Development of an Optimal Port Crane Trajectory for Reduced Energy Consumption

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the development of an optimal load-handling trajectory for port cranes. The objective is to minimize load cycle time and reduce energy consumption. Energetic macroscopic representation formalism is used to model a port crane load-handling mechanism. The crane model developed includes the mathematical model, the crane’s local control system, and a MATLAB/Simulink model for simulation. The particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to find the set of pareto optimal crane trajectories given the variation in crane size, ship size, and wind speed. Experimental validation of the crane model is conducted by comparing it with a real-world crane. Simulation results show that the optimal crane load trajectory is 38% faster and more productive than the nonoptimal crane load trajectory. Furthermore, the results show that the optimal trajectory reduces the cranes’ peak power and energy consumption by 36% when compared with the nonoptimal trajectory.