley,

hoisting ropes arranged on the hoist drums, on which the spreader is suspended from the trolley and which are directed back to the trolley through sheaves arranged on the spreader,

the swaying and swinging being controlled by control equipment comprising:

four auxiliary gears provided with rope drums and including motors and motor control equipment placed in the trolley,

auxiliary ropes arranged on the rope drums of the auxiliary gears,

sheaves for the auxiliary ropes placed in the spreader, through which sheaves the auxiliary ropes passing obliquely from the rope drums of the auxiliary gears are directed to spaces arranged in the hoist drums for the auxiliary ropes,

said method comprising;

controlling forces exerted on the spreader by each auxiliary rope driven by a corresponding auxiliary gear based on torque instructions;

determining said torque instructions by means of control logic which receives force data of the corresponding auxiliary rope and rotating speed data of the corresponding auxiliary gear,

said control logic providing and maintaining the desired rope forces, controlling the rotation and the resistance of the swinging of the spreader using said motor in the corresponding auxiliary gear;

forming said torque instruction in each corresponding auxiliary gear as sum of a static and a dynamic term;

calculating the static torque instruction based on a reference value of the rope force in the auxiliary gear, a measuring data of the rope force and the rotating speed of the auxiliary gear; and

a dynamic feed forward torque instruction T dyn, calc , based on a change occurring in the calculated rotating speed of each auxiliary gear.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising calculating the dynamic feedforward term T dyn, calc based on the following formula:

T dyn, calc =b×J×d/dt ( n calc ), where

b=a scale factor of units

J=an inertia mass parameter of the auxiliary gear, and

d/dt(n calc )=the change in the calculated speed of the auxiliary gear (the desired speed change).

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 calculating the rope force of each auxiliary rope by subtracting the dynamic torque required for accelerating the flywheel mass from the motor torque calculated by the motor control equipment, leaving the static torque representing the rope force.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising calculating the rope force, F rope , in accordance with the following formula:

F rope =k× ( T act −b×J×d/dt ( n act )), where

b=a scale factor of units

n act =the measured rotating speed of the auxiliary gear, or d/dt (n act )=the measured acceleration of the auxiliary gear,

J=an inertia mass parameter of the auxiliary gear

K=a constant conversion factor

T act =the implemented torque data of the auxiliary gear.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2016
From: KONECRANES PLC
To: KONECRANES GLOBAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 037485/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 7, 2016
From: KCI KONECRANES PLC
To: KONECRANES PLC
Reel/Frame 037458/0576 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2005
From: SORSA, TIMO
To: KCI KONECRANES PLC
Reel/Frame 016582/0236 →