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Optimization of the Movement Trajectory of Mobile Crane Working Elements

Chapter · October 2017

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-68619-6_46

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Optimization of the Movement Trajectory
of Mobile Crane Working Elements

Wojciech Kacalak, Zbigniew Budniak and Maciej Majewski

Abstract The article presents simulation testing of the optimization of the cargo
trajectory in the mobile crane handling system, whose purpose was to determine the
function that minimizes the total length of the path, and thus an increase of effi-
ciency, with stability conditions being maintained. In order to perform a movement
analysis and an optimization of the handling assignment, a parametric crane system
model built and a simulation model developed in the integrated CAD/CAE envi-
ronment were used.

  
Keywords Crane safety Mobile crane Crane stability Trajectory optimization

1 Introduction

When planning the movement trajectory, safe and fast transport of the cargo, one
needs to ensure that the planned points of the path, including the accuracy of the
final positioning of the cargo, are reached. It is important that at the same time the
minimization of the path length of the cargo transported and the minimization of the
handling assignment time are ensured.
Defining of the load transport trajectory is always done taking into account the
stability of the crane and of the environment where it works. This is due to the fact
that transporting large loads with mobile truck cranes may, in certain condition,
lead to the loss of stability [1–9]. The needs of an absolute fulfilment of stability
conditions and the requirement of collision free movement forces one to use various
bypass paths, which frequently eliminates the geometrically shortest path.
The study presents simulation testing of the optimization of the mobile crane
handling system cargo trajectory based on the methodology developed with the use
of a simulation model built in the integrated CAD/CAE environment. The model

W. Kacalak (&)  Z. Budniak  M. Majewski

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Koszalin University of Technology,
Raclawicka 15-17, 75-620 Koszalin, Poland
e-mail: wojciech.kacalak@tu.koszalin.pl

© Springer International Publishing AG 2018 475

A. Hamrol et al. (eds.), Advances in Manufacturing, Lecture Notes in Mechanical
Engineering, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68619-6_46
476 W. Kacalak et al.

proposed consists of the main crane assemblies coupled together: the truck with
outrigger system and the base, the slewing column, the inner and outer arms, the
six-member telescopic boom, the hook with lifting sling and the transported load. In
the modelling of the crane system, the masses of the majority of the equipment and
the assemblies that load the system were taken into account.
An example of the application of the method proposed to determine an optimal
trajectory of the handling assignment being performed was presented as the results
of simulation testing.

2 Methodology of the Optimization of the Handling

Assignment

In the simulation testing of the optimization of the trajectory of the cargo of the
handling assignment being performed by the mobile crane, the methodology pre-
sented in the following articles [2, 10, 11] was used. The following are the basic
elements of the method implemented:
– parametric modelling of the elements and the entire crane system in the CAD
system for the defined configuration;
– determination of the system stability conditions (a notation of equations that
constitute a mathematical model to calculate the following: the trajectory of the
mass centres of the elements of the crane system, the reaction of the base on the
crane outrigger system, the stabilizing torque Mu and the overturning torque Mw
as well as the safety indicator);
– building of a kinematic model of the crane and carrying out simulation testing in
the integrated CAD/CAE system;
– an analysis of the kinematic and dynamic quantities of the crane system during
handling in connection with maintaining constant balance (loader crane
stability);
– optimization of the trajectory of the displacements of the crane working ele-
ments for specified assignments taking limiting conditions into account.
Integrated CAD—SolidWorks software as well as the module for computations
and engineering analyses: CAE—SolidWorks Motion was used for the purpose of
the modelling and numeric tests of the crane handling system.

3 Model of the Handling Crane

The assemblies of the truck crane type HDS HIAB XS (Cargotec Poland) in relation
to which the voice control system was proposed [12–15], include the design of all
the main parts and sub-assemblies as well as other important elements of the
construction [2, 11], shown in Fig. 1.
Optimization of the Movement Trajectory of Mobile … 477

Outer Boom 1-6th Telescopic boom

Gww β
Inner Boom Gwz
ε Gt1

α
Gt2
Gt3 Hook
Truck Gt4 Gt5
Ry1 Load
Gk y
Gu δt Gt6 Gh
Column
O
S1 Wu(Xwu,Zwu)
Base Gf x Gl
Mu4 Mu1 Ry2
Z Mw1
Ry4 Mw4 Countour
Outrigger system S4 Gt overturning
S1S2S3S4 Truck frame
Mw3 Ry3 S2
a Mu3 Mw2
Mu2
S3

Fig. 1 Handling system of mobile crane type HDS HIAB XS 111

The model of the support system is composed of the following crane assemblies
that are coupled together: the truck frame, the outrigger system placed in the crane
base frame connected with the frame of the truck chassis, the crane base, the
slewing column, the inner and outer boom with the installed six-member telescopic
boom and the hook including lifting slings loaded with the transported cargo. All
the geometric quantities as well as all the properties of the constructional elements
used of the constructional models were entered to the file of the programme in a
parametric manner. This manner allows for a complete control of changes to the
geometric dimensions of the crane elements. The possibility to select any reciprocal
position of the main crane assemblies with a selected accuracy is important, as well.
The modelling takes into account the masses of the elements of the equipment
and the assemblies that load the system [2, 11]. A change to the configuration of the
crane system is connected with its working movements. An analytical description of
the configuration of the crane kinematic system involves strenuous conversions of
vector-matrix equations [2], until explicit dependences have been obtained that
determine the variable angular and linear quantities. Knowledge of these depen-
dences is very desirable. It needs to be emphasized, however, that it is very difficult
to obtain explicit dependences for the crane handling system. The integrated
CAD/CAE system was therefore used to determine vectors that specify the con-
figuration of the crane system.
478 W. Kacalak et al.

4 Kinematic Model of the Handling System

In simulation testing, a kinematic model was used of the mobile crane handling
system with four degrees of freedom, which is presented in the following articles [2,
10, 16]. In the kinematic model (Fig. 1):
– mass, whose centre of gravity coincides with the gravity centre of the solid
model, was ascribed to the individual elements of the system,
– the geometric dimensions of the elements of the rigging and solid models of the
crane are identical.
In the model developed, drives were defined that perform the rotary motion of
the crane column with velocity e_ and linear drives that force the rotary motion of the
inner and outer arms with velocities a_ and b_ as well as sliding out of the
six-member telescopic boom with velocity dt. _

5 Optimization of Cargo Displacement Trajectory

Owing to the performance of simulation testing in line with the methodology

proposed and presented in the articles [2, 10, 11], it is possible to determine the
optimum trajectory of cargo displacements for a selected handling assignment.

5.1 Criteria and Limitations of Optimization

When planning the trajectory of the movement, safe and fast transport of the cargo,
one needs to ensure that the planned points of the path are reached and to ensure the
accuracy of the final cargo positioning. It is important to ensure at the same time the
minimization of the path length of the cargo transported and of the execution time
of the handling assignment. In a general case, the optimization problem consisted in
seeking the vector of decision variables, for which the defined objective function
reaches the minimum:

minLl ¼ f ðxÞt ð1Þ

where:
Ll path length of the cargo transported,
x vector of decision variables that contains the configuration parameters of the
crane handling system [2],
t, s handling assignment cycle time.
Optimization of the Movement Trajectory of Mobile … 479

The length of path Ll was calculated from the following formulas (2) and (3):

X
n1
Ll ¼ ðLj1 þ DLj Þ ð2Þ
j¼0

qffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
DLj ¼ ðxLj  xLj 1 Þ2 þ ðyLj  yLj 1 Þ2 þ ðzLj  zLj 1 Þ2 ð3Þ

where:
ΔLj increment of the path of the cargo transported in time Δt,
xLj ; yLj ; zLj current coordinates of the cargo location.
The developed crane simulation model and numerical applications were used for
the calculations. Inequality constraints were imposed on the decision variables.
They follow from the stability conditions of the crane system (Fig. 1), which are as
follows:
1. According to international standards [17] and PN [18] it is accepted that the
crane is stable if at any position of the boom loaded with lifting capacity with an
adequate extension, the stabilizing torque Mu is greater than the overturning
torque Mw by the value of ΔM (4):

DM ¼ Mu  Mw [ 0 ð4Þ

2. The value of the pressure on the base of the least loaded crane support and the
value of the changes of this force in time [1, 11, 19];
3. The location of the symmetric mass centre of the handling system of the crane in
relation to the support points [1, 2]. The system is stable if, in the projection on
the horizontal plane, the mass centre is located inside the quadrangle that is
established by the support points of the crane outrigger system;
4. Safety indicator Wb as the stability criterion of the crane system, which was
defined as (5):
 
minðRyi Þt k2
Wb ¼ min 2  ð5Þ
Gu  k1  ð1  k2 Þ 1  k2 t

where:
i = 1–4 number of the outrigger,
j number of the elementary fragment of the trajectory,
minðRyi Þ, kN the smallest of the vertical reactions of the base on the
outrigger i,
Gu, kN total weight of the crane system,
k1 index of the maximum load of the crane outrigger,
Rymax = Gu  k1, where: k1  0.25—for a crane with four
outriggers,
480 W. Kacalak et al.

k2 index that determines the minimum load of the crane

outrigger, Rymin = Gu  k2,
t, s time of the working cycle of the handling assignment.

In order to guarantee the stability of the crane system, the value of the indicator
Wb should be greater than zero when min ðRyi Þ > k1  k2. The value of the indicator
k2 is determined considering safety on the level that depends from the crane
working conditions. It was accepted that the value of this index takes into account
the wind speed as well as the velocities, accelerations and pulls in the crane
kinematic pairs. Pulls may be the result of the cargo frozen to the ground being torn
off, the cargo being broken off, sudden breaking, hitting an obstacle etc.

5.2 Optimization Assignment

Optimization of the handling task was performed for an example mobile crane type
HDS HIAB XS 111. The configuration of the movement of the working mecha-
nisms of the crane during the execution of the three variants of the handling
assignment is presented in Table 1, where the denotations of the location param-
eters were accepted according to Fig. 1. The cargo located in position A was to be
transported and positioned in location B (Fig. 2).
The integrated CAD/CAE system with an additional computational application
was used in simulation testing, which permitted the following among others:
– an accurate determination of the coordinates of any point of the crane system
based on the mathematical model that describes its configuration—[2],
– establishing the trajectory of the gravity centre of the crane Wu (xWu, zWu),
– calculation of the path length of the cargo transported,
– calculation of the reaction in the outriggers (Ry1, Ry2, Ry3, Ry4); Ryi = f{Gl ,Wu
(xWu, zWu), t}—[11],
– calculation of the difference of the torques ΔM = Mu − Mw = f{Gl , Wu (xWu,
zWu), t},
– calculation of the safety indicator Wb = f{Gl , Wu (xWu, zWu), t},

Table 1 Parameters of sequential movements for three variants of handling assignment

Movement 1st variant of cargo 2nd variant of cargo 3rd variant of cargo
sequence displacements (I) displacements (II) displacements (III)
1 Δ = 7.2 Δ = 7.2 Δ = 7.2
2 Δe = −189° Δdt = −1.5 m Δdt = 2.1 m
3 Δdt = 2.1 m Δe = −189° Δe = −189°
4 Δ = −5.2° Δdt = 3.6 m Δ = −5.2°
5 – Δ = −5.2°
Optimization of the Movement Trajectory of Mobile … 481

Detail C
Tracks center of mass
of the crane Wu(x Wu , zWu )
-0,6

Variant III
-0,4

-0,2
IniƟal point
Wu(x Wu,zWu)
0,0

zWu , m
Variant II

0,2
End point
Wu(x Wu,zWu)
0,4

Variant I
0,6

0,8
-0,2 0,0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8

Fig. 2 Handling assignment consisting in carrying the cargo from its initial position A to position
in point B, for three displacement variants

– determination of the values of the working loads and the crane lift curves,
– determination of the crane stability conditions in the function of its working load
and extension,
– evaluation of the stability of the performance of the entire loader crane handling
cycle,
– optimization of the movement trajectory of the crane working elements for the
accepted optimization criterion min Ll.

5.3 Simulation Testing Results

Simulation testing results are presented in Fig. 3 which presents changes in the
cargo paths for the three variants of the handling assignment. Variant II, for which
Ll = 20.92 m, is the most optimal solution from the perspective of the minimization
of the path length of the cargo transported. In this variant, in spite of the shortest
482 W. Kacalak et al.

35

Ll - cargo path length Variant III

30

25

Variant I Variant II
20
Ll , m

15

10
Variant I
Variant II
Variant III
5

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
t, s

Fig. 3 Change of cargo path length for three handling assignment variants

path length, the execution time of the handling assignment takes as much as
29.92 s; therefore, it is substantially longer than for variant I. Hence, variant I is an
alternative solution, where the cargo path length is Ll = 22.89 m, the execution
time of the handling assignment is only 19.99 s, and it is significantly shorter than
in variant II.
The inequality constraints imposed in the optimization task that follow from the
crane stability conditions are fulfilled. This is confirmed with the graphs presented
in Figs. 2 and 4.
The trajectories presented in Fig. 2 that are determined by the gravity centres
Wu(xWu, zWu) of the crane system are located inside the tip-over outline S1S2S3S4
(detail C); hence, stability conditions are met.
This is confirmed by the courses of the formation of the value of the safety
indicator Wb that are presented in Fig. 4. It is evident for the handling assignment
example presented that the minimum value of the safety indicator for all of the three
cases is greater than 0; hence, the crane system is stable over the whole range. For
the third variant of the handling assignment, however, the value of this indicator
Wb = 0.002 is very small. This means that for the trajectory of the load carried sH
the working conditions are the least favourable as there is a risk of a loss of the
crane system stability.
Optimization of the Movement Trajectory of Mobile … 483

0,50
Indicator of safety
0,45 Wb = f(t) S1 k1 S2
0,40 k4 k2
0,35 k3
S4 S3
0,30
Countour overturning
0,25 S1S2S3S4
Wb

0,20 Variant I Variant II

0,15
Axis overturning:
0,10
k1=S1S2,k2=S2S3,k3=S3S4,k4=S1S4
Var I Variant III
0,05
Var II Compromised safety zone
0,00 Var III Wb min = 0.002 for t = 14,95 s
-0,05
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Fig. 4 Courses of the value of the safety indicator Wb for the three variants of the handling
assignment, where: filled circle—start and end of movement, filled square—start and end of
circular motion, inverted filled triangle—change of the tip-over axis from k1 to k4

6 Conclusion

The article presents the use of the optimization method of the cargo trajectory of the
mobile crane handling system, whose purpose was to determine a function to
minimize the total path length, and thereby to increase the efficiency while main-
taining stability conditions. The fact needs to be emphasized in the method pre-
sented that modern CAD/CAE computer technologies were used on the example of
a mobile crane type HDS HIAB XS 111.
Owing to the results of numerical simulation that meet stability conditions, it is
possible to determine the optimum trajectory of the cargo displacements for the
selected handling assignment. The use of the corrections of the displacements of the
moving elements of the crane may prevent the outriggers from being broken off,
and hence it allows fully safe operation in any conditions.
The method developed may prove to be useful in the optimization of the tra-
jectory of the handling task performed. In optimization procedures, where the
minimization of the path or handling time is the objective function, the values that
determine the crane stability are constraining conditions. In another case, when the
maximisation of Wb index is the objective function, the constraining conditions are
related to the execution time of the assignment or the path length of the cargo.

Acknowledgements This project is financed by the National Centre for Research and
Development, Poland (NCBiR), under the Applied Research Programme—Grant agreement
No. PBS3/A6/28/2015.
 484 W. Kacalak et al.

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