EP0985630A1 - Method and device for determining the load profile during loading and unloading of containers - Google Patents

Abstract

The system is to determine the loading profile, when loading and unloading containers (6) between a quay (2) and a moored ship (1). The loading/unloading is with a quayside crane (3) with a jib (7) and trolley (4), and a container lifting harness (5). A monitor (9) at the trolley (4) registers the surface contours of the containers (6) at the quay, and the container load (8) at the ship in three co-ordinate directions. The readings are stored in a computer unit to give data to compute the load profile and give an automatic crane movement and especially the movements of the trolley and the crane hook lengths. The monitor system incorporates at least one distance meter, a laser scanner, a path movement monitor, a weight register and a computer.

Description

The invention relates to a method for loading and unloading of containers between a quay and an am Quay lying ship by means of a quay crane, one at a trolley movable with a crane boom and one Container lifting gear with hooks. It also affects a device for performing such a method.

Goods to be transported by sea are increasing Dimensions picked so that your envelope with Standard containers can be made by appropriately trained ships can be transported worldwide. They are loaded and unloaded using so-called Quay cranes, of which usually several cranes operate a ship to keep the ship's laytimes so short as possible. The number of people operating a ship However, cranes are limited in that There is a safety distance between the individual cranes must be observed. So the lay time depends on one Ship immediately from the speed of handling every single quay crane.

Each crane can be in the assigned section of the ship either loading or unloading. It is manually by operated by an operator. The lifting gear, the usually as a container carrying harness, also as Spreader called, trained, must be with everyone Crane travel to be moved at a height Collision between the crane hook or that on it hanging load and the ship or those on the ship to avoid existing containers. On this crane trip the trolley is moved across an area of the Quays and over the ship to a container from land to ship or around one Pick up containers from the ship and then open the country or a waiting transport vehicle to discontinue.

• Verfahren der Krankatze vom Kai über das Schiff,
• Absenken des Spreaders, der über Seilzüge an der Katze hängt, bis zum Container,
• Aufnahme des Containers mittels Spreaders,
• Verriegeln des Containers im Spreader,
• Anheben des Containers über das Schiffsdeck,
• Verfahren der Katze bis auf die Höhe des Kais,
• Absenken des Containers auf den Boden oder einen bereitstehenden LKW,
• Lösen der Verriegelung des Containers im Spreader,
• erneute Kranfahrt.

A common wreath cycle during the unloading process looks something like this:

• Moving the crane trolley from the quay over the ship,
• Lowering the spreader, which is attached to the cat via cables, to the container,
• Picking up the container using a spreader,
• Locking the container in the spreader,
• Lifting the container over the ship deck,
• Moving the cat up to the level of the quay,
• Lowering the container to the ground or a standing truck,
• Unlocking the container in the spreader,
• Another crane run.

The one required for loading or unloading a container Time expenditure depends to a large extent on the Experience and the skill of the crane operator. Because in particular the actual height difference between the The lower edge of the load and the upper edge of the other containers in the ship Loading profile from the position of the crane operator only is difficult to see, the load is usually raised higher than that required to comply with Safety distances would be necessary. Hereby those phases of the crane movement are extended, in which the load is only raised or lowered.

The object of the invention is to provide a method through which the loading and unloading times of containers are essential can be shortened. It is also a task of the invention, a device for performing to provide such a method.

The invention solves the first object by a method of the type mentioned, in which means a measuring device arranged on the trolley quay and ship surface contour located below this as well as the container loading of the ship in three Coordinate directions (X, Y, Z) is measured, the Measured values are stored in a computer unit and from the measured values output data for the control of the Trolley path and the crane hook length generated become. Advantageous further developments of the method according to the invention are in claims 2 to 9 specified.

The inventive method has the advantage that it also interferes with the loading or unloading process, caused by ship movements due to a changing water level or loading status of the Ship could be caused, reliably excludes. Also sagging of the crane boom due to A load hanging on the hook cannot malfunction cause this process. By being more advantageous Further development of the method according to the invention Contour measurements to record the profile of the This method is intended to transport cargo in the same way for loading and unloading other cuboid or geometrically regularly shaped Objects ideally suited.

The further task is solved by a device with the characterizing features of the claim 10. In this device according to the invention are used to carry out the method according to the invention, the geometric state of charge and / or that Loading profile recorded, known individual components like a laser rangefinder, a laser scanner Position sensor and a computer unit used. Generate this Profile data required for automatic motion control the load and the load handler become. The range finder is more advantageous Way forward and towards the ship the trolley attached, its measuring direction points vertically down, i.e. in the Z direction. The laser scanner is attached to the same place, its measuring direction, the corresponds to the X-Y plane, is transverse to the direction of movement the trolley on the crane boom, the Y direction. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the width of the loading contour is about measure two container lengths. The pioneer finally captures the cat's current position in with respect to the Y direction. This signal can if necessary also from an existing crane control derived, as well as the weight of each load hanging on the hook.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention The procedure is carried out by means of the Measuring device a height profile below the route included, including all details of the Ship and its container loading. With that, at the same time the free space above the ship seized and it can the for the return trip and the next outward journey of the Cat optimal, i.e. shortest, travel distance calculated become. By taking measurements every time the crane is driven Disturbance variables such as changes in water level or loading state, depending on the location of the ship impact, reliably eliminated. The Measurement below the trolley using the sensors in three mutually perpendicular coordinate directions: the Laser rangefinder measures the height in the Z direction the ground or the ship. The laser scanner measures that Distance in the X-Z plane and the associated angle. Finally, the encoder for the Y direction delivers the Travel path of the trolley on the crane boom. In addition, the Influence of any deflection of the crane boom, caused by a load on the crane hook, recorded as a correction variable and by the crane control the height setting of the crane hook is taken into account become.

By combining a laser rangefinder and it is a laser scanner for measurement in the X-Z plane possible to both profile flanks with high accuracy detect as well as recognize obstacles. The The laser scanner sends a pulsed laser beam which is deflected by a rotating mirror and the Scans the surroundings in a fan shape. The beam is at Hitting an object reflects and in the receiver of the scanner registered. The measured time difference between sending and receiving a beam proportional to the distance between the transmitter and the object. The current angle of rotation of the mirror is a measure of the angular position of the object, which is in the field of vision of the Scanner is located. So that the loading profile and the Measure the upper edge of the cross-section of the ship and the load and recorded, at the same time disturbances like that Hook load and the water level also recorded, so that too this information for automatic loading and unloading can be used with.

Those achievable with the method according to the invention Advantages are not only in a considerable time and Cost savings through shorter travel times for the crane hook between ship and quay, they offer much more at the same time a significant increase in security against collisions, since the loading and unloading process is continuously monitored. The crane operator is on this Relieved of tiring, uniform work and can fully focus on his surveillance tasks focus.

Fig. 1:

eine Prinzipdarstellung einer Gesamtanordnung, bestehend aus einem Kran und einem von diesem zu beladenden Schiff,

Fig. 2:

eine Prinzipdarstellung einer Profilsensoranordnung,

Fig. 3:

eine Prinzipdarstellung der Wirkungsweise eines Laserscanners und

Fig. 4:

eine Verfahrkurve eines Verladekrans.

The invention will be explained in more detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1:

1 shows a schematic diagram of an overall arrangement consisting of a crane and a ship to be loaded by it,

Fig. 2:

a schematic diagram of a profile sensor arrangement,

Fig. 3:

a schematic diagram of the operation of a laser scanner and

Fig. 4:

a traversing curve of a loading crane.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, one has to be loaded or unloading ship 1 on a quay 2 together with a crane 3 shown in cross section. A trolley 4 of the crane 3 is provided with hook tackle 5, on which a container 6 to be transported hangs. With a trolley 4 equipped longitudinally an approximately horizontally arranged boom 7 of Cranes 3 held so that they over in the Y direction the ship 1 can be moved away. Internally of ship 1 there are further containers 8. With the directions of the are shown in this figure Coordinates Y, the path of trolley 4, and Z, the vertical distance between the crane boom 7 and the object below. Finally in this figure another one arranged in front of the trolley 4 Measuring arrangement 9 indicated, which in detail based on Fig. 2 is explained.

The measuring arrangement 9 consists of a range finder 10 and a laser scanner 11. Both sensors 10 and 11 are in the direction of the ship 1 in front of the trolley 4 arranged below the crane boom 7, their measuring beams capture, as indicated in Fig. 2, the height contour vertically below these sensors 10 and 11 and thus the load height of the container 8 on the Ship 1 and also on the quay 2. Both sensors 10 and 11 are connected to a computer unit 12 to which as indicated in the figure, an additional one on the Trolley 4 located encoder 13 is connected, which registers the current position of the trolley 4. This information can also be used if necessary derived from an existing crane control and as a measurand for the crane coordinate Y to the computer unit 12 be handed over.

3 shows the basic arrangement of the sensors 10 and 11, here for the sake of simplicity as one unit shown above the ship 1 and the containers 8. The height in the Z direction is determined by the range finder 10 with one indicated by a heavily dashed line Measuring beam detected. The measuring plane of the laser scanner 11, represented by several thin dashed lines Lines, runs in the X-Z plane of the Crane coordinates. So that the linear expansion of the Container 8 in the X direction, i.e. across the trolley movement, detected. At the same time it is also avoided that an incorrect measurement, for example due to the fact that the Sensor 10 detects a gap between two rows of containers, leads to a malfunction of the arrangement.

The distance sensor 10 measures during each crane run the distance vertically down towards the Crane coordinate Z and transfers the measured value to the Computer unit 12. At the same time the laser scanner 11 with its measuring beam distance and angle in the X-Z plane, which is perpendicular to the crane coordinate Y, where the measuring beam is about two containers wide 8 sweeps in the X direction. The laser scanner 11 transfers its measured values to the computer unit 12. As Further input variables are route data, either by means of a displacement sensor 13 located on a trolley 4 or recorded from the existing crane control and as Measured variable for the crane coordinate Y to the computer unit 12 passed.

The computing unit 12 now calculates that for the Crane control required profile data and gives them as output variables. This profile data contains the linked measurement data from sensors 10, 11 and 13 and are used to control trolley 4 and hook 5 in with respect to the crane coordinates Y and Z. As concluding 4, a hook harness 5 hanging container 6 between a pick-up point 14 at quay 2 and a delivery point 15 on ship 1 or on another container 8 on different trajectories 16 or 17 are carried, the hook tackle 5 together with the attached load 6 in height, i.e. in the Z direction and laterally, i.e. in the Y direction, by means of the trolley 4 and the crane control for the Hook tackle 5 is moved. With a conventional one Loading process, in which no measurement of the contours of Ship and cargo carried, one of the crane hooks would have to collision-proof track, indicated by the extended Curve 16, are traversed significantly would be longer than that with the previous contour measurement possible trajectory 17, dashed in this figure is shown. This optimized trajectory is significant shorter and thereby enables an essential Time savings with each individual funding process Containers. This results in an essential sum Shorter lay time for the one to be loaded and / or unloaded Ship.

Claims (14)

Method for loading and unloading containers between a quay and a ship lying on the quay by means of a quay crane, a trolley movable on a crane boom and a container lifting tackle with hooks, characterized in that a measuring device (9,) arranged on the trolley (4) 10, 11) the quay and ship surface contour underneath this as well as the container loading (8) of the ship (1) is measured in three coordinate directions (X, Y, Z), that the measured values are stored in a computer unit (12) and from output data for the control of the trolley path and the crane hook length are generated. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the coordinate directions (Y, Z) are perpendicular to each other stand and those determined in these directions Measured values to the crane as hook length (Z) perpendicular to the floor and as a trolley path (Y) from Crane booms (7) are assigned to the ship (1). A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the path (X) perpendicular to the trolley path (Y) and to the vertical distance (Z) as the third coordinate is detected. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized characterized that the hook load was also measured becomes. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized characterized in that a series of measurements consisting of at least continuously with a predefinable one Clock frequency measured measured values trolley path, Contour height, contour width and the hook load in each case after a predeterminable number of crane trips during at least one empty run and is used for the subsequent crane run and that control data for the Katzenweg and the hook length in the crane control be fed. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that the determined data over several test runs be saved and by comparing the measurement series Changes in the position of the ship (1) determined and be used for crane control. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized characterized in that the crane control is designed in this way is that the crane travel on an optimized Path curve (17) from a starting point (14) on the quay (2) to an end point (15) on the ship (1) and, is reversed. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized characterized that the measured profile and the traversed path curve (17) on a multi-dimensional screen being represented. Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized characterized that contours via further sensors recorded and / or correction values for the Profile measurement can be determined by the Computer unit (12) can be processed with. Device for performing the method according to one of claims 1 to 9, consisting of a Quay crane with a crane boom, a trolley, a container lifting gear and a measuring and Control device, characterized in that the measuring and control device (9) one Path sensor (13) for the trolley path, one Distance sensor (10) for the distance between the trolley and the one perpendicular to it located surface, an angle and Distance sensor (12) for detecting the Contour width below and across the trolley direction and a computer unit (12) for Storage, calculation and output of data for includes trolley and hook length control. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the device (10) for measuring the Distance between the trolley (4) and the vertical under this surface a laser sensor. Device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that that the measuring device (11) for detection the contour width below and across Trolley direction consists of a laser scanner. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the sensors are firmly attached to the trolley (4) connected and before this towards the ship (1) to be dispatched are arranged. Device according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized characterized that additional sensors for detection the contour and / or to determine Correction quantities are provided.

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