Crane Boom Research Articles

Research and application of 3D spatial safety electronic fence technology based on beidou high-precision positioning in substation construction projects

Abstract In recent years, the Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has developed rapidly, achieving global coverage and being widely used in various fields. The high-precision positioning capability of the Beidou system provides strong technical support for a variety of application scenarios, especially in fields requiring high-accuracy location information, such as safety monitoring in substation engineering. Substations are critical components of the power system, and their operational safety is vital for the stable operation of the entire grid. However, due to the complexity of the equipment and harsh working environments in substation engineering, utilizing Beidou’s high-precision positioning capabilities can significantly enhance the safety management level of substation construction projects and reduce the occurrence of accidents. This paper primarily explores and investigates high-precision positioning-based three-dimensional (3D) spatial safety electronic fence technology for substation construction projects. The process begins with using laser radar to capture 3D scene information and extract key parts of the point cloud model. Comprehensive positioning sensors, integrating the Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) and inertial navigation, are then installed on crane booms to achieve real-time monitoring of the boom’s posture. Finally, a software platform is established to calculate the real-time 3D spatial distance between the crane boom and surrounding sensitive facilities, ensuring the safety of large-scale construction machinery. Field test results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Structural Improvement in Crane Boom Rest

Crane boom rests are critical components that endure both static and dynamic loads, leading to deformation and a shortened lifespan. This paper addresses these issues by proposing a redesigned model with enhanced stiffness and load-bearing capacity. The new design incorporates gussets and Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR) sheets. A series of trials were conducted to analyze various stiffener configurations, with results showing a significant reduction in deformation. The optimal configuration, consisting of three L-shaped stiffeners placed at specific intervals, reduced deformation from 17.2 mm to 2.2 mm. Additionally , the integration of SBR rubber sheets further minimized deformation to 0.15 mm. These modifications demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed improvements in enhancing the durability and performance of crane boom rests. The findings provide a robust solution for extending the operational life of crane boom rests under dynamic loading conditions. Future research can explore different rubber materials and stiffener designs to further enhance structural integrity and load-bearing capacity.

Structural Improvement in Crane Boom Rest

Crane boom rests are critical components that endure both static and dynamic loads, leading to deformation and a shortened lifespan. This paper addresses these issues by proposing a redesigned model with enhanced stiffness and load-bearing capacity. The new design incorporates gussets and Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR) sheets. A series of trials were conducted to analyze various stiffener configurations, with results showing a significant reduction in deformation. The optimal configuration, consisting of three L-shaped stiffeners placed at specific intervals, reduced deformation from 17.2 mm to 2.2 mm. Additionally , the integration of SBR rubber sheets further minimized deformation to 0.15 mm. These modifications demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed improvements in enhancing the durability and performance of crane boom rests. The findings provide a robust solution for extending the operational life of crane boom rests under dynamic loading conditions. Future research can explore different rubber materials and stiffener designs to further enhance structural integrity and load-bearing capacity.

PHÂN TÍCH ĐỘNG LỰC HỌC CẦN TRỤC THỦY LỰC CÓ CẦN ỐNG LỒNG GẬP THÂN KHI VẬN HÀNH NÂNG TẢI

This article presents the dynamic model of a truck-mounted hydraulic knuckle boom crane when lifting loads operations. The article develops a dynamic model of a hydraulic knuckle boom crane considering the viscoelasticity of the boom-luff cylinder, knuckle cylinder, and extension cylinder. Modeling is constituted for the complex operation of the crane when lifting loads, in which the boom-luff cylinder, knuckle cylinder, and extension cylinder are simultaneously activated. The Lagrange equation of type II is used to build a system of differential equations describing the motion of the mechanical system. On that basis, the article analyzes the dynamic parameters of the crane when lifting loads operations. The results of the article are the basis for the hydraulic knuckle boom crane control problem to improve the performance and reliability of the crane during operation.

Nonlinear antiswing control for shipboard boom cranes with full state constraints

A nonlinear energy-based controller and a Lyapunov-based model predictive control (MPC) technology are constructed in sequence for shipboard boom cranes, while taking full state constraints into account. The mathematical model is firstly transformed to ease the explicit influences of ship rollings on the desired positions and payload swings. Barrier Lyapunov functions (BLFs) are then involved in the energy-based controller to deal with different types of state constraints, in which constraints with positive bounds are also effectively tackled with a modified BLF. By adding a contractive constraint with the energy-based controller in traditional MPC framework, Lyapunov-based MPC is then established, in which the recursive feasibility and stability is ensured effectively and easily. Asymptotical stability of two controllers is analyzed and guaranteed in theory, respectively. Compared with the energy-based controller, control performance is improved and enhanced by the Lyapunov-based MPC through solving the optimal control problem. Simulations are finally implemented, and comparisons are also carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness and features of the established controllers in this paper.

The examination of operator performance when controlling a shipboard crane anti-sway control system within a virtual-reality simulator

Anti-sway control systems are valuable tools for cranes to prevent unexpected payload sway and undesired motion. However, for shipboard cranes, where the operator moves with the ship, anti-sway control systems can result in significant relative motion between the payload and operator, particularly in rough seas while attempting to align the payload with an ocean-frame target. Therefore, an important question to ask is, do operators actually find anti-sway systems intuitive, or do they feel they have to “fight” the system to achieve their desired performance? To address the question, this paper presents a human factors study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a shipboard crane anti-sway system with an operator-in-the-loop. Participants completed a series of tests in a virtual-reality simulator, in which they attempted to align the payload of a nine degree-of-freedom shipboard knuckle boom crane with targets in both the ocean/world coordinate frame and ship deck coordinate frame, using an anti-sway system that provided complete motion compensation in both coordinate frames. The study found that there was a statistically significant improvement in the participant’s ability to track a desired payload target with the use of the anti-sway system of up to 49.1%. In addition, as the participant had no knowledge of how the anti-sway system operated, or even if it was active, the results indicate anti-sway control systems can be intuitive for operators to use.

Reliability-based topology optimization of large-tonnage crane boom head with stress constraint

This study proposes a reliability-based topology optimization model reconstruction method considering stress constraints to solve the problem of high stress on the crane boom head in the working process. Firstly, the empty area of the crane boom head model is filled as the design region. Next, random variables and reliability indexes are set, and the reliability-based topology optimization considering stress constraints is performed for the design region. Finally, the filled boom head model is reconstructed in professional software. The irregular uplift and entity parts are designed as ribbed plates and support structures to obtain the regular optimized boom head model. Meanwhile, finite element analysis is performed on the reconstructed model to determine its maximum equivalent stress during the working process. The results show that the optimized boom head has better mechanical properties than the original.

FE Investigation of Maintenance and Operational Factors Contributing to the Collapse of a Crane Boom

During the coating of a natural gas pipeline, all 14 bolts securing the pedestal of a crane boom to a truck bed failed, causing the boom to fall and strike a worker in the head. The bolts exhibited excessive corrosion indicative of exposure to a harsh corrosive environment prior to the failure. Review of provided documents revealed that the crane was kept in an uncovered yard for two years. Afterward, it was rented to petrochemical companies for use in heavy oil and gas industrial environments. The fracture surfaces of the bolts revealed signs of excessive fatigue, which were determined to be caused by loadings that the previous renters of the crane had subjected it to. Bolt fatigue drastically reduced their strength, allowing them to fail under loads well below the recommended load capacity of the crane. Maintenance records indicated that the lessor failed to perform adequate inspection of the crane, allowing bolt corrosion and fatigue to go unnoticed. Had proper inspections and maintenance instructions been provided and performed, the incident would not have occurred.

Feasibility study of a very big crawler crane using composite materials

The main goal of this research is to design a very big crawler crane adopting composite material to lightweight the machine itself and compare its performance with the one made of classical structural steel. The research starts by sizing the main boom, assuming three different materials: steel, aluminium alloy and composite material. Many load conditions were involved and different criteria were assumed; there are stress safety factors, stiffness, dynamic performance (modal) and buckling phenomenon which is a very important parameter. Then other innovative load conditions were applied to the crane boom: moving load and time-varying wind speed to study the mechanical behaviour of the new solutions. The last step involves the design of additional elements: counter boom, counterweight, ropes, etc., and evaluating the final weight of the entire machine designed with innovative materials. In particular, the weight of the machine in steel configuration is about 5715 kN while this value reduces to 4670 kN and 3830 kN respectively for aluminum and composite material configurations. In other words, for the composite material solution, the final weight is about 67 % of the same machine built with steel, this value decreases to 34 % if only the main boom is evaluated.

Retracted: Image-Based Precision Measurement Technology for the Quality Inspection of Crane Boom Materials

Retracted: Image-Based Precision Measurement Technology for the Quality Inspection of Crane Boom Materials

Dynamics analysis of a crane with consideration of a load geometry and a rope sling system

In the paper, the authors present a general mathematical model of an open-loop kinematic chain with auxiliary sub-chains in application to the dynamics analysis of an exemplary boom crane. The developed model takes into account the influence of the load geometry (with particular attention to all its inertial moments), the rope sling system, and the flexibility of the drives and the selected link of the crane on the dynamic response of the crane and the load. The dynamics equations are derived using a formalism of joint coordinates, homogeneous transformation matrices, and Lagrange equations of the second kind. The mathematical model has been successfully validated using the commercial MSC.Adams program and the ANSYS-MSC.Adams program interface and then the influence of the aforementioned factors on the behavior of the load and the crane drives is assessed using the kinetic energy, positioning, and RMS indicators.

Constrained model predictive control for 3-D offshore boom cranes

Offshore boom cranes are complex nonlinear underactuated systems, whose control problems, when considering the 3-dimensional (3-D) model affected by ship-induced disturbances, are full of various challenges. In fact, it still remains an open problem to efficiently control the 3-D offshore boom cranes. Moreover, most existing works on offshore cranes concentrate upon designing the force/torque controller, whose performance degrades badly in the presence of friction. In this paper, considering the above issues, a novel model predictive control (MPC) method, which successfully considers the constraints of both input and output of the system, is proposed to achieve satisfactory control performance even under the effect of persistent ship roll and heave perturbations. Specifically, a discrete model is first obtained by some careful transformation and discretization on the unactuated dynamics equations, based on which a novel model predictive controller is constructed. To reduce the complexity of the system, the unactuated states and the accelerations of actuated states are considered as system states and control inputs respectively. After that, the requirements for the payload position accuracy and swing suppression as well as other system constraints, are taken into full account by converting them into input constraints to facilitate subsequent handling. At last, hardware experiments are implemented on a self-built testbed, with the obtained results clearly illustrating the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method.

Dynamic effects on the lattice boom crane due to the wind, moving load and earthquake events

The present research concerns the evaluation of the dynamic effect on lattice boom cranes. The dynamic actions involved in this research are: wind, moving load and earthquake, assumed as time-varying actions. The research starts with the design of a large crane by adopting classical standards for these structures (UNI EN 13001 series). The elaborations were performed by analytical methods followed by solid model building and finite element analysis (Solidworks® and Ansys® software). The next step was to define the aforementioned loads acting on these structures. The wind action model was compared with the static approach. Payload displacement induces high-intensity actions on the crane structure; to better understand these effects, several load curves were simulated. The last action considered is the earthquake phenomenon, which is not usually adopted to design this type of structure.

Dynamic Three-Dimensional Lift Planning for Intelligent Boom Cranes

Manually planning a crane's lifting path is complicated and laborious since it typically depends on the planner's experience. We examined dynamic three-dimensional lift planning, including problem formulation for multiobjective planning and problem-solving with an improved A* algorithm. First, we quantified various feasible movements by introducing energy and time consumption models to determine the most efficient and quickest path. Second, we examined a new method for determining the visible lifting path in Configuration space (C-space) and derived an obstacle enveloping method for collision detection in C-space. Our method is both safe and feasible. Finally, we proposed an improved A* algorithm for lift planning considering multiple objectives and featuring better computational efficiency. The experimental and simulation results demonstrate that the proposed lift planning method can comprehensively consider multiple objectives, thus providing a high-quality path for actual lifting. Furthermore, compared with the ordinary A* algorithm, the improved A* algorithm had better computational efficiency and consumed less energy and time. To our best knowledge, this is the first novel algorithm for planning crane lifts considering energy consumption and visibility in C-space.

Dynamic analysis of the joint movement of the hoisting and slewing mechanisms of a boom crane

To increase the productivity of boom cranes, the operation of individual mechanisms is combined. At the same time, dynamic loads on structural elements, drive mechanisms and loads on a flexible suspension increase, which reduces the reliability of crane operation and increases energy losses. Therefore, the research aims to consider the problem of the dynamics of the joint movement of the mechanisms for load slewing and hoisting of a boom crane. To study the dynamics of the joint movement of the mechanisms, the boom system was represented by a mechanical system with 6DOF, where the basic movement of the mechanisms and the oscillatory movement of the structural links with elastic and dissipative properties, as well as the load on a flexible suspension in the plane of crane slewing and hoisting were considered. For such a mechanical system of a crane, the differential equations of the joint motion of the crane slewing and hoisting mechanisms were developed. The obtained equations are a system of the second order nonlinear differential equations, for solving which a numerical method in the form of a computer program was used. Using the developed program, the dynamics of the joint movement of the mechanisms of a jib crane with specific numerical parameters were calculated. Based on the calculations, a dynamic analysis of the joint movement of the mechanisms for slewing and hoisting the load of a jib crane with a hoisting boom was carried out, which revealed high-frequency vibrations of links with elastic and dissipative properties, as well as low-frequency oscillations of the load on a flexible suspension. The greatest impact of oscillations is observed during the start-up of mechanisms, where high-frequency oscillations dampen during the transient process, and low-frequency oscillations dampen over a fairly significant period. To improve the dynamic properties of the mechanisms for turning and hoisting a load during their joint movement, it is proposed to optimise the mode of movement in the areas of transient processes (start-up, braking). The research results can be used in the development and operation of cranes in mechanical engineering, construction, and other industries

Improved method for positioning crane grab boom corner points using Hough transform and k‐means clustering

AbstractIn the process of automatic grabbing of bridge segment beams, it is crucial to accurately locate and align the corner points of the crane's boom with the beam's lifting holes. This requires the utilization of image processing techniques to precisely detect and locate the corner points of the crane's boom. Existing feature matching methods face challenges such as low detection accuracy and unsuitability for this specific scenario. This article proposes a novel approach for corner point localization by using the intersection points of lines, facilitating the matching of feature points between left and right images. The method consists of three steps: first, a grayscale difference map is constructed by utilizing the R and G channels of the RGB color space. This enhances the bimodal characteristics of the grayscale histograms between the foreground and background, which facilitates the subsequent binarization process. Additionally, opening and closing operations are employed to remove small artifacts from the Canny edge detection results, effectively reducing noise. Second, an adaptive thresholding method based on the mean and variance of Hough transform voting scores is proposed. This method filters out interference lines from the clustering results by selecting appropriate voting scores. Furthermore, an improved centroid calculation method is introduced, which utilizes weighted formulas based on different proportions of voting scores. These weighted formulas replace the original clustering centroids as the basis for line fitting. Finally, the corner coordinates of the crane's boom are computed based on the line fitting results, and the recognition accuracy is compared under different lighting conditions. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm exhibits smaller detection errors and higher robustness compared to other corner detection algorithms, particularly when there are numerous interference edge points in the edge detection results. The computed corner coordinates achieve pixel‐level accuracy. The algorithm performs optimally under strong supplementary lighting conditions, with an average detection error percentage of 97.1% within 0–2 pixels and a recognition accuracy of 98.6%. The recognition success rates under different lighting conditions are all above 92.9%. This method is superior to traditional corner detection methods, meets the requirements for automatic grabbing of the boom, and holds practical engineering value. It provides a basis for addressing the accuracy and robustness challenges of crane algorithms influenced by multiple environmental factors.

Weight Reduction of a Ship Crane Truss Structure Made of Composites

Weight reduction remains a relevant topic for various ship structures, as it can improve their seagoing capacity, especially for high-speed and light-craft vessels, and make deck equipment more efficient. The introduction of new lightweight composite materials and the development of new processing technologies and computer modeling tools open up new opportunities in equipment design, but also require new design approaches, including those based on optimization techniques. This article presents an engineering technique for optimizing the design of a ship’s crane manipulator boom based on modern computer simulation tools and numerical optimization methods. The loads on the crane arising due to the ship’s motion were obtained and specified, and the requirements for the finite element model for strength and stability analysis were derived. Constructive, technological, and resource constraints were then derived to reduce the number of independent optimization parameters. The mass reduction problem was set and solved by combining the screening method and the Jaya algorithm. Applying this developed technique for optimizing the crane boom structure using 465 parameters, an 18% reduction in mass was achieved.

Dynamic Simulation Analysis of Truck Crane Based on ADAMS

Background: With a reduction in the weight of telescopic boom crane and an increase in its lifting capacity, the contradiction between its speed, stability and safety becomes more prominent. The telescopic arm also has flexible deformation during operation, which will cause vibration of the whole vehicle system. Therefore, in order to ensure safety, accuracy, and efficiency in the working process, it is necessary to accurately predict the dynamic characteristics of the telescopic boom load in the working process. Objective: The purpose of this study is to establish a rigid-flexible coupling dynamic model of the crane, which can accurately reflect the dynamic characteristics of the telescopic boom during its operation in the simulation test. Methods: In theory, this study analyzes the characteristics of a truck crane and simplifies it as a cantilever beam. Based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, the vibration differential equation of the mobile masscantilever beam system is established. In the aspect of simulation, the three-dimensional modeling software Solidworks is used to establish the solid model of the truck telescopic boom, the finite element analysis software is used to establish the finite element model of the telescopic boom, and the modal neutral file is generated and imported into ADAMS to establish the dynamic model of the truck crane multi-level flexible telescopic boom. The dynamic simulation of the virtual prototype model of the truck telescopic boom crane is carried out in ADAMS software to obtain the dynamic characteristics of the key components of crane under specific working conditions. Results: The vibration differential equation derived in theory can be used to solve the dynamic response of the crane jib under specific conditions by MATLAB programming. In the aspect of simulation, the error fluctuation and its causes in the key components of the crane in the working state are analyzed, and the rationality of the virtual prototype model is verified. Finally, through the trajectory planning of the crane under typical working conditions, the purpose of stable control of the telescopic boom system of the truck crane is realized. Conclusion: The derived equation is universal for solving the vibration of crane jib in general cases. The rigid-flexible coupling model also provides a reference for the dynamic modeling, analysis, design, and manufacture of a multi-stage flexible telescopic boom. The findings of this study can provide a reference for related patent research and development.

Propeller thrust tower crane slewing mechanism model identification

Any study of the dynamics and control of mechanical systems is based on adequate mathematical models that contain the dynamic parameters of the system under study. Their evaluation, in particular for the tower crane boom system, is a particularly relevant scientific and practical problem, the solution of which will provide the basis for further calculations of the optimal modes of movement of the tower crane slewing mechanism. The research aims to determine the dynamic parameters of the installation (moment of inertia of the slewing mechanism J, torque of dry friction forces M0, driving torque coefficient K1) and to plan experimental studies. The experimental method, numerical optimization methods (in particular, the modified Rot-Ring-PSO method), and statistical methods were used to conduct the research. Based on the results of the experiments, the dynamic parameters of the mathematical model of the laboratory installation of the tower crane slewing mechanism with propeller thrust were identified. The criterion that evaluates the identification error of the parameters K1, M0, and J was formed and minimized using the Rot-Ring-PSO algorithm. Plots of the kinematic characteristics of the movement of the boom system in terms of the angle of rotation of the boom and the speed of rotation of the boom were constructed. When processing the experimental data, the dependence of the error values on the supply voltage of the propeller drive was revealed. The error in the boom rotation speed at the drive supply voltage of 90% (compared to the voltage variant of 40%) decreased by almost 15%, and the error in the boom rotation angle at the drive supply voltage of 90% (compared to the supply voltage variant of 40%) decreased by almost 3 times. The regularity has been confirmed that with an increase in the supply voltage, the error value of the system decreases. In the course of processing the experimental studies, the dynamic parameters of the installation were identified: K1=4.80‧10-8 V/(rpm)2, M0=34.519 Nm, J=24.21 kgm2. The obtained results will be used to optimise the plant’s motion modes, and the developed identification algorithm can be used for other similar problems

Structural and Environmental Safety Studies of the Holy Mosque Area Using CFD

A three-dimensional (3D) CFD model was developed, covering a square area of 3.64 km2 and comprising the Holy Mosque near its center, the actual terrain, and the main surrounding buildings. The gust wind effects on the existing cranes and the collapsed tower crane in 2015, the comfort of the pedestrians, and the air quality were studied for the first time in this area. The air quality was related to calm speed, accelerating the spreading of infectious diseases. The wind comfort levels were achieved in all selected locations. The wind speeds are generally low in the area. However, gusting wind currents appeared from limited directions, causing increments in wind speeds up to 30% and causing the tower crane to collapse. Therefore, finalizing work on some cranes is recommended soon, lowering the crane boom and stopping working on windy days or changing their places. The air quality in some sites may be relatively poor, such as at the lower terraces level. New tall buildings surrounding the mosque from the north and the east are not recommended unless studying their impacts on the air quality. Pruning north and east mounts can remarkably improve natural ventilation. Large-scale fans are another solution after a detailed simulation study.