EP1943178B1 - Vehicle and method for propulsion control of a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle, including two controllable electrical drives, which are capable of being operated in mutual dependence, the rotational speed and the torque of a first drive, in particular a master drive.

Description

The invention relates to a vehicle and a method for the drive control in a vehicle.

From the DE 198 49 276 C2 is a shelf conveyor known, which is curvy.

The invention is therefore the object of developing a vehicle such that a stable driving results.

According to the invention the object is achieved in the vehicle according to the features specified in claim 1 and in the method according to the features indicated in claim.

Essential features of the invention in the vehicle are that it comprises two electric drives, which are connected for data transmission,
wherein speed and torque or values thereof dependent or connected variables of the first drive, in particular master drive, a controller of the second drive can be transmitted,
wherein the speed specification for the second drive, in particular slave drive, can be determined by the controller by
Speed and torque or values of corresponding, dependent or connected variables of the first drive and
Torque or corresponding values of corresponding, dependent or connected sizes of the second drive
be taken into account.

In particular, in the invention vehicles can be used, which have a lower drive and an upper drive, such as high-build stacker cranes or rack conveyors. In the invention are advantageously particularly high Can be used versions, Especially in such applications, a stable handling is important and it gets the advantage of the invention particular weight.

If the drives contrary to the invention would be operated only in speed synchronous operation and the wheels are for example round and metallic, so may have slip, it could result that the mast connecting the two drives, ie the linkage would have a non-disappearing variable inclination angle , It can also tilting vibrations of the mast occur.

An advantage of the invention, however, that a mast swing of the linkage connecting the drives can be reduced or even prevented by the inventive control. For the slave drive, such as the upper drive of the vehicle, the speed and torque of the master drive, for example, so the lower drive of the vehicle known. His own torque is also known to him. In this way, he can determine the speed of the slave drive so that as a result an ideal force distribution is established. In fact, the ideal distribution is when the lever arms, ie torques acting on the center of gravity, divide in such a way that no rotational movement of the connecting linkage is generated.

For the force F1 generated by the slave has the distance H1 from the center of gravity and the force F2 generated by the master has the distance H2. If, in essence, F1 x H1 = F2 x H2 is achieved, torsional vibration and also rotation can be avoided. Thus the driving behavior becomes more stable.

In the invention, the slave adjusts the manipulated variable setpoint speed accordingly, whereby the said equation becomes as attainable as possible:

As drives electric motors are used, which drive at least one wheel via an intermediate gear. It is also important that the wheel is not a gear or a friction by friction on the tread, such as rail or the like, bound wheel, but a slip-afflicted. For example, such wheels are known in rail-based transport systems. The arrangement is therefore such that a spinning of the wheels is not reliably prevented.

As a torque-dependent or connected size of the motor current of the electric motor is used, which is anyway known in controllable drives the control method. Speeds can be determined either by angle encoders connected to the motor or by means of control methods that determine the rotational speed as a result.

In an advantageous embodiment, the drives each drive at least one slip-laden wheel, in particular generate the feed by wheels running on rails. The advantage here is that the wheels are inexpensive and the speed known to the drive is converted into a precisely determinable peripheral speed. However, the web speed of the touch point may be different from the peripheral speed when slip occurs. The rails mentioned are provided, for example, for safe guidance of the vehicle. In particular, such is foreseeable above and below the vehicle. However, the invention is also applicable to vehicles having differently arranged rails, such as right and left side of the vehicle. But it is also applicable to trackless systems in which slip wheels on a running surface, such as floor surface, side surface or ceiling surface roll.

In an advantageous embodiment, speed and motor current of the first drive and motor current of the second drive are taken into account by the controller. The advantage here is that the speed of the second drive is variable and can be specified as a manipulated variable. A downstream speed controller then regulates the second drive to this desired setpoint speed. In this case, then sets a correspondingly changed torque and said lever law is essentially met, so that no rotation or rotational movement is triggered.

In an advantageous embodiment of the controller is a proportional controller, so P controller, or a PI controller or a PID controller. The advantage here is that known simply structured regulator are quick and easy to use.

In an advantageous embodiment, a control deviation is supplied to the P controller, PI controller or PID controller. In particular, the setpoint speed specification for the second drive is such that, when the control deviation disappears, the peripheral speeds of the wheels, in particular also the path speed of the contact points of the wheels, are the same. The advantage here is that with correct leverage an exactly synchronous rolling of the wheels is reached.

In an advantageous embodiment, the control deviation is a weighted difference of the motor currents, in particular according to the type (I_Slave_Ist - cx I_Master_Ist), where I_Slave_Ist corresponds to the actual motor current of the slave drive, ie the torque of the slave drive, c the weighting of the target torque ratio both drives and I_Master_Is the actual motor current of the master drive
Is, that corresponds to the torque of the master drive. The advantage here is that the weighting makes the position of the center of gravity and thus clearly identifiable and specifiable. Even with a variable center of gravity, this value c can therefore be calculated from the position data of the center of gravity. The calculation of the position of the center of gravity from the arrangement of the known masses is easy for a person skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention even enables a predictable specification of this parameter. However, the parameter c can also be determined by other methods or control methods as a result of regulation.

In an advantageous embodiment, the drives are connected via a linkage, in particular rigid. The advantage here is that large forces can occur and the controllability of the arrangement is simple and not very capable of oscillating.

In an advantageous embodiment, the tracks of the wheels are spaced parallel to each other. The advantage here is that rails for. A rail-mounted design can be used. In particular, metal rails and metal wheels can be used, including wheels that have a metallic tread. This can cause slip. However, the invention is especially advantageous in such systems.

In an advantageous embodiment, the center of gravity is variable during operation and the weight c of the target torque ratio of the two drives is adjusted and / or changed accordingly. The advantage here is that the inventions can be used in vehicles that include, for example, a Hubkorb or conveyor cage, which is movable in height. Thus, the height of the center of gravity changes accordingly. In the invention, the torque distribution of the drives with respect to the center of gravity can now be taken into account with the parameter c. It is clear that everyone Drive generates a feed force. The center of gravity can be taken as the zero vector for the space, ie as the origin of the coordinates. Then the torque results as a cross product of the respective location vector at the point of application of the feed force and the feed force of the respective drive. The aim is to achieve a cancellation of the sum of all centering torques. For this purpose, the parameter c is selected accordingly. If the center of gravity shifts during operation, in particular in its height, then the parameter c is changed accordingly, so that continues to act on the center of gravity no resulting torque. The regulation is realized in such a way that it always tries to achieve this goal.

In an advantageous embodiment, the vehicle is a rack conveyor vehicle, in particular a track-guided. The advantage here is that such storage and retrieval devices are used in the invention. Because these can have a large height of their mast, so the linkage, which connects the upper and lower end of the vehicle. Because of the high altitude, an upper and a lower drive is necessary. Both drives each drive wheels that run on a rail and are slippery. The principle possible mast swing is reduced by the invention or even completely prevented.

In an advantageous embodiment, at least two drives are provided,
wherein speed and torque or values thereof or connected, connected quantities of the first drive are transmitted to a controller of the second drive,
wherein the speed specification for the second drive is determined by the controller,
in which
Speed and torque or values of corresponding, dependent or connected variables of the first drive and
Torque or corresponding values of corresponding, dependent or connected sizes of the second drive
be taken into account.

The advantage here is that instead of the torque and the motor current is used as a size. Because this is closely related to the torque and is simple and economically detectable. Instead of the speed, the angle can also be detected and used by differentiating in the controller.

In an advantageous embodiment, parameters of the control method are changed depending on the position of the center of gravity. The advantage here is that even with high loads and thus significant shifts in the center of gravity mast vibrations can be reduced or reduced.

Further advantages emerge from the subclaims.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to figures:

In the FIG. 1 a device according to the invention is shown symbolically, which comprises a master and a slave drive. Both are coupled via a linkage and each drive wheels, which may have relative to the tread, such as rail, slip.

By way of example, it is a rack conveyor vehicle, wherein the master drive has at least one wheel which runs on a rail laid on the ground. The slave drive has a likewise slip-capable wheel 2, which runs on a track laid over the vehicle.

The diameters of the wheels 1 and 2 can be different and can also change during the service life, for example because of different degrees of wear.

If the wheels were geometrically known exactly and there was no slippage, a synchronous operation of the drives M and S would move the vehicle outstandingly evenly, in particular. The mast, that is the linkage between the two drives, would not incline. However, in the case of skidded wheels, synchronism would cause a skewed mast to continue to skew. In addition, vibrations can occur.

In the invention, however, the torque requirement of the drives M and S is determined. Then, the speed is adjusted or influenced so as to give an ideal force distribution. The lever arms of the forces generated by the respective drives should be the same with respect to the center of gravity P.

For example, at least approximately H1 x F1 = H2 x F2. Thus, the center of gravity experiences a total force resulting from the law of levers. Deviations are inventively avoided and thus reduces the risk of vibration. In particular, a rocking of the mast vibrations is avoided. The forces F1 and F2 are generated by the drives, the torques acting on the wheels and these generate the forces.

In the invention, in particular, the torque of the respective drive or a connected size is determined, such as force of the drive in the rail direction or the like. For example, the motor current of the electric motor of the drive can be determined. Because this is a directly related to the torque size, in particular over a wide range proportionally coherent size.

The speed of the slave drive is set to be synchronous with the speed of the master drive, but a correction value is added. This value is determined as a function of the torque of the slave and master drive.

A first simple implementation is thus provided in the slave drive controller which receives information about torque or motor current from the master drive, in particular via a communication medium, such as a fieldbus, such as CAN bus, Interbus or Profibus, Devicenet or Ethernet, or a wireless data transmission system such as Bluetooth or the like.

Wobei

• N_Slave_Soll die Solldrehzahl des Slave-Antriebs
• K ein Faktor, der identische Umlaufgeschwindigkeiten herstellt, wenn keine Regelabweichung vorliegt, also der geklammerte Ausdruck Null ist,
• N_Master_Ist die Istdrehzahl des Stave-Antriebs
• b der Proportional-Anteil des P-Reglers
• wobei I_Slave_Ist der Ist-Motorstrom des Slave-Antriebs, also dem Drehmoment des Slave-Antrieb entspricht,
• c die Gewichtung des Solldrehmomentverhältnisses der beiden Antriebe
• I_Master_Ist der Ist-Motorstrom des Master-Antriebs
• ist, also dem Drehmoment des Master-Antrieb entspricht.

The controller then determines the desired speed of the slave in the following way: $$\mathrm{N\_Slave\_Soll}\mathrm{=}\mathrm{K}\mathrm{\times }\mathrm{N\_Master\_Ist}\mathrm{+}\mathrm{b}\mathrm{\times }\left(\mathrm{I\_Slave\_Ist}\mathrm{-}\mathrm{c}\mathrm{\times }\mathrm{I\_Master\_Ist}\right)$$

In which

• N_Slave_Soll the setpoint speed of the slave drive
• K is a factor that produces identical rotational velocities if there is no control deviation, that is, the parenthesized expression is zero,
• N_Master_Is the actual speed of the Stave drive
• b is the proportional component of the P controller
• where I_Slave_Ist corresponds to the actual motor current of the slave drive, that is to say to the torque of the slave drive,
• c is the weighting of the target torque ratio of the two drives
• I_Master_Is the actual motor current of the master drive
• is, therefore, corresponds to the torque of the master drive.

The center of gravity P of the vehicle is at a constant height, H2.

In further embodiments according to the invention, instead of or in addition to the propotional element, further elements, such as integrators or differential elements, are added. Precontrols are also successfully added.

In further exemplary embodiments according to the invention, the current measured value is filtered, in particular with a PT1 element, ie low-pass filtered.

In further embodiments of the invention, the center of gravity depending on the position of the Hubkorbes or conveyor cage, which may include a load to be funded, in variable height. Thus, then the distances H1 and H2 are not constant. The position of the center of gravity is then taken into account by a corresponding change in the value c. Thus, the value c is provided for adaptation to variable center of gravity positions.

In further embodiments of the invention, this can also be done by an electronic circuit. This can also be provided with appropriate sensors.

The general advantage of the invention is that a tilt sensor can be saved.

In further embodiments of the invention more than two drives are present, the expert can expand the principles accordingly and thus the target speed of the slave drive can be determined.

In further embodiments of the invention is used as the torque of the drive to the friction torque reduced actual value of the output-side torque for the inventive method. In particular, in other embodiments, the motor current corresponds to the torque at the output of the electric motor and is used as the torque corresponding size by the controller in its control method. In this case, the determined friction moments are taken into account. This includes not only the losses in the downstream transmission but also braking torques of connected brakes and the friction moments when implementing the rotational movement of the driven wheel on the rail, especially during slippage. The described parameter c is adjusted accordingly.

In further exemplary embodiments according to the invention, these friction moments are determined in advance in a test procedure, that is to say before starting the method according to the invention. This can also be called a learning journey. In this way, the parameter c can be determined particularly well in advance.

In other embodiments of the invention, the parameter c is varied during driving of the vehicle and thus found out the optimum value. In this case, the minimization of the mast swing and the angle of inclination is used as an optimization criterion.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

wheel

2

wheel

M

master

S

slave

P

main emphasis

H1

route

H2

route

F1

force

F2

force

Claims (14)

1. A vehicle,
   comprising two electric drives which are connected for data transfer,
   characterised in that
   the rotational speed and the torque or values of thereon dependent or associated variables of the first drive, in particular the master drive, may be transferred to a controller of the second drive,
   wherein the rotational speed presetting for the second drive, in particular the slave drive, may be determined by the controller, by taking into account the rotational speed and the torque or values of corresponding, thereon dependent or associated variables of the first drive and
   the torque or corresponding values of corresponding, thereon dependent or associated variables of the second drive.
2. A vehicle according to at least one of the preceding Claims,
   characterised in that
   the drives each drive at least one wheel affected by slip, in particular produce the advancing movement by means of wheels running on rails.
3. A vehicle according to at least one of the preceding Claims,
   characterised in that
   the rotational speed and the motor current of the first drive and
   the motor current of the second drive
   are taken into account by the controller.
4. A vehicle according to at least one of the preceding Claims,
   characterised in that
   the controller is a proportional controller, i.e. a P controller, or a PI controller or a PID controller.
5. A vehicle according to at least one of the preceding Claims,
   characterised in that
   a control deviation is supplied to the P controller, PI controller or PID controller.
6. A vehicle according to at least one of the preceding Claims,
   characterised in that
   the ideal rotational speed presetting for the second drive is such that, with a vanishing control deviation, the circumferential speeds of the wheels, i.e, in particular also the track speed of the contact points of the wheels, arc the same.
7. A vehicle according to at least one of the preceding Claims,
   characterised in that
   the control deviation is a weighted difference of the motor currents, in particular in
   the manner (I_slave_actual - c x I_master_actual), where I_slave_actual is the actual motor current of the slave drive,
   c is the weighting of the ideal torque ratio of the two drives and
   I_master_actual is the actual motor current of the master drive.
8. A vehicle according to at least one of the preceding Claims,
   characterised in that
   the drives are connected by way of a connecting rod, in particular rigidly.
9. A vehicle according to at least one of the preceding Claims,
   characterised in that
   the tracks, in particular rails in the case of a rail-bound design, of the wheels are spaced from one another so as to be parallel.
10. A vehicle according to at least one of the preceding Claims,
    characterised in that
    the wheels have a metallic running surface.
11. A vehicle according to at least one of the preceding Claims,
    characterised in that
    during the operation the centre of gravity is variable and the weighting c of the ideal torque ratio of the two drives is adapted and/or changed accordingly.
12. A vehicle according to at least one of the preceding Claims,
    characterised in that
    the vehicle is a high-rack transport vehicle, in particular a track-guided one.
13. A method for drive control with respect to a vehicle,
    characterised in that
    at least two drives are provided,
    wherein the rotational speed and the torque or values of thereon dependent or associated variables of the first drive are transferred to a controller of the second drive,
    wherein the rotational speed presetting for the second drive is determined by the controller,
    taking into account
    the rotational speed and the torque or values of corresponding, thereon dependent or associated variables of the first drive and
    the torque or corresponding values of corresponding, thereon dependent or associated variables of the second drive.
14. A vehicle according to at least one of the preceding Claims 1 to 12,
    characterised in that
    parameters of the control method are changed in dependence on the position of the centre of gravity.

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