Dissertation (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (MScIng)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S. in Operations Research)--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2008. / Title from PDF title screen. "March 2008." "ADA 479957." Includes bibliographical references (p. 39-40). Also available online.

Thesis (M.E.)--University of New South Wales, 1999. / Also availalbe online.

Thesis (PhD (Civil Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / The current codes of practice for the design of structures which were studied during this investigation do not explicitly account for the flexibilities and interactions of the Electric Overhead Travelling Crane (EOHTC) and the crane support structure. This leads to analysing the EOHTC and the gantry structure as a decoupled system for ease of computation. Thus, the interaction of the various components of the EOHTC and gantry structure is ignored, which may result in an incorrect assessment of the forces computed in the gantry structure’s members. This led to a study to determine the effects of a EOHTC on the gantry structure. The research was conducted through a series of limited experimental tests and extensive advanced Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulations. This resulted in developing a computationally efficient FEA model of the full scale experimental EOHTC testing facility in the structural engineering laboratory at Stellenbosch University. The FEA model was developed to conduct simulations for the various load models, namely, vertical wheel load, horizontal longitudinal load and the horizontal lateral load models, as prescribed by the various codes. The research was then focussed at determining the maximum end buffer impact force responses when the crane runs into the end stops. The other load models were investigated by another researcher using the same FEA model. The results from the experimental tests were used to calibrate the FEA simulations. This proved exceptionally challenging due to the various structural response phenomena which occur during the impact of the crane against the end stops. A good correlation between the experimental values and the values predicted by the FEA simulations was achieved for the first impact. Modal analysis and modal superposition methods of analysis were used to determine the effect of the modes of vibration on the structural response to the end buffer impact. A FEA sensitivity analysis was conducted on a set of identified parameters which have a significant effect on the structural response to the end buffer impact. The maximum end buffer impact force was determined for a chosen level of reliability based on the responses from the sensitivity analysis using the Lagrange Multiplier method. These maximum end buffer impact forces are then compared with the forces prescribed by the codes. SABS 0160 slightly underestimates, while SANS 10160 severely overestimates the end buffer impact force obtained from the constraint optimization technique for a target level of reliability of β =3.

Norrköpings Hamn och Stuveri AB står inför en stor utmaning då verksamheterna i Norrköping delvis ska konsolideras till Pampusterminalen på Händelö på grund av det nya stadsdelsprojektet i Inre hamnen. Tillkommande verksamhet kommer göra anspråk på terminalyta, något som idag inte finns tillgängligt i Pampusterminalen. Dessutom är visionen för containerterminalen att den årligen hanterade volymen ska öka till 154 000 TEU år 2025 från dagens årligen 70 000 TEU. Det har i det här examensarbetet undersökts för de fysiska möjligheterna att ersätta dagens hanteringssystem där Reachstackers används, med ett modernare och mer hållbart elektriskt RTG-system, samt hur RTG-systemet skulle påverka containerhanteringen. Dessutom har en investeringskalkyl upprättats för att reda ut de ekonomiska effekterna av ett byte. Med hjälp av ett antal kapacitetsberäkningsmodeller har det visat sig att NHS i ett NHS i ett framtida skede bör ha möjlighet att hantera 154 000 containrar med cirka 1 400 TGS och fyra RTG-kranar. De totala inköps- och installationskostnaderna för fyra RTG-kranar skulle uppgå till cirka 60 000 000 kronor. Investeringskalkylen resulterade i ett nettonuvärde på 20 905 550 kr vilket är att betrakta som lönsamt. Baserat på insamlat underlag till den här undersökningen är det därför rekommenderat att NHS går vidare med planerna på att byta hanteringssystem för containerdepån.

Thesis (MEng (Civil Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / The failure rate of electric overhead travelling crane supporting structures across the world is unacceptably high. Failures occur even when the supporting structures are designed within the relevant design codes. This demonstrates a lack of understanding of the dynamic behaviour of cranes in many design codes. The current South African loading code is simplistic with respect to crane supporting structure design, relying on empirical factors to determine the correct loads. While these factors lead to predicted forces in the correct range of values, the Eurocode’s methods are more scientifically based. In recognition of this the draft South African code predominantly incorporates the methods used by the Eurocode to calculate design forces for crane supporting structures. The purpose of this thesis was to use an existing numerical model to determine the wheel loads induced by a crane into the crane supporting structure through hoisting, normal longitudinal travel, skewing and rail misalignment. The numerically obtained forces were then compared with the design forces estimated in the current South African code and the Eurocode, in order to determine whether the factors and methods used in the codes are accurate. The current empirically based South African code was found to be highly conservative. In contrast the scientifically based design forces from the Eurocode were close to the numerically calculated forces, only failing to predict the behaviour of the crane in the case of skewing. Further work needs to be completed in the estimation of forces induced during this load case. Once this is achieved it is hoped that the better understanding of the crane forces adapted from the Eurocode into the draft South African code will lead to a reduction in failures of electric overhead travelling crane supporting structures.

O objetivo deste trabalho é desenvolver uma ferramenta de automatização de cálculo para projeto estrutural de pórticos rolantes. Com o apoio da geração automática de um modelo de elementos finitos e um memorial de cálculo, o projeto estrutural desses equipamentos pode ser rapidamente verificado quanto ao limite de escoamento do material e resistência à flambagem. Optou-se pela utilização do método dos elementos finitos para o cálculo estrutural, pois se trata de uma ferramenta de cálculo moderna, que permite avaliar soluções para as quais não há ferramentas analíticas disponíveis. Porém, o tempo para geração de modelos de cálculo pode ser longo em relação ao cronograma do projeto, principalmente se houver a necessidade de se alterar a geometria inicial ou se existirem várias condições de carregamento a serem analisadas. A utilização de um pré-processador permite que várias alternativas sejam analisadas para escolha da que melhor atenda aos requisitos de projeto e de custo. Assim como ocorre com outras estruturas de engenharia, não existe uma equação de dimensionamento, mas sim de verificação; as estruturas ótimas são procuradas por tentativa e erro com base na experiência do projetista. Para facilitar a busca de uma estrutura ótima, implementou-se também uma rotina para otimizar as estruturas metálicas do pórtico. Adotou-se como função objetivo nesta implementação a minimização da massa, o que no caso dos pórticos implica em redução da área da seção transversal das vigas. Como restrições a esta redução adotaram-se o limite de escoamento do material e limite de estabilidade da estrutura (flambagem). Foram utilizados os aplicativos Excel (Microsoft), Ansys (Ansys Inc.) e Mathcad (Mathsoft) de maneira integrada a fim de se obter uma interface amigável, uma análise estrutural confiável e a elaboração automática de um memorial de cálculo. / The objective of this work is to develop a tool to generate an automatic structural design of gantry cranes. With an automatic generation of finite element models and also a design report, this routine allows a fast verification against yield of material and structural instability. The use of the finite element method was chosen for the structural design because it is a modern analysis tool that permits the evaluation of geometric configurations for which there are no analytical formulations available. However, the time necessary to build these models may be high, especially if there are changes in the initial geometry and many load cases. The use of a pre-processor allows the evaluation of a series of geometric alternatives, within which would be chosen the one with the lowest cost that attends the client’s specifications. Like many other engineering problems, there are no direct equations to find an adequate structure; there are only verification procedures available; the optimum structures are searched by trial and error, based on the designers’ experience. To accelerate this search process, an optimization routine was developed. Mass reduction was adopted as the objective function, which leads to reduction of the cross section area of the beams. Yield strength and buckling were adopted as restrictions to this optimization. Excel (Microsoft), Ansys (Ansys Inc) and Mathcad (Mathsoft) software were integrated to provide an user-friendly interface, reliable structural analysis and an automatic report generation.

In this thesis a class of robust non-linear controllers for a gantry crane system are discussed. The gantry crane has three degrees of freedom, all of which are interrelated. These are the horizontal traverse of the cart, the vertical motion of the goods (i.e. rope length) and the swing angle made by the goods during the movement of the cart. The objective is to control all three degrees of freedom. This means achieving setpoint control for the cart and the rope length and cancellation of the swing oscillations. A mathematical model of the gantry crane system is developed using Lagrangian dynamics. In this thesis it is shown that a model of the gantry crane system can be represented as two sub models which are coupled by a term which includes the rope length as a parameter. The first system will consist of the cart and swing dynamics and the other system is the hoist dynamics. The mathematical model of these two systems will be derived independent of the other system. The model that is comprised of the two sub models is verified as an accurate model of a gantry crane system and it will be used to simulate the performance of the controllers using Matlab. For completeness a fully coupled mathematical model of the gantry crane system is also developed. A detailed design of a gain scheduled sliding mode controller is presented. This will guarantee the controller's robustness in the presence of uncertainties and bounded matched disturbances. This controller is developed to achieve cart setpoint and swing control while achieving rope length setpoint control. A non gain scheduled sliding mode controller is also developed to determine if the more complex gain scheduled sliding mode controller gives any significant improvement in performance. In the implementation of both sliding mode controllers, all system states must be available. In the real-time gantry crane system used in this thesis, the cart velocity and the swing angle velocity are not directly available from the system. They will be estimated using an alpha-beta state estimator. To overcome this limitation and provide a more practical solution an optimal output feedback model following controller is designed. It is demonstrated that by expressing the system and the model for which the system is to follow in a non-minimal state space representation, LQR techniques can be used to design the controller. This produces a dynamic controller that has a proper transfer function, and negates the need for the availability of all system states. This thesis presents an alternative method of solving the LQR problem by using a generic eigenvalue solution to solve the Riccati equation and thus determine the optimal feedback gains. In this thesis it is shown that by using a combination of sliding mode and H??? control techniques, a non-linear controller is achieved which is robust in the presence of a wide variety of uncertainties and disturbances. A supervisory controller is also described in this thesis. The supervisory control is made up of a feedforward and a feedback component. It is shown that the feedforward component is the crane operator's action, and the feedback component is a sliding mode controller which compensates as the system's output deviates from the desired trajectory because of the operator's inappropriate actions or external disturbances such as wind gusts and noise. All controllers are simulated using Matlab and implemented in real-time on a scale model of the gantry crane system using the program RTShell. The real-time results are compared against simulated results to determine the controller's performance in a real-time environment.

In this thesis a class of robust non-linear controllers for a gantry crane system are discussed. The gantry crane has three degrees of freedom, all of which are interrelated. These are the horizontal traverse of the cart, the vertical motion of the goods (i.e. rope length) and the swing angle made by the goods during the movement of the cart. The objective is to control all three degrees of freedom. This means achieving setpoint control for the cart and the rope length and cancellation of the swing oscillations. A mathematical model of the gantry crane system is developed using Lagrangian dynamics. In this thesis it is shown that a model of the gantry crane system can be represented as two sub models which are coupled by a term which includes the rope length as a parameter. The first system will consist of the cart and swing dynamics and the other system is the hoist dynamics. The mathematical model of these two systems will be derived independent of the other system. The model that is comprised of the two sub models is verified as an accurate model of a gantry crane system and it will be used to simulate the performance of the controllers using Matlab. For completeness a fully coupled mathematical model of the gantry crane system is also developed. A detailed design of a gain scheduled sliding mode controller is presented. This will guarantee the controller's robustness in the presence of uncertainties and bounded matched disturbances. This controller is developed to achieve cart setpoint and swing control while achieving rope length setpoint control. A non gain scheduled sliding mode controller is also developed to determine if the more complex gain scheduled sliding mode controller gives any significant improvement in performance. In the implementation of both sliding mode controllers, all system states must be available. In the real-time gantry crane system used in this thesis, the cart velocity and the swing angle velocity are not directly available from the system. They will be estimated using an alpha-beta state estimator. To overcome this limitation and provide a more practical solution an optimal output feedback model following controller is designed. It is demonstrated that by expressing the system and the model for which the system is to follow in a non-minimal state space representation, LQR techniques can be used to design the controller. This produces a dynamic controller that has a proper transfer function, and negates the need for the availability of all system states. This thesis presents an alternative method of solving the LQR problem by using a generic eigenvalue solution to solve the Riccati equation and thus determine the optimal feedback gains. In this thesis it is shown that by using a combination of sliding mode and H??? control techniques, a non-linear controller is achieved which is robust in the presence of a wide variety of uncertainties and disturbances. A supervisory controller is also described in this thesis. The supervisory control is made up of a feedforward and a feedback component. It is shown that the feedforward component is the crane operator's action, and the feedback component is a sliding mode controller which compensates as the system's output deviates from the desired trajectory because of the operator's inappropriate actions or external disturbances such as wind gusts and noise. All controllers are simulated using Matlab and implemented in real-time on a scale model of the gantry crane system using the program RTShell. The real-time results are compared against simulated results to determine the controller's performance in a real-time environment.