Digital-twin driven energy-efficient multi-crane scheduling and crane number selection in workshops

Abstract

In multi-crane systems, interference between cranes frequently occurs, and a significant amount of energy is wasted to avoid these interferences. Energy-efficient multi-crane scheduling and employing the required number of cranes are critical for saving energy. The energy consumption of a crane varies during operation; thus, it is important to accurately and effectively evaluate the operational energy consumption of a crane for different working phases. Digital twins (DTs) have various advantages such as virtual reality interaction, real-time mapping, and dynamic performance evaluation. Therefore, a DT-driven energy-efficient multi-crane scheduling and crane number selection approach is proposed in this study. The crane scheduling problem was described and modeled by considering energy consumption. Subsequently, a DT framework was established. Under this framework, a multi-crane system based on simulation was built in a virtual space. After inputting tasks into the virtual multi-crane system, a solution was generated based on the crane scheduling rules, interference detection, and avoidance methods. Then, the energy consumption of the program was evaluated. Finally, a case study was considered to illustrate the advantages of the proposed method.