A method for planning the trajectory of mobile hydraulic crane booms with a focus on energy efficiency

Abstract

The paper describes a method for planning energy-efficient trajectories for the booms of hydraulic mobile cranes in (semi)autonomous operation. The method includes a learning step, in which a multi-physics model of the crane is used to calculate weight matrices for the path planning algorithm. This step requires considerable time but adjusts the method to the mechanical structure and hydraulic system of the particular crane. At the implementation step, when the calculated matrices are used to build energy-efficient trajectories, the method is fast enough to be run in real time. The paper considers a control algorithm that allows moving the crane booms automatically according to the built trajectory. The simulation experiments demonstrate energy savings with the median value of approximately 5% for energy-efficient trajectories in comparison with the shortest paths.