EUROCON 2007 The International Conference on Computer as a Tool

Warsaw, September 9-12

Modeling and Simulation of a Container Gantry

Crane Cabins Operation with Simulink
Juan Jose Gonzalez De la Rosa , J.A. Carmona Torres , A. Illana , Carlos G. Puntonet , J.M Gorriz
Univ.

of Cadiz/Electronics-PAI-TIC-168, Algeciras, Spain, e-mail: juanjose.delarosa@uca.es

Univ. of Granada, Granada, Spain, e-mail: carlos@atc.ugr.es

Abstract This paper deals with the simulation of a shipcontainers gantry crane cabin behavior, during an operation
of load releasing. The goal consists of obtaining a reliable
model of the cabin, with the aim of reducing the non-desired
cabin vibrations. We present the Simulink-based model and
the simulation results when the load is released by the crane
in the containers ship. We conclude that the mass center
position of the cabin affects dramatically to the vibrations
of the crane. A set of graphs are presented involving
displacements and rotations of the cabin to illustrate the
effect of the mass center positions bias.
Keywords Gantry crane, Mechanical Engineering, Signal processing.

I. I NTRODUCTION
The study of the vibrations in a gantry crane used in
a containers terminal is an issue related to the security
of the crane operator and to the durability of the design.
The vibrations take place mostly in the operator cabin.
The main problem is that a short amplitude vibration
in the trolley may produce high amplitude values in the
cabin, which may affect the operators safety. Numerous
achievements have been made in the field of the control
for overhead crane systems, which have proven to be
an improvement in the position accuracy, safety and
stabilization control [1][5].
With the goal of adapting the developed control
schemes to portainers (container gantry cranes), the modeling of the system has to be developed. In this paper we
present an innovative Simulink model of a real-life gantry
crane cabin, like one shown in Fig. 1, and its emulated
performance when a container is released into the ship.
The results show a new set of signals that may be used in
a future vibration control scheme. The paper is structured
as follows. In Section II we present the Simulink model
of the portainer cabin; Section III comprises the set of
the simulation results which in fact are the guts of the
paper; finally conclusions are drawn in Section IV.

Fig. 1.

other three for torques, from Eq. (1) to Eq. (6); where all
the variables and points are referred to Fig. 3.

II. T HE S IMULINK M ODEL

Fi,x = M x
mc

i{5,6,7,8}

Fi,x = Ci,x (xi,r xi,b ) Ci,xy (yi,r yi,b )

+ Ki,x (xi,r xi,b ) Ki,xy (yi,r yi,b )

Fi,y = Ci,y (yi,r yi,b ) Ci,xy (xi,r xi,b )

Fig. 2 shows an scheme of the complete crane structure

where we can see the cabin, whose dimensions are
detailed in Fig. 3.
The six degrees of freedom of the cabin are solved
using the well-known Newton equations, applied to the
mass center of the cabin, three of them for forces and

(1)

Fi,y = M ymc

i{5,6,7,8}

A. Model Equations

1-4244-0813-X/07/$20.00 2007 IEEE.

Container Gantry Cranes at Algeciras harbor.

(2)

+ Ki,y (yi,r yi,b ) Ki,xy (xi,r xi,b )

Fi,z = M zmc
(3)

i{5,6,7,8}


Fi,z = Ci,z (zi,r zi,b ) + Ki,z (zi,r zi,b )

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the trolley movements and the system physical constants:

mass, inertias, spring and dumper values and mass center
position. Fig. 4 presents a detail of the Simulink model,
the forces and torques solver block.

Fig. 2.

Gantry crane model scheme.

Fig. 3. Gantry crane cabin dimensions. Units in meters. Note where

the mass center is and where it should be. Points 5-8 play a special role
in the equations that model the dynamics.

Fig. 4. Detail of the Simulink model. Forces and torques solver block.

Mi,x = Ix w
x,mc (Iy Iz )wy,mc wz,mc

i{5,6,7,8}

Mi,x =

(Fi,z di,y + Fi,y di,y di,z )

(4)

i{5,6,7,8}

Mi,y = Iy w
y,mc (Iz Ix )wz,mc wx,mc

i{5,6,7,8}

Mi,y =

(Fi,z di,x + Fi,x di,z )

(5)

i{5,6,7,8}

Mi,z = Iz w
z,mc (Ix Iy )wx,mc wy,mc

i{5,6,7,8}

Mi,z =

(Fi,x di,y + Fi,y di,x )

(6)

i{5,6,7,8}

Some remarks are to be made in this set of equations.

The refers to index i=5,8, respectively, the - sign
refers to i=6,7. Subindex mc refers to the mass center,
r refers to the trolley and b to the cabin. w are
angles, F forces, M torques, I inertias, K are for
springs, C are for dumpers; d symbolizes distances.
B. Simulink Scheme
Simulink model solves and plot displacements, velocities and accelerations of each one of the six degrees of
freedom of the cabin. To do that, it must be inserted

The model is mainly divided into four blocks. The

forces and torques solver block (Fig. 4), it receive all
the constants and positions of the system and solve every
force and torque.
The second block is the equations solver, it receives
forces, torques, mass, inertias and angles to solve every
acceleration of the mass center of the cabin. The third
block converts accelerations into velocities and positions
of the mass center, which are the outputs of the system.
Finally the fourth block calculates positions and velocities
of the four cabin-trolley connection points, using cabin
and trolley positions and velocities; finally it connects
them to the first block, so the new forces and torques
may be calculated.
III. R ESULTS
We present the set of results in the form of graphics
due to the interest related to the topic of the conference.
We have introduced, in the simulated model, a real-life
bias in the position of the mass center (A = 1 m, B = 1.35
m, C = 1 m), in order to asses the real cabin behavior. A
delay of 1 sec is introduced to enhance the visualization
of the graphs. The initial conditions are null for all the
variables involved in the differential equations.
A step-type input (5 cm amplitude) is chosen to assess the outputs of the system. This input emulates the
behavior of the sudden bump in the trolley when the

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peculiarity of not being fully dumped.

0.1

0.09

0.08

0.07
zdisplacement, m

load is released in the container ship. Fig. 5 shows the X

displacement of the mass center of the cabin. It can be
seen than the system is not able to dump it adequately.
This movement is produced by the horizontal bias; it has
the peculiarity that the vertical bias of the mass center
also affects this horizontal movement in a critical way.
But we have to point out that the unique presence of a
vertical bias is not enough to start this movement.
3

x 10

0.06

0.05

0.04

0.03

0.02

xdisplacement, m

0.01

Fig. 7.

5
6
Time instances, sec.

10

Displacement in Z axis of the mass center.

Figs. , and , show the rotations of the cabin. It can

be seen that the movements are not attenuated. These
rotations affect to the X, Y, Z movements, and will not
be extinguished due to the geometric disposition of the
dumps.

Fig. 5.

5
6
Time instances,sec

10

Displacement in X axis of the mass center.

In Fig. 6 we can see another coupling effect produced

by the vertical input, this time in the Y axis. The high
frequency component of the signal is rapidly attenuated
while the low frequency component is not attenuated at
all and remains as a parasitic vibration in the system. This
fact has also been shown in Fig. 5.

x 10

xangle, rad

2.5

x 10

1.5

ydisplacement, m

1
4

0.5

5
6
Time instances, sec.

10

Fig. 8.

Rotation in X axis of the cabin.

0.5

IV. C ONCLUSIONS

1.5

2.5

Fig. 6.

5
6
Time instances, sec.

10

Displacement in Y axis of the mass center.

The displacement of the system in the Z-axis, shown

in Fig. 7, is the only one that behaves like a typical
response to a step-like input. We must point out than the
amplitude of the movement nearly doubles the input; so,
an immediate conclusion is that the systems behavior is
far from its original aim of isolate the cabin from the
trolley vibrations. in other words, this movement has the

We conclude that the system is not able to dump the

cabin vibrations, as every real cabin mass center has a
bias. Even with very high values of dump constants, the
time needed to attenuate the vibrations is high.
Our direct real-life experience in those cabins shows
that they continually work in a transitory vibration state,
often leading the system to resonances.
A real cabin prototype is being built to adequate our
model to the reality, and solutions to the vibration matter
will be tested in it. The critical influence of the mass
center position showed in this paper lead us to think that
cabin-trolley connection points must be placed around
the real mass center position instead than on the top of

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x 10

[4] A. Benhidjeb and G. Gissinger, Fuzzy control of an overhead

crane performance comparison with classic control, Proceedings
of Control Eng. Practice, no. 12, p. 168796, 1995.
[5] Y. Jianqiang, Y. Naoyoshi, and H. Kaoru, Anti-swing and positioning control of overhead traveling crane, Inform Sci., no. 155, pp.
1942, 2003.

0.8

0.6

0.4

yangle, rad

0.2

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Fig. 9.

5
6
Time instances, sec.

10

Rotation in Y axis of the cabin.

x 10

zangle, rad

Fig. 10.

5
6
Time instances, sec.

10

Rotation in Z axis of the cabin.

the cabin, where the vertical distance to the mass center

makes the system to behave like a pendulum.
Apart from properly dumping the cabin, we think that
the entire crane model should be fully understood and
controlled so the operational movements and vibrations
will not add each other.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to acknowledge Mr. John Thonsem for
the trust shown in the research group PAI-TIC-168 from
the University of Cadiz, which works in the MAERSK
containers terminal in the Algeciras harbor.
R EFERENCES
[1] F. Ju, Y. Choo, , and F. Cui, Dynamic response of tower crane
induced by the pendulum motion of the payload, International
Journal of Solids and Structures, no. 43, pp. 376389, 2006.
[2] Y. J. Hua and Y. K. Shine, Adaptive coupling control for overhead
crane systems, Mechatronics, no. -, p. in Press, 2007.
[3] D.-H. Lee, Z. Cao, and Q. Meng, Scheduling of two-transtainer
systems for loading outbound containers in port container terminals
with simulated annealing algorithm, Int. J. Production Economics,
no. -, p. in Press, 2007.

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