Title: Modelling and control of an overhead crane with a variable length flexible cable

Authors: Kamal A.F. Moustafa, Mohamed B. Trabia, Mohamed I.S. Ismail

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 17555, Al-Ain, UAE. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154-4027, USA. ' Department of Design and Production Engineering, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt

Abstract: This paper introduces a novel mathematical model that represents an overhead crane with flexible cable and load hoisting/lowering. The model includes the transverse vibrations of the flexible cable. Highly non-linear Partial Differential Equations and Ordinary Differential Equations that govern the motion of the crane system within the time-varying spatial domain are derived via calculus of variation and Hamilton|s principle. A proportional derivative control scheme is applied to drive the underlying crane so that the cable and payload swing are damped out. Numerical simulations for the control performance of the considered system are presented for various operating conditions.

Keywords: overhead cranes; flexible cable; variable-time modified Galerkin method; proportional derivative control; mathematical modelling; transverse vibrations; crane motion; cable swing; payload swing; simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCAT.2009.023945

International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology, 2009 Vol.34 No.3, pp.216 - 228

Published online: 21 Mar 2009 *

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