Rubber Tyred Gantry Crane Research Articles

Efficiency Study Analysis of Electrical Energy in Container Stacking Equipment Rubber Tyred Gantry Crane (RTGC) Using Hybrid Energy Source Method

This research to perform Efficiency Study Analysis Of electrical energy In Container Stacking Equipment Rubber Tyred Gantry Crane (RTGC) Using Hybrid Energy Source Method. RTGC gets power supply from Engine Diesel Generator with capacity of 350 kW. However, Genset power source in RTGC has drawbacks, such as when RTGC condition does not move (stationary) can lead to waste of fuel on diesel engine drivers. the Hybrid Energy Source is one of the technology which combines electrical energy source from generators and batteries, The battery of hybrid system can obtain electric energy saving until 32%, where for the Hoist system 11,72 %, Trolley system 33,63 % dan Gantry system 7,58 %.

Automating RTGC with PID Control: Utilizing Camera-Based Image Processing and Object Detection

The high traffic in the container yard requires effective management, and one method to address this is through automation. The Rubber Tyred Gantry Crane (RTGC) plays a crucial role in container yards. Automating the RTGC involves determining the container’s location and sway angle to provide feedback for the control system. The advancements in computer vision technology offer a unique solution to tackle these challenges. This paper proposes image processing as a means to sense the sway angle and MobileNet SSD to detect the container’s location. The proposed method yields accurate measurement results and is integrated with optimized PID-PD for position and sway angle control in RTGC. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through successful performance in both simulation and experiments conducted on a laboratory-scale RTGC prototype.

Operational Performance Model of Container Cranes in Stevedooring Process at The New Container Terminal Makassar 2

Purpose: This research scrutinizes the effects of increasing container flow on the operational performance of port services at TPK New Makassar Terminal 2, focusing on the influence of loading and unloading equipment on the utilization and productivity of Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) Cranes. Methodology: Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using AMOS software and statistical analysis with SPSS are employed to determine the relationships between container handling equipment and operational performance indicators. The study integrates multiple linear regression, F test, and T test to examine the causality between equipment usage and effective time in the loading and unloading processes. Results: The study reveals a significant correlation between the number of loading and unloading actions and the usage of RTG cranes. It was found that the number of head trucks and reach stackers also impacts RTG productivity, but to a lesser extent. The regression model developed indicates a clear influence of loading and unloading frequency on the effective time of operations. Conclusion: Conclusions drawn from the analysis highlight the critical role of loading and unloading equipment in optimizing port operational performance. The results suggest that an increase in the number of such equipment correlates positively with the efficiency of RTG Cranes and effective time management at the terminal. Originality/Value: By integrating various methodological approaches, this study offers comprehensive insights into port operational dynamics, contributing to the strategic planning for equipment allocation and operational scheduling to enhance productivity at TPK New Makassar Terminal 2.

Analisa Harmonisa Pada Unit Crane RTG (Rubber Tyred Gantry) Di PT. Nilam Port Terminal Indonesia

RTG (Rubber Tyred Gantry) Crane tends to have harmonic distortions. It is caused by the VSD switching process that converts current from DC to AC, decreasing the power quality and affecting power generation. Disturbance tends to happen on voltage or a current sine wave of the system that contains multiplied frequency from fundamental frequency. It is required to analyze based on the IEEE standard of Std 519-2014 which described that the 20kV bus voltage has a limit value of 3% for VIHD and 5% for VTHD. By using available software, simulation is applied to the RTG Crane electrical system. Harmonic distortion will be discussed by gathering simulation result data in the form of the harmonic spectrum and harmonic wave. harmonic filter to be applied is an Active Filter and Passive Filter that then compared the compatibility to solve the harmonic distortion. The analysis is also applied to Power Factor (PF) value changes before and after filter installation.

Robust control of rubber–tyred gantry cranes with structural elasticity

A gantry crane holds strict underactuation and elastic multibody structure, and thus faces challenges in control system design. For model–based control, we develop a three–dimensional dynamic model of rubber–tyred gantry cranes considering the distributed mass and bending deformation of gantry. Such modelling hybridises the lumped model of trolley–bridge–payload motions and continuous model of gantry vibration. We consider a complex operation in which three motors composed of travelling trolley, pushing bridge and hoisting container run simultaneously. We propose two versions of the robust controller, namely, dynamic sliding mode and fast terminal sliding mode for tracking the three motions, eliminating swings of container, and reducing the bending vibration of elastic gantry. Simulation and experiment reveal precision and effective application of our crane modelling to control approaches. The control system effectively tracks and stabilises all outputs and achieves robustness when a crane suffers from the structural and parametric uncertainties.

Evaluating the long-term operational performance of a large-scale inland terminal: A discrete event simulation-based modeling approach.

Inland terminals, or dry ports, have played an important role in multimodal transportation networks as transportation hubs that provide connections between seaports and hinterland economies. While important, evaluating the operational performance of a dry port is especially challenging since it depends not only on internal factors, such as the variety and number of container handling equipment (CHE) deployed, but also on other external factors, including changes in transportation policies and container demands experienced by a dry port. To properly evaluate the holistic performance of a dry port while considering all the aforementioned factors, a discrete event simulation (DES) framework is herein developed and applied to the Ladkrabang Inland Container Depot (LICD)-one of the largest dry ports in Southeast Asia-under various operational settings. Despite complicated internal operations, the devised DES framework has shown itself useful in the analyses of LICD, due largely to its flexibility that allows users to include sophisticated operational rules into models. According to our computational results, the current LICD operation is markedly ineffective as the usage rates of all CHE types are relatively low and varied across gate operators-especially the yard truck whose values range between 2.46% and 11.15% on yearly average. We also find that, by redesigning the LICD and its internal operations, the LICD's performance could be substantially enhanced-even with fewer numbers of CHE. Regarding the four CHE types, the reach stacker seems to limit LICD's capability, as its utilization tends to first reach the maximum allowable rate of 75%, while the rubber tyred gantry crane could help boost the usage rate of yard trucks, which, in turn, results in reduced container dwelling times. Nonetheless, the modified LICD could accommodate up to 140% of the current container demand before it experiences operational difficulties induced by the saturation of container flow from rail transportation.

Planning low carbon oriented retrofit of diesel-driven cranes to electric-driven cranes in container yards

Diesel-driven rubber-tired gantry cranes play an important role in the carbon emission and operating efficiency of the port. Retrofitting diesel-driven rubber-tired gantry cranes to electric-driven rail-mounted gantry cranes is one of the effective ways to reduce carbon emissions. However, the retrofit of diesel-driven rubber-tired gantry cranes will seriously affect the port’s operating cost and operating efficiency. Therefore, this study investigates the retrofit problem of diesel-driven rubber-tired gantry cranes considering carbon emissions tax. The problem is described as a mixed-integer programming model that aims to minimize the sum of delay penalty cost, carbon emissions cost, and port investment cost. Two heuristic algorithms are designed to solve the model. Some acceleration strategies are proposed to improve the efficiency of the designed algorithms. Taking Jakarta International Container Terminal as a case study, a large number of numerical experiments are carried out to verify the efficiency of the designed algorithms. The results of the sensitivity analysis experiment show that the implementation of a carbon tax policy can promote the retrofit of rubber-tired gantry cranes, thereby reducing the carbon emissions of the port.

Optimizing the number of deployed yard cranes in a container terminal

Container terminals play an essential role in the current global supply chain, and their efficiency influences businesses throughout the supply chain. One of the most critical decisions in the operation of container terminals is the number of deployed rubber tyred gantry (RTG) cranes to handle the containers. The RTG crane is the main equipment that handles containers in the stacking area of many container terminals worldwide. Every shift, container terminal operators decide how many RTG cranes are needed to stack and retrieve containers. This decision, if made optimally, can significantly improve the daily throughput of terminals and dramatically reduce port congestion. This article aims to determine the optimal number of RTG cranes in a container terminal by formulating the problem as a mixed-integer linear program. Our proposed formulation can find optimal solutions efficiently, usually in less than a second. The results show that the workload, storage capacity, and shift duration significantly influence the optimal number of RTG cranes.

ANALISIS RELIABILITY CENTERED MAINTENANCE (RCM) PADA ALAT BONGKAR MUAT RUBBER TYRE GANTRY CRANE (RTGC) DI PT XXX

The loading and Unloading operational activities in port often run into obstacle, because happened malfunction occurrence of the equipment used. Failure to operate the equipment has resulted in downtime decreased of company productivity. Therefore, a system is needed maintenance of planning in order to produce the equipment that can be operated optimally. This research was choosen the company PT. XXX which is a company that enganged in the field maintenance of equipments port operational (quayside container crane, rubber tyre gantry crane, gantry luffing crane, and others) the place where the equipment maintenance system, especially the rubber tyre gantry crane (RTGC) which has been done are still a breakdown maintenance and corrective maintenance. The aim of this research is to analyze by method of reliability centered maintenance (RCM) to able to determined the optimal maintenance and it can be predict steps to overcome the damage that might will happen in the next period based on existing data. From data processing and analysis was obtained that the components most frequently damaged on the equipment of RTGC, cause of failure, selection decision and recommendations for maintenance systems are based on Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM).

Carbon-efficient scheduling problem of electric rubber-tyred gantry cranes in a container terminal

Green container terminals have gained much attention to satisfy the demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly transport. As one of the major polluters in container terminals, rubber-tyred gantry cranes have already been widely replaced by electric rubber-tyred gantry cranes (ERTGs). This article exploits the features of ERTGs and studies the ERTG scheduling problem in container terminal yards considering the carbon dioxide emissions and task delays simultaneously. The problem is converted into a selective vehicle routing problem with soft time windows (SVRPSTW) and formulated as a mixed integer linear programming model. A column generation algorithm embedded in a branch-and-bound framework is employed to solve the problem. A hybrid acceleration strategy combining the label-setting algorithm with a tabu search algorithm is proposed. Finally, the proposed method is validated via computational experiments. The proposed method provides an efficient tool for carbon-efficient scheduling of ERTGs and thus contributes to the development of green ports.

Deployment and retrofit strategy for rubber-tyred gantry cranes considering carbon emissions

Driven by green port initiatives, container terminal operators have been substituting environmentally and economically inefficient diesel-powered rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) with new or retrofitted electric ones. Such an investment is closely related to operational activities, and the process of retrofitting should be carried out under the premise of satisfying the terminal yard container handling requirement. An integer programming model is proposed to help decision-makers determine the investment timing and deploy available RTGs to achieve a CO2 emissions reduction target. Considering the distinctive characteristics of different types of RTGs, we develop a deployment plan as well as an RTGs purchase and retrofit strategy. Moreover, the decisions satisfy an operation workload requirement. A tailored Corridor Method (CM) is used to accommodate large scale real-world instances. The application is illustrated with a modestly sized container terminal yard. Results confirm that electrifying diesel-powered RTGs is effective in curbing CO2 emissions and reducing energy costs. Our numerical experiments also highlight the importance of an appropriate emissions reduction target.

Selecting Suitable, Green Port Crane Equipment for International Commercial Ports

Responding to the increasing global need for environmental protection, a green port balances economic vibrancy with environmental protection. However, because exhaust emissions (e.g., CO2 or sulfide) are difficult to monitor around ports, data on such emissions are often incomplete, which hinders research on this topic. The present study aimed to fill this gap in this topic. To remedy this problem, this study formulated a new data envelopment analysis (DEA) method for collecting CO2 emissions data at their source. This method was applied to collect real-world operating data from a large container-handling company in Taiwan. Specifically, we provide a real example using a novel green energy index to account for undesirable outputs. Our main objective was to formulate two methods that combine: (1) data envelopment analysis based on a modified slack-based measure, and (2) a multi-choice goal programming approach. The contributions of this paper included the finding that rubber-tired gantry cranes are the greenest and should be used in ports. Finally, our findings aid port managers in selecting port equipment that provides the best balance between environmental protection and profitability.

Modelling and Simulation of Energy Supply System of Photovoltaic Hybrid RTG Cranes

Background: In marine ports, the task of loading, unloading, and stacking containers is completed by Rubber-Tired Gantry (RTG) cranes. How to make the RTG cranes work efficiently and reduce their emissions, is a hot research topic. Objective: Because current RTG cranes still need a large capacity of diesel engine for energy supply, renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, are introduced to reduce further the capacity of the diesel engine. Methods: A photovoltaic hybrid power supply system for RTG cranes is proposed. A MATLAB/Simulink simulation model for the crane with a 10kW solar panel is built, and a power predictive control method is proposed to realize Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT). The power variation of photovoltaic panels under different irradiance is studied. Results: The simulation results show that the proposed MPPT control method is better than the other two perturb and observe methods. When the irradiance changes cause the photovoltaic output to vary, the lithium battery changes its output correspondingly to compensate for the photovoltaic change, and the load power is still met. The capacity of the diesel engine is 40 kW, which is smaller than the former 50 kW one. Based on the irradiance condition in Shanghai, China, the RTG crane can have an 11.4 % fuel reduction yearly by introducing the photovoltaic system. Conclusions: The results show that it is feasible to add the photovoltaic system into the RTG crane, which can reduce the capacity and emissions of the diesel engine.

Adaptive fractional-order terminal sliding mode control of rubber-tired gantry cranes with uncertainties and unknown disturbances

Using three actuators for tracking five outputs, rubber-tired gantry (RTG) crane is found to be a highly under-actuated system subject to random wind due to working outdoors. Applying fractional calculus to sliding mode control (SMC), we construct an adaptive robust control system for RTG cranes under parametric variations and unknown wind. The adaptive feature is achieved by using an estimation mechanism for approximating five crane parameters and wind disturbances. The core of the sliding mode displays robust behavior against uncertainties. For comparison, another robust controller is proposed based on finite-time sliding mode. Simulation and experiment results show the superiority of adaptive fractional-order sliding mode control, in which the controller well tracks actuated states and stabilizes unactuated states despite parametric uncertainties and unknown disturbances.

Container Terminal Handling Simulation Model Utilizing Daily Work Report

Container terminals are important to support economic activities. In Japan, it is growing fast the trend to adopt a remote automated guide system in the storage yard area. When introducing a remote automation container terminal, it is effective to validate the layout plan and control system through a container handling simulation model. Previous studies have shown that the key performance indicators of container handling operations have been calculated only using the equipment catalog specifications. However, the spreader of the Rubber Tired Gantry Crane (RTG) may take shortcuts according to the shape of the container bay, which might be a problem when developing a container handling model. In this paper, a container handling simulation model was built utilizing the daily report operation parameters instead of only the equipment cataloc specifications. As a result, it is shown that the simulation model is effective to reproduce improvements in the operation of RTG systems.

A survey of technical efficiency in crane systems using POET structure

Aiming at operating characteristic of the rubber tyre gantry crane (RTG), the present development aiming to propose an ESS (double power) energy saving system of RTG, which uses a battery pack as the main supply or control. The battery pack may supply all electric operations of RTG for a period of time, realizing the complete matching between the output power supply and the equipment control demands for the whole process to increase energy efficiency, achieving recovery and recycling for the RTG braking energy. Due to the challenge of demand side management, the RTG crane system will be reconsidered from the POET (performance, operation, equipment, and technology efficiency) outlook, showing the possibilities and would be a control of engineering approach for the efficiency of energy as well as demand side management. Once the storage system is put into operation, it would run the most efficient economical fuel consumption area, achieving the highest fuel efficiency.

Power management system for RTG crane using fuzzy logic controller

In this research, there are two major objectives have been investigated for a Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) crane system: energy consumption reduction and decrease the stress on the primary source. These objectives can be met by using an advance control system that reads the status of the crane and outputs a power reference value which is fed to the storage device. This paper presents Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) approach to maximise the potential benefits of adding energy storage units to RTG cranes. In this work, FLC is described and simulated, with the results analysed to highlight the behaviour of the storage in association with the specific control system. An actual collected data at the Port of Felixstowe, UK has been used to develop the crane and ESS models and test the proposed control strategies in this paper. Furthermore, a comparison analysis between the FLC and the standard control system (PI) for RTG crane and ESS applications will be presented with respect to energy consumption, fuel saving and the control impact on the energy device. The simulation results of the FLC control strategy for the collected data shows that it successfully increases the energy savings by 32% and outperforms the PI controller by 26%.

Neural Observer and Adaptive Fractional-Order Backstepping Fast-Terminal Sliding-Mode Control of RTG Cranes

Using three actuators, in this article, we construct a control system for rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes to track three actuated outputs and stabilize two unactuated outputs. The controller is designed by utilizing the fast-terminal sliding mode, fractional calculus, and backstepping. Considering that RTG cranes encounter with uncertainties and random winds, an adaptive mechanism is constituted using neural networks to estimate uncertain parameters and unknown winds. A neural observer that reduces the number of sensors by half is also proposed for approximating feedback velocities. By applying these advanced techniques, the control system is endowed with adaptive and robust features. The quality and effectiveness of the control system are investigated by simulation and experimentation.

Truck Arrivals Scheduling with Vessel Dependent Time Windows to Reduce Carbon Emissions

Irregular external truck arrivals at a marine container terminal often leads to long queues at gates and substantial greenhouse gas emissions. To relieve gate congestion and reduce carbon emissions, a new truck arrival pattern called “vessel dependent time windows (VDTWs)” is proposed. A two-phase queuing model is established to describe the queuing process of trucks at gate and yard. An optimization model is established to assign time window and appointment quota for each vessel in a marine container terminal running a terminal appointment system (TAS) with VDTWs. The objective is to minimize the total carbon dioxide emissions of trucks and rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGCs) during idling. The storage capacity constraints of each block and maximum queue length are also taken into consideration. A hybrid genetic algorithm based on simulated annealing is developed to solve the problem. Results based on numerical experiments demonstrate that this model can substantially reduce the waiting time of trucks at gate and yard and carbon dioxide emissions of trucks and RTGCs during idling.

Game-Based Energy Management Method for Hybrid RTG Cranes

In order to improve the energy efficiency and economic effect of conventional diesel-powered rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes in container terminals, various hybrid RTG cranes were studied. However, these current hybrid RTG cranes have several disadvantages, such as high initial investment cost and poor versatility of energy management methods. In this paper, a hybrid RTG crane consisting of a small-sized diesel generator (DG), a ternary material lithium battery, and a supercapacitor (SC) is studied, and a hybrid RTG crane energy management method based on game theory is proposed. The DG, lithium battery, and SC are modeled as three independent agents to participate in the game, and a multi-agent system (MAS) is established. During the RTG crane work process, agents achieve a coordinated and stable working state through the game, i.e., the Nash equilibrium. Three typical crane operation scenarios, the rated load, continuous work, and intermittent work, are simulated and studied. According to the results, combinations of the three devices can meet the power demand and system performance. The power of the DG in the hybrid system is small (only 20 kW), reducing fuel consumption and overall emissions during RTG crane operation.