KR102498474B1 - Stacker crane - Google Patents

Abstract

(Task) Reduce the power consumption required for the operation of a stacker crane.
(Solution) When the maximum peak period of power consumed by the traveling motor and the maximum peak period of power consumed by the lifting motor overlap in the standard control rule, the upper limit speed of the traveling motor and the lifting motor is standard control Drive patterns of the traveling motor and the lifting motor are determined according to the power saving control rule set lower than the upper limit speed in the rule.

Description

Stacker Crane {STACKER CRANE}

The present invention relates to a stacker crane used to transport goods in an automated warehouse facility or the like.

In facilities that manage multiple items, such as automated warehouse facilities, there are cases where a stacker crane is used as a product transport device for moving products within the facility or bringing in or out of the product between the outside of the facility and the inside of the facility. .

Patent Literature 1 shows a stacker crane as a distribution device that automatically stores and releases articles to article storage shelves for storing articles. This stacker crane is provided with a traveling carriage that travels on the floor of the facility and a lift platform that can be raised and lowered. Transfer of goods is performed between the payment and the lift.

Patent Literature 1 indicates that the traveling speed is lowered from the rating when it is expected that the traveling operation will be completed before the raising/lowering operation. By performing such control, in the stacker crane of Patent Document 1, power saving of the stacker crane is achieved by preventing a situation in which the traveling carriage waits in a stopped state until the lifting operation of the elevator platform is completed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-076858

However, in the conventional stacker crane as described above, even if the total amount of power consumption over the entire period from the start of the traveling operation and the lifting operation to the completion thereof can be reduced, in a specific period, a part of the entire period There is a case where the sum of the power consumption of the traveling operation and the power consumption of the lifting operation temporarily exceeds the rated value.

When the electric power for the traveling operation and the electric power for the lifting operation are both supplied from the main power supply of the stacker crane, the main power supply outputs the total power consumption which is the sum of the power consumption of the traveling operation and the power consumption of the lifting operation. must do it. On the other hand, each of the traveling operation and the lifting operation has a period in which power consumption is highest during from start to finish, that is, a maximum peak period of consumed power. Here, considering the possibility that the traveling operation and the lifting operation are performed at the same time and their maximum peak periods overlap, the rating is large enough to supply power corresponding to the sum of the maximum power consumption of both the traveling operation and the lifting operation. A main power source (with a high maximum output power) is required.

To address this problem, a method of assisting power supply during the maximum peak period by mounting a storage battery on a stacker crane as an auxiliary power source to assist the main power source and using the storage battery in combination with electric power stored in advance from the main power source is conceivable. In this way, the rating of the mains supply does not have to be very large. There is an upper limit to the power that can be output from a single storage battery, and if the upper limit power that can be output is actually output from the storage battery each time (repeatedly), there is a risk of shortening the life of the storage battery. Therefore, it is preferable that the total power consumption is lower than the upper limit power that can be output from the storage battery at all times over the entire period from the start to completion of the traveling operation and the lifting operation. Similarly, since the main power supply also receives an excessive load when it actually outputs the maximum power that can be output, it is desirable that the total power consumption be as low as possible even at the peak.

Therefore, the present invention reduces the power consumption required for the operation of the stacker crane to save power, and prevents the total power consumption from excessively increasing even when the power consumption peak for traveling overlaps with the power consumption peak for lifting. .

In order to solve the above problems, a stacker crane as an example of an embodiment according to the present invention is a stacker crane used to transport goods, and a traveling cart moves in a horizontal direction along a traveling path by traveling by driving a traveling motor. and a lift table that moves in a vertical direction along an elevating mast installed on the traveling carriage by moving up and down by driving the lifting motor, and conveying instructions by controlling the traveling motor and the lifting motor according to a conveyance instruction from the outside. In the stacker crane having a movement control device for moving the elevator platform to a target position indicated by the movement control device, the traveling motor and the elevator motor necessary to move the elevator platform from a current position to the target position. A driving pattern of is determined according to a predetermined standard control rule, and in the driving pattern determined according to the standard control rule, a maximum peak period of power consumed by the driving motor and power consumed by the lifting motor When the maximum peak period of is overlapped in the driving pattern determined according to the standard control rule, the movement control device determines that the upper limit speed of the traveling motor and the lifting motor is lower than the upper limit speed according to the standard control rule. It is characterized in that the driving patterns of the driving motor and the lifting motor are determined according to the set power saving control rule.

Further, in a further embodiment of the present invention, in the stacker crane, a power storage device for accumulating power supplied from a main power source is provided, and the power storage device outputs power jointly with the main power source, or only the power storage device It is possible to output higher power than when power is output only from the main power source by outputting power from the power supply, and it is preferable that power for driving is supplied to the traveling motor and the lifting motor from the power storage device.

In addition, in a further embodiment of the present invention, in the stacker crane, the standard upper limit travel speed as the upper limit of the travel speed of the carriage and the standard upper limit travel speed as the upper limit of the elevator speed of the platform are set in advance in the standard control rule. is set, and when the movement control device determines the driving patterns of the traveling motor and the lifting motor according to the standard control rule, the movement control device determines that the traveling cart moves to the target position at the standard upper limit traveling speed. Compare the shortest travel time required to travel to the horizontal coordinate of the elevator and the shortest travel time required for the lift platform to travel to the vertical coordinate of the target position at the standard upper limit elevation speed. If it is long, the elevator speed of the platform is set so that it takes the same time as the shortest traveling time for the platform to move up and down to the vertical coordinate of the target position. It is preferable to set the traveling speed of the traveling cart so that it takes the same time as the shortest ascending and descending time to travel to the horizontal coordinate of the target position.

In addition, in a further embodiment of the present invention, in addition to setting the travel speed of the traveling carriage as described above, the maximum power and time required for the elevator to move up and down the maximum distance that the elevator can go up and down at the highest possible speed are set to the maximum elevation, respectively. electric power and maximum distance lifting time, and the maximum power required for the carriage to travel at the standard upper limit traveling speed for a period equal to the maximum distance lifting time is set as the maximum traveling power, and the maximum lifting power and the maximum traveling power If a value equal to or greater than the sum of is set as the power saving threshold and the driving patterns of the traveling motor and the lifting motor are determined according to the standard control rule, the peak of the total power consumed by the traveling motor and the lifting motor [0024] When ? becomes greater than the power saving threshold, the movement control device determines driving patterns of the driving motor and the lifting motor according to a power saving control rule.

(Effects of the Invention)

According to the stacker crane as an example of the embodiment according to the present invention, in the standard control rule, when the power consumption peak for traveling overlaps with the power consumption peak for lifting, the power saving control rule in which the upper limit speed of the lifting motor is set low is used. Therefore, the upper limit of the power consumed by the lifting motor is limited to a low level, and even if the power consumption peak for driving and the power consumption peak for lifting overlap, the total consumption is the sum of the power consumption for driving and the power consumption for lifting. There is no such thing as too much power. Further, by using the power-saving control rule, there are cases in which periods of power consumption peaks for traveling and ascending/descending are shifted. In this case, as a result, these peaks do not overlap, thereby suppressing the total power consumption to a low level.

In addition, in a further embodiment, a storage device such as a storage battery is installed in the stacker crane, and if this storage device can output high power capable of sufficiently supporting the main power source, the rating is small (the maximum power that can be output is If it is necessary to use a low) main power source, for example, even if the main power source installed in the facility cannot be changed, a stacker crane with high power consumption can be operated without problems. Also in this case, since the total power consumption does not increase excessively as described above, it is possible to avoid actually outputting power high enough to reach the upper limit of the power storage device's ability to output, and the life of the power storage device is not shortened. More specifically, it is preferable that the power output from only the power storage device or the power jointly output between the power storage device and the main power source is greater than the power output from only the main power source.

Furthermore, according to the stacker crane in the further embodiment, by setting the traveling speed or the lifting speed according to the comparison between the shortest traveling time and the shortest hoisting/lowering time, the hoisting platform and the traveling bogie are simultaneously completed, so that the hoisting platform and the traveling bogie can be completed at the same time. It is possible to prevent a situation in which one side of the other side waits for the completion of the operation of the other side while the other side is stopped.

Further, according to the stacker crane in the further embodiment, a value greater than the sum of the maximum hoisting power and the maximum running power is set as the power saving threshold, so that the peak of the total power consumption exceeds the allowable maximum power in the standard control rule. Changing to the power saving control rule when expected is easily realized.

1 is a perspective view of an automated warehouse facility having a stacker crane as an example of an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a block diagram of the automated warehouse facility of Figure 1;
Fig. 3 is a flowchart of processing performed in the automated warehouse facility shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a flowchart of drive pattern determination processing;
Fig. 5 is a graph showing changes in the speed of the traveling carriage and the elevator platform in a driving pattern conforming to standard control rules, and changes in power consumption of each motor;
Fig. 6 is a graph showing changes in the speed of the traveling carriage and elevator platform in a drive pattern complying with power-saving control rules, and the change in power consumption of each motor;

Hereinafter, a stacker crane as an example of an embodiment according to the present invention will be described. 1 shows an example of an automated warehouse facility 10 equipped with a stacker crane 20. An article storage shelf 50 is installed in this automated warehouse facility 10, and the stacker crane 20 carries in and carries articles 14 to the article storage shelf 50 while traveling in the automated warehouse facility 10. take out In addition, the automated warehouse facility 10 is provided with an automated warehouse controller 60 that manages work performed within the facility. This automated warehouse controller 60 manages information on each product 14, or outputs a conveyance instruction to the stacker crane 20, for example. The automated warehouse controller 60 may operate automatically according to a predetermined routine, but receives an operation instruction from the manager of the automated warehouse facility 10 (such as a logistics company) through the input device 62, and receives instructions from the manager may operate accordingly. 1 shows a touch panel display installed on the main body of the automated warehouse controller 60 as an example of the input device 62 .

A plurality of storage units 52 individually partitioned by a plurality of supports and a pair of arms 54 are installed in the product storage shelf 50 . As shown in FIG. 1 , a plurality of storage units 52 are provided in the vertical direction (vertical direction) and in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) of the product storage shelf 50, and each accommodates the product 14. can

A plurality of product storage shelves 50 are installed in the automated warehouse facility 10 . Although two product storage shelves 50 are shown in FIG. 1, in order to make the stacker crane 20 easier to see, the front product storage shelf 50 is omitted except for the end portion. The automated warehouse controller 60 determines which storage unit 52 belongs to which product storage shelf 50 for each storage unit 52 of the product storage shelf 50, which location in the horizontal direction, and which storage unit 52 belongs to in the vertical direction. Each of the housing parts 52 is individually identified and managed based on the information of which position it is at.

A plurality of product storage shelves 50 are arranged at intervals such that the directions of loading and unloading of products 14 with respect to the storage section 52 face each other, and a stacker crane 20 is installed between the respective product storage shelves 50. drive

The stacker crane (20) has a traveling carriage (22) and a platform (23). The traveling cart 22 is provided on a running rail 28 installed on the floor side along the longitudinal direction (horizontal direction) of each article storage shelf 50 and a guide rail 29 installed parallel to the running rail 28 on the ceiling side. Guided, it moves in a horizontal direction along a travel path defined by the travel rail 28 . In addition, a travel motor 22M (FIG. 2), not shown in FIG. 1, is installed on the travel cart 22, and wheels are rotated by driving the travel motor 22M, thereby driving the travel cart 22. is driving

The lift platform 23 is supported and guided by a pair of front and back lift masts 27 installed upright on the running carriage 22 . By driving the lifting motor 23M (FIG. 2), which is not shown in FIG. 1, for example, a chain wound around a sprocket attached to the lifting mast 27 and suspending the lifting table 23 is wound up and drawn out, The lift platform 23 moves in a vertical direction along the lift mast 27 . By the travel of the carriage 22 and the elevation of the platform 23, the platform 23 can move to a position facing an arbitrary storage section 52 of the product storage shelf 50. In addition, it is possible to move the platform 23 while moving the carriage 22, and the platform 23 can simultaneously change its horizontal position and vertical position.

In addition, a fork device 24 (transfer device) capable of moving the platform 23 in and out in the direction from the stacker crane 20 toward the storage unit 52 (the direction in which articles 14 are put in and out) is installed on the platform 23. By the operation of this fork device 24, it is possible to transfer articles between the platform 23 and the article storage shelf 50. For example, by driving a transfer motor 24M (FIG. 2), which is not shown in FIG. 1, the collapsible arm expands and contracts in the entry/exit direction, and the transfer operation is performed. Moreover, in carrying out actual transfer, not only the driving of the transfer motor 24M but also the raising and lowering of the platform 23 is accompanied. That is, when the arm is extended, the platform 23 is positioned within the product storage shelf 50, but in that state, the platform 23 is positioned from below the storage section 52 storing the products 14 (a pair of wooden items). When it rises (passing between spaces 54), the articles 14 stored in the storage section 52 are taken out by the fork device 24. On the other hand, when the platform 23 on which the articles 14 are loaded descends from above the empty storage section 52, the articles 14 loaded on the platform 23 are carried into the storage section 52.

A crane controller 25 for controlling the operation of the stacker crane 20 is installed on the root side of one of the pair of elevating masts 27 . As shown in Fig. 2, the crane controller 25 includes a communication device 38 that communicates with the automated warehouse controller 60 (either wireless communication such as infrared communication or radio wave communication, or wired communication), and a traveling cart 22. ) and a movement control device 30 for controlling the movement of the platform 23.

2 is a block diagram showing the relationship between various devices installed in the automated warehouse facility 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the movement control device 30 included in the crane controller 25 includes a travel controller 32 that controls the travel motor 22M and a lift controller that controls the lift motor 23M ( 33) and a transfer control unit 34 that controls the transfer motor 24M.

In addition, the travel control unit 32 and the elevation control unit 33 each include a horizontal measuring device 32a for measuring the current position (position in the horizontal direction) of the traveling bogie 22 and the current position (vertical position) of the platform 23, respectively. The measured current position information is received from the vertical measuring device 33a that measures the position of the direction). As a specific example of the level measuring device 32a, it is said that a laser beam is projected from the running carriage 22 in parallel with the running rail 28, and reflected light from a reflector (not shown) provided at an end of the running rail 28 is irradiated. A laser measuring instrument is available. Similarly, for the vertical measuring device 33a, a measuring device of a laser measuring method is used that projects laser light upward from the base of the running bogie 22 and irradiates reflected light from a reflector attached to the bottom surface of the platform 23. possible. With these, the movement control device 30 can recognize the horizontal position of the traveling cart 22 and the vertical position of the platform 23, and transmits the position through the communication device 38 to the automated warehouse controller 60. ) may be notified.

As shown in Fig. 2, the automatic warehouse facility 10 is provided with a main power source 70 and a power storage device 72. As the main power source 70, commercial power can be used, for example, and operating power for various devices such as the automated warehouse controller 60 and the crane controller 25 is supplied from the main power source 70. However, from the viewpoint of safety and cost, the power that can be instantaneously output by the main power source 70 is often limited, and power at peak times cannot be stably supplied to devices with large power consumption such as motors. there is Therefore, in the block diagram shown in Fig. 2, a power storage device 72 (capacitor or storage battery) for storing electric power supplied from the main power source 70 is provided, and a traveling motor 22M, a lifting motor 23M, and a transfer Electric power is supplied from this power storage device 72 to the dragon motor 24M. It is preferable that the power storage device 72 is configured to be capable of outputting larger power than the main power source 70 instantaneously by storing (charging) power in advance. The main power source 70 is also connected to each motor through the crane controller 25, and it is possible to supply power to each motor from the main power source 70. By assisting, power can be stably supplied to each motor even if the main power source 70 has an output limitation.

When the movement control device 30 receives an instruction (transfer instruction from the outside) from the automated warehouse controller 60 to move the elevator platform 23 to a specific target position (a position facing any one storage unit 52) In this case, based on the current positions of the travel cart 22 and the platform 23, control is executed so that the travel of the travel platform 22 and the elevation of the platform 23 are performed at an appropriate speed transition.

Referring to the flowchart shown in Fig. 3, the processing performed in the automated warehouse facility 10 will be described. First, from the input device 62 or an external host device, a request to newly store the article 14 in the article storage shelf 50 (carrying-in request) or a stored article 14 to the article storage shelf 50 A request to withdraw from (report request) is input to the automated warehouse controller 60. Alternatively, the automated warehouse controller 60 automatically generates a carry-in request or a carry-out request according to a predetermined routine on how to manage each item 14 . Then, when a carry-in request occurs, the automated warehouse controller 60 sets the storage unit 52 (empty storage unit 52) in which the product 14 can be stored based on the information of each storage unit 52 under management. ) is searched for, and one of the empty storage units 52 is determined as a storage destination for the article 14 . On the other hand, when a carry-out request occurs, the storing unit 52 in which the target article 14 is stored is determined as the withdrawal source of the article 14 . When the storing part 52 of the storage destination or the withdrawal source is determined, which article storage shelf 50 the storing part 52 belongs to, which position in the horizontal direction, and which position in the vertical direction is determined. Based on the information, a transfer instruction containing information on the target position to which the platform 23 is to finally move is transmitted to the crane controller 25 via the communication device 38 (step S01).

The movement control device 30 of the crane controller 25 based on the target position included in the transfer instruction and the current position of the platform 23 measured by the horizontal measuring device 32a and the vertical measuring device 33a, In order for the platform 23 to move to the target position, it is necessary to determine at what speed transition the carriage 22 and the platform 23 should move (how long each of the acceleration motion, constant speed motion, and deceleration motion, how much acceleration or whether it should be performed at high speed), the driving patterns of the driving motor 22M and the lifting motor 23M are determined according to a predetermined standard control rule (step S02).

The movement controller 30 examines the determined drive pattern again, and determines whether the maximum peak period of electric power consumed by the traveling motor 22M and the maximum peak period of electric power consumed by the lifting motor 23M do not overlap. Whether or not is confirmed (step S03). If the maximum peak periods do not overlap, the travel motor 22M and the elevation motor 23M are driven according to the driving pattern determined according to the standard control rule (step S04). On the other hand, when the maximum peak period of both overlaps, the drive pattern determined according to the standard control rule is discarded, and the drive pattern determined according to the predetermined power saving control rule is changed and determined (step S05). In this power saving control rule, the upper limit speed of the lifting motor 23M is set lower than the upper limit speed in the standard control rule. Thereafter, the travel motor 22M and the elevation motor 23M are driven according to the drive pattern determined according to the power saving control rule (step S06). After completion of step S04 or step S06, the platform 23 reaches the target position. After that, the movement control device 30 executes a conveyance operation to the storage portion 52 (step S07). That is, the transfer motor 24M (and the elevation motor 23M) are driven to carry the article 14 into the storage section 52 or to carry the article 14 out of the storage section 52 .

The movement control device 30 of the crane controller 25 performs the above-described processing whenever a conveyance instruction based on a carry-in request or a carry-out request is transmitted, and puts the articles 14 in and out of the article storage shelf 50. do.

The processing when the driving pattern is determined in step S02 described above will be described with reference to a flowchart in FIG. 4 . In addition, in the standard control rule, the standard upper limit traveling speed vam as the upper limit of the traveling speed va of the traveling bogie 22 and the lifting speed vb of the platform 23 are considered in consideration of the performance limit of the device and the stability of the operation. ) is set in advance as the upper limit of the standard upper limit lifting speed vbm.

In determining the drive pattern, first, the horizontal distance La that the traveling carriage 22 should travel is calculated from the horizontal coordinates of the target position included in the transfer instruction and the horizontal coordinates of the current position of the platform 23, The shortest travel time ta0 required to travel the horizontal distance La at the standard upper limit travel speed vam is calculated (step S21). In addition, in this calculation, the traveling cart 22 does not travel at a constant standard upper limit travel speed vam, but the time and distance required to accelerate from a stopped state to the standard upper limit travel speed vam, the standard upper limit travel speed ( The time and distance required to decelerate from vam) to a standstill are also taken into account.

Then, from the vertical coordinate of the target position included in the transfer instruction and the vertical coordinate of the current position of the platform 23, the vertical distance Lb that the platform 23 should go up and down is calculated, and the vertical distance Lb is calculated. The shortest lifting time tb0 required to move up and down at the standard upper limit lifting speed vbm is calculated (step S22). Also in this calculation, the time and distance required for the platform 23 to accelerate from the stationary state to the upper standard upper limit lifting speed vbm, and the time and distance required for decelerating from the upper standard upper limit lifting speed vbm to the stationary state are considered. .

Then, the calculated shortest traveling time ta0 and shortest rising/falling time tb0 are compared (step S23). As a result of the comparison, when the shortest traveling time ta0 is longer than the shortest getting up/down time tb0 (ta0>tb0), the side expected to complete the movement quickly, that is, the speed of the platform 23 is limited. That is, the lifting speed (vb) is set lower than the standard upper limit lifting speed (vbm) (vb<vbm), and the time required to move the vertical distance (Lb) (tb) is the same as the shortest traveling time (ta0) (tb = ta0) (step S24).

On the other hand, when the shortest up and down time tb0 is longer than the shortest travel time ta0 (ta0<tb0), the speed of the traveling carriage 22 is limited. That is, the traveling speed va is set to a value (va≤vam) less than the standard upper limit traveling speed vam, so that the time ta required to move the horizontal distance La is the same as the shortest ascending and descending time tb0. (ta = tb0) (step S25).

In addition, when the shortest traveling time ta0 and the shortest lifting time tb0 are the same (ta0 = tb0), the carriage 22 and the platform 23 have a standard upper limit traveling speed vam and a standard upper limit lifting speed ( vbm), but in Fig. 4, for convenience of illustration, processing similar to step S25 is performed in the case of ta0 = tb0 (as a result of the processing, va = vam is set).

As described above, by setting the traveling speed va and the raising/lowering speed vb, the time required for movement of the platform 23 is minimized and adjusted so that the traveling operation and the raising/lowering operation are completed simultaneously.

Speed change of the traveling carriage 22 and the lifting platform 23 when the traveling motor 22M and the lifting motor 23M are driven in the driving pattern according to the standard control rule as described above, and the power consumption of each motor An example of the transition is shown in FIG. 5 .

The peak period of speed and the peak period of power consumption do not necessarily coincide. However, as the speed to be finally reached is greater, the period of acceleration and deceleration needs to be longer or the acceleration and deceleration forces must be increased. ) is larger, the peak period of power consumption tends to become longer or the peak value tends to become larger.

As a result of the processing shown in Fig. 4, the travel operation and the elevation operation are adjusted to complete at the same time. However, since the traveling speed va and the lifting speed vb are different values, and the horizontal distance La and vertical distance Lb to be moved are also different values, as shown in FIG. 5, the peak of the speed (number of revolutions) The length of the period is different between the traveling motor 22M and the lifting motor 23M. However, regarding the peak period of the power consumption of both motors, in the drive pattern shown in Fig. 5, these peak periods partially overlap.

5, the power consumption peak value of the traveling motor 22M is set to 160 kW, and the power consumption peak value of the lifting motor 23M is 70 kW, as an example. Assuming that the upper limit (recommended upper limit) of the electric power that the power storage device 72 shown in FIG. 2 can supply together with the main power source 70 without shortening the life is 200 kW, there is no problem if the running motor 22M operates as a single unit. However, as shown in Fig. 5, when the peak periods of the power consumption of the traveling motor 22M and the lifting motor 23M overlap, the main power supply 70 and the power storage device instantaneously require 230 kW of power consumption. (72) exceeds the upper limit of the chief. Even when the required power consumption exceeds the recommended upper limit, the main power source 70 and the power storage device 72 can actually supply power exceeding the recommended upper limit, so the operation of the stacker crane 20 will not stop, but the recommended If power exceeding the upper limit is supplied, the life of the power storage device 72 is shortened.

In this case, it is preferable to create a driving pattern according to the power saving control rule, and to keep the power consumption as a whole to 200 kW or less at the maximum. The graph shown in FIG. 6 is a driving pattern according to the power saving control rule.

Regarding the order of determining the drive pattern in the power saving control rule, except that the upper limit speed of the lifting motor 23M is set lower than the upper limit speed (standard upper limit lifting speed vbm) in the standard control rule, Basically, the same sequence as in FIG. 4 can be used. That is, by making the upper limit speed of the lifting motor 23M in the power saving control rule the power saving upper limit lifting speed vbz (vbz < vbm), instead of the standard upper limit lifting speed vbm in FIG. 4, electric power The driving pattern may be determined using the saving upper limit lifting speed vbz.

Since the power-saving upper limit lifting speed vbz is lower than the standard upper limit lifting speed vbm, the peak period and peak value when accelerating from a standstill to the power-saving upper limit lifting speed vbm smaller than when used. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 6, the overlapping portion of the peak periods of the traveling motor 22M and the lifting motor 23M is reduced, and the total power consumption of both motors is suppressed to a low level even in the overlapping portion. As a specific example, assuming that the peak power consumption of the lifting motor 23M is 40 kW as a result of setting the upper limit lifting speed vbz low in the power saving control rule, the driving motor 22M (peak 160 kW) and Even if the peak period of power consumption of the lifting motor 23M overlaps, the instantaneous power consumption is set to 200 kW or less at the maximum, so that the recommended upper limit of the main power source 70 and the power storage device 72 is not exceeded. Thus, the life of power storage device 72 is completed without being shortened.

In this way, in the stacker crane 20 of the present embodiment, the life of the electrical storage device 72 is not shortened while the traveling carriage 22 and the platform 23 are properly operated so as to reach the target position in the shortest possible time. Since control is performed so as not to be, high transfer efficiency and a long maintenance free period are realized.

In addition, in the standard control rule, how to determine in calculation that the peak periods of power consumption of the traveling motor 22M and the lifting motor 23M overlap, a graph as shown in FIG. 5 is actually created, and the peak period The degree of overlap of the periods may be investigated, but the transition of the total power (instantaneous total power consumption) consumed by the traveling motor 22M and the lifting motor 23M is calculated, and whether the peak exceeds a predetermined threshold A simple determination may be made based on whether or not

In other words, the power-saving threshold is set as a reference value "if the total power consumption exceeds this value even momentarily, the power-saving control rule is applied", and the expected maximum value of the total power consumption is compared with the power-saving threshold. Here, as the value of the power saving threshold value, the aforementioned recommended upper limit (predetermined value specific to the automated warehouse facility 10) may be used as it is. Further, the power saving threshold may be determined by calculation based on the power consumed by the actual operation of the stacker crane 20.

As an example of a method for determining the power saving threshold by calculation, the following procedure can be considered. First, the maximum distance at which the platform 23 can go up and down is checked. The maximum distance that can be lifted is the size of the range in which the lift table 23 can vertically move along the mast 27 . In many cases, this distance corresponds to the distance between the uppermost storage unit 52 and the lowermost storage unit 52 of the product storage shelf 50 . How much time (maximum distance lifting time) is required to move up and down the maximum possible distance at the highest possible speed (for example, the standard upper limit lifting speed (vbm)), and how much power consumption is maximum during that time ( maximum lifting power) is calculated. And, for the calculated maximum distance up and down time, when the travel cart 22 travels at the standard upper limit travel speed vam for the same period, how much power consumption will be the maximum value (maximum travel power) yield The sum of the maximum lifting power and the maximum running power calculated in this way is set as a power saving threshold. Here, if it is desired to increase the number of cases to which the standard control rule is applied, a value somewhat larger than the sum of the maximum lifting power and the maximum running power may be used as the power saving threshold.

To explain in detail the calculation of the power saving threshold value described above, the power that can be supplied by the main power source 70 and the power storage device 72 is basically the maximum distance at which the carriage 22 or the platform 23 is assumed. Since each is set higher than the power consumption when moving alone, the power saving threshold may be set to a value higher than that. On the other hand, if an attempt is made to move over a short distance in the shortest way, it is necessary to complete acceleration and deceleration in a short time, and the load associated with acceleration and deceleration may become excessively high. Therefore, even if the lifting distance of the lifting table 23 is shorter than the maximum distance, there is a possibility that the peak of power consumption becomes excessively high. Similarly, even when the traveling cart 22 travels a short distance, there is a possibility that the peak power consumption becomes excessively high. Therefore, the maximum value of the power consumption when the traveling carriage 22 and the platform 23 travel the maximum conceivable distance is calculated, and the main power source 70 and the power storage device 72 use up to that value. It is sufficient to consider that can be supplied, and to set a value higher than that as a power saving threshold.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, after creating the drive pattern of the standard control rule, it is determined whether the peak periods of power consumption of both motors overlap, but the horizontal distance (La) and vertical distance (Lb) to be moved It is also possible to determine which of the standard control rules and the power saving control rules to use based on a combination of . More specifically, since the driving pattern is determined in a predetermined order, it is uniquely determined according to the horizontal distance La and the vertical distance Lb to be moved. Therefore, it is possible to calculate in advance which combination of the horizontal distance (La) and vertical distance (Lb) will overlap the peak periods of power consumption of both motors in the drive pattern of the standard control rule. Therefore, the manager of the automated warehouse facility 10 created a table (table) showing the correspondence between the combination of the horizontal distance (La) and the vertical distance (Lb) and which of the standard control rule and the power saving control rule should be used. After creating, the movement control device 30 may refer to the table and decide which of the standard control rules and the power saving control rules is to be used. In this way, when the power saving control rule is to be used, the procedure of discarding the driving pattern of the standard control rule once created is not necessary, so that an appropriate driving pattern can be quickly determined.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a situation in which one of the traveling carriage 22 and the platform 23 waits for the completion of the operation of the other while the other stops is prevented, so that the traveling carriage 22 travels. The traveling speed va and the raising/lowering speed vb are adjusted so that the time and the lifting time of the platform 23 coincide, but these adjustments need not necessarily be performed. That is, if a situation in which the traveling carriage 22 or the platform 23 is in a stand-by state is allowed, the carriage 22 and the platform 23 can be moved at as high a speed as possible (e.g., the standard upper limit traveling speed vam). and at the standard upper limit lifting speed (vbm)). In particular, when it is required to transport the articles 14 at high speed even if the life of the power storage device 72 is shortened due to work delays or the like, the traveling cart 22 and the platform ( 23) may be moved.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the fork device 24 for transporting the product 14 between the stacker crane 20 and the product storage shelf 50 is provided in the stacker crane 20. The device may not necessarily be installed on the stacker crane 20. That is, a transfer device that transfers the product 14 between the stacker crane 20 and the product storage shelf 50 may be provided on the side of the product storage shelf 50 .

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the touch panel display provided in the automated warehouse controller 60 itself is shown as the input device 62 of the automated warehouse controller 60, but the input device 62 is the automated warehouse controller 60 ) and may be a separate body, for example, a remote controller that sends operation instructions to the automated warehouse controller 60 through wireless communication, or a network device that sends operation instructions from the outside of the automated warehouse facility 10 through an electronic network. good night.

10: Automatic warehouse facility
14: Goods
20: Stacker Crane
22: driving bogie
23: lift platform
22M: driving motor
23M: lifting motor
30: movement control device
50: goods storage shelf
52: storage unit
60: automated warehouse controller
70: main power
72: power storage device

Claims (4)

As a stacker crane used to transport goods,
A travel cart that moves in a horizontal direction along a travel path by traveling by driving a travel motor;
A lift platform that moves in a vertical direction along a lift mast installed on the running carriage by moving up and down by the drive of a lift motor;
In a stacker crane having a movement control device for moving the platform to a target position indicated by a conveyance instruction by controlling the traveling motor and the elevating motor according to a conveyance instruction from the outside,
The movement control device determines a driving pattern of the driving motor and the lifting motor required to move the elevator platform from the current position to the target position according to a predetermined standard control rule;
When the maximum peak period of power consumed by the traveling motor and the maximum peak period of power consumed by the lifting motor overlap in the driving pattern determined according to the standard control rule, the movement control device Determine drive patterns of the traveling motor and the lifting motor according to a power saving control rule in which the upper limit speed of the motor and the lifting motor is set lower than the upper limit speed in the standard control rule;
In the standard control rule, a standard upper limit traveling speed as an upper limit of the traveling speed of the traveling bogie and a standard upper limit lifting speed as an upper limit of the lifting speed of the elevator platform are set in advance;
When the movement control device determines the drive patterns of the traveling motor and the lifting motor according to the standard control rule,
The movement control device,
The shortest traveling time required for the traveling carriage to travel to the horizontal coordinate of the target position at the upper standard upper limit traveling speed and the shortest lifting time required for the elevator to move up and down to the vertical coordinate of the target position at the upper standard upper limit traveling speed compare,
When the shortest traveling time is longer than the shortest traveling time, setting the hoisting speed of the hoist so that it takes the same amount of time as the shortest traveling time for the hoist to go up and down to the vertical coordinate of the target position;
When the shortest lifting time is longer than the shortest traveling time, the traveling speed of the traveling cart is set so that it takes the same time as the shortest lifting time for the traveling cart to travel to the horizontal coordinate of the target position;
The maximum power and time required for the elevator to move up and down the maximum distance that the elevator can go up and down at the highest possible speed are set as the maximum lifting power and the maximum distance lifting time, respectively;
The maximum power required for the travel cart to travel at the standard upper limit travel speed for a period equal to the maximum travel distance is set as the maximum travel power;
A value equal to or greater than the sum of the maximum lifting power and the maximum running power is set as a power saving threshold;
In the driving pattern determined according to the standard control rule, when the peak of the total power consumed by the traveling motor and the lifting motor is greater than the power saving threshold, the movement control device performs the power saving control rule according to the power saving control rule. A stacker crane, characterized in that determining the drive pattern of the traveling motor and the lifting motor. According to claim 1,
An electrical storage device is installed to accumulate power supplied from the main power source,
The power storage device can output power jointly with the main power source or output power from only the power storage device, thereby outputting higher power than when power is output only from the main power source;
The stacker crane according to claim 1 , wherein power for driving is supplied from the electrical storage device to the traveling motor and the lifting motor. delete delete

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