How to Reduce Energy Consumption in Port Crane Operations?
At present, domestic ports are promoting low-carbon transformation and reducing operating costs. As the main terminal operating equipment, port cranes account for more than 60% of the total energy consumption of port operations.Traditional cranes have high energy consumption and unstable energy efficiency, which not only drives up electricity consumption and operation and maintenance expenses, but also does not meet the requirements of green port construction.For port operations, equipment management and other related enterprises, this article combs out a set of practical plans for energy saving and consumption reduction of cranes with strong landing properties.
What Causes High Energy Consumption in Port Cranes?
The problem of high energy consumption of port cranes is not caused by a single factor, but the result of multiple factors such as equipment operation mechanism, operating conditions, and standby energy consumption.For mainstream cranes such as port shore bridges, rail cranes, and tire cranes, the operation process includes multiple links such as lifting, walking, standby, and auxiliary operation. The unreasonable operation of each link will cause energy loss. Among them, dynamic operation energy consumption and long-term standby energy consumption are the two core sources of waste.The following is a breakdown of the core operation scenarios, and an in-depth dismantling of the core incentives for high energy consumption.
Hoisting and lowering
Lifting and descending are the most energy-consuming operations of port cranes, accounting for about half of the energy consumption of the whole machine.The load adaptability of traditional old motors is poor, frequent start-stop and variable speed are prone to invalid power consumption, and the energy utilization rate during light-load operations is less than 70%.More seriously, the equipment descent process relies on resistance braking, and all the gravity potential energy of the cargo is converted into heat energy and lost in vain. Not only is energy wasted, but it will also cause equipment to heat up and aging lines, coupled with unstable manual operation speed and frequent start and stop, which further exacerbates the waste of energy consumption and equipment loss.
Trolley and gantry travel
Trolley and gantry walking belong to high-frequency operations. Although the single energy consumption is low, the cumulative energy consumption accounts for 25%-30% of the whole machine, which is the main reason for the waste of hidden energy consumption in the terminal.The traditional transmission structure is highly rigid, and frequent start-stop and speed regulation of equipment will produce a lot of inertial energy consumption.Manual operation often has problems such as blind speed-up, emergency braking, and path redundancy. Repeated displacement and invalid walking are common. Old equipment lacks the ability to adjust speed accurately, which not only consumes additional power, but also exacerbates mechanical wear and tear, and the overall energy consumption and waste will be further magnified under large-scale operations.
Auxiliary and standby power
The energy consumption of auxiliary equipment operation and standby is the most neglected energy consumption vulnerability of port cranes, and the average daily energy consumption of the whole machine is 15%-20%.Port cranes are on standby for 24 hours a day, and long-term no-load power is turned on during operation gaps, ship waiting, and shift handover, and standby power consumption remains high.At the same time, auxiliary equipment such as lighting, hydraulics, cooling, etc. continue to operate around the clock, without intelligent start-stop control function, coupled with aging of old equipment lines, leakage, voltage instability and other problems, long-term continuous invalid energy consumption, accumulating over time, resulting in a lot of energy waste.
How Can Electrification Improve Port Crane Energy Efficiency?
Electrification transformation is the basic core plan for energy saving and consumption reduction of port cranes, as well as the core path for upgrading traditional fuel-fired cranes and improving the quality of old electric equipment.Compared with the traditional power model, the electrification system thoroughly optimizes the energy consumption structure from the three dimensions of power source, drive system, and energy recovery, significantly reduces invalid energy consumption, improves energy utilization, and reduces exhaust emissions and operating noise. Perfectly adapted to green port construction standards.Combined with industry landing cases, electrification transformation can reduce the comprehensive energy consumption of cranes by 25%-40%, with significant energy-saving effects and strong stability.
Electric vs. diesel power
The core difference between diesel power and electric power directly determines the basic energy consumption level and operating cost of Henan Mine Crane Factory supply port crane.Traditional diesel-driven tire cranes and mobile cranes have extremely low energy utilization rates. Only about 30% of diesel combustion energy can be converted into effective operating power. The rest is wasted in the form of heat, exhaust gas, and noise. At the same time, insufficient fuel combustion, idle speed, fuel consumption, variable speed loss and other problems are prominent, not only high energy consumption, but also a large number of exhaust gas pollutants will be generated, and operation and maintenance costs remain high.
The pure electric drive mode completely solves the core disadvantages of fuel power, the power energy conversion efficiency can reach more than 85%, the energy transmission loss is extremely low, there is no combustion waste, and no idle redundancy loss.At present, the mainstream equipment electrification transformation plan in the industry retains the emergency function of the diesel engine set, adopts MAINS power supply for conventional operations, and flexibly switches between special operating conditions in transition, taking into account energy saving and practicality.The measured data show that under the same operating volume, compared with diesel cranes, electric cranes reduce the average annual energy consumption cost of a single equipment by 40%-60%, while significantly reducing exhaust emissions, which meets the requirements of port environmental protection compliance.
Energy-efficient motors and VFDs
High-efficiency and energy-saving motors and frequency conversion speed control systems (VFDs) are the core hardware support for electrification and energy saving, and they are also the most cost-effective solution for the energy-saving transformation of old cranes.Ordinary asynchronous motors equipped with traditional cranes have low energy efficiency levels, and their operating efficiency declines significantly under light-load and no-load conditions. Long-term operation energy consumption is serious, and they cannot adapt to dynamic load changes. Speed regulation relies on mechanical braking, and energy consumption is greatly wasted.
The first-class energy-efficient energy-saving motor can reduce the basic energy consumption by 10%-15% compared with ordinary motors by optimizing the winding structure and reducing the iron core loss, and the operating efficiency can be stable at more than 90% under light load conditions.After matching with the frequency conversion speed control system (VFDs), the motor can be stepless speed regulation, and the power supply frequency and voltage can be dynamically matched according to the weight of the goods, operating speed, and operating stroke, so as to completely eliminate the invalid energy consumption caused by the load mismatch. The problem of invalid energy consumption.The VFDs system can accurately control the start-stop, acceleration, and deceleration processes of the lifting and walking mechanisms, eliminate mechanical impact losses, and reduce the energy consumption of single-mechanism operations by 30%-50%, while effectively extending the service life of motors and transmission equipment.
Regenerative braking and energy recovery
Regenerative braking and energy recovery technology are the core highlights of electrification and energy saving, which can realize energy recycling and completely solve the problem of energy waste in the descent and braking links.The traditional crane braking mode is energy consumption braking, which converts all kinetic energy and gravity potential energy into heat energy loss, which is the core pain point of the waste of energy consumption of the whole machine.The regenerative braking system is equipped with a two-way converter, which can convert excess gravity potential energy and kinetic energy into standard alternating current under working conditions such as cargo descent, equipment braking, and trolley return, and feed it back to the power grid or store it in the energy storage unit.
At present, the mainstream energy recovery system in the industry can achieve a power recovery and utilization rate of 25%-40%. Some Henan Mine Crane Factory supply new port cranes equipped with supercapacitor energy storage equipment can store the recovered power for high-power conditions such as equipment start-up and acceleration to further reduce the peak energy consumption load of the power grid.This technology is perfectly adapted to the operating characteristics of high-frequency lifting and frequent braking of port cranes. It is the core technology for cost reduction and efficiency enhancement of large-scale ports. It has been widely deployed in large terminals such as Shanghai Port and Qingdao Port, and the measured comprehensive energy-saving effect can reach more than 20%.
How Can Port Crane Operations Be Optimized to Save Energy?
The upgrading of hardware electrification is the basis for energy saving, and the refined optimization of operating processes is the key to low-cost and continuous improvement of energy-saving effects.A large number of actual port data show that under the same equipment conditions, standardized and intelligent operation control can achieve 15%-25% additional energy-saving benefits.There is no need for large-scale equipment transformation. Only by optimizing the operation action, controlling the standby time, and upgrading the scheduling mode, the energy-saving effect can be quickly implemented, and it can be adapted to the lightweight energy-saving transformation needs of various ports, large, medium and small.
Optimize crane movements
Irregular crane operation actions, redundant operating paths, and unreasonable speed control are the most important human-made energy consumption wastes in manual operation mode.In traditional manual operations, in order to pursue operational efficiency, operators generally have irregular operations such as rapid acceleration, rapid braking, ultra-high-speed operation, and repeated displacement. Each invalid action will produce additional energy consumption and mechanical loss.
The core of action optimization is to establish a standardized operating process, implement operating guidelines for uniform speed operation, smooth start and stop, and plan the optimal walking operating path.According to the cargo tonnage, operating height, and yard location, exclusive operating parameters are formulated to prevent blind speed-up and emergency braking.Unify the walking routes of trolleys and gantry frames to avoid invalid operations such as redundant walking across regions and repeated alignment.At the same time, standardize the rhythm of lifting operations, smooth lifting of heavy loads and low speeds, and uniform speed operation of light loads to reduce the impact of energy consumption caused by switching working conditions.Through standardized action control, the energy consumption of a single operation can be effectively reduced, mechanical wear and tear can be reduced, and the two-way benefits of energy saving and equipment longevity can be realized.
Reduce idle time
Invalid standby time is too long, which is an important reason for the waste of normalized energy consumption of port cranes. Most terminal cranes have an average standby time of more than 8 hours a day, and the cumulative loss of standby energy consumption is great.In scenarios such as operation gaps, ship waiting, cargo transfer and connection gaps, and personnel shifts, the equipment is powered on at no load for a long time, and the auxiliary equipment continues to operate, resulting in a lot of invalid energy consumption.
Targeted optimization can be implemented in both directions from system control and equipment transformation. At the system level, equipment start-stop control specifications are formulated, and the main drive system and idle auxiliary equipment are turned off in time when there is no operating task, so as to eliminate long-term no-load standby.At the equipment level, an intelligent standby control module is installed to realize low-load sleep of the equipment, timed power failure, induction start and stop under working conditions, and automatic switching of energy-saving modes between operations to reduce standby power consumption.At the same time, optimize the operation convergence process, compress the waiting time for ship berthing, cargo distribution, and team handover, maximize the effective operation time of equipment, reduce invalid standby energy consumption, and reduce the average daily energy consumption by 10%-18% after landing.
Optimize crane scheduling
Unreasonable scheduling of port crane clusters can lead to uneven equipment workload, repetitive operations, and no-load rushes. It is the core cause of the high overall energy consumption of large-scale terminals.The traditional manual scheduling model lacks overall coordination, and it is prone to problems such as multiple equipment in a single area, no-load standby of equipment in remote areas, and unbalanced distribution of light and heavy operations, resulting in a large amount of cluster energy consumption and waste.
The core of optimized scheduling is to realize global intelligent overall scheduling, combining ship arrival time, cargo throughput, yard distribution, and equipment working conditions to scientifically allocate crane operation tasks.Avoid the situation where a single equipment is overloaded with high-frequency operations and multiple equipment are on standby invalid, balance the operating load of the equipment, and reduce long-distance shift operations across regions.At the same time, reasonably plan the operating shifts, take advantage of the low electricity prices of the power grid at peak times, optimize the high-power operating hours, and reduce the peak electricity costs.The scientific scheduling scheme can reduce the energy consumption of the overall crane cluster in the port by about 15%, and greatly improve the overall energy efficiency of the terminal operation.
How Does Automation Reduce Port Crane Energy Consumption?
Automation and intelligence are high-end solutions for energy saving and consumption reduction of Henan Mine Crane Factory supply port cranes, which completely solve the problems of randomness, irregularity and inefficiency of manual operation.Relying on intelligent sensing, algorithm control, and automatic positioning technology, it realizes precise control and intelligent optimization of the whole process of crane operation, avoids the waste of energy consumption caused by human operation from the root cause, and adapts to high-intensity and high-frequency port operation scenarios to achieve energy-saving, high-efficiency, and stable trinity upgrades. It is the core standard of smart port construction.
Automated movement and positioning
Manual alignment is prone to deviation, repeated displacement and emergency start and stop, resulting in a lot of invalid energy consumption and time loss.The automated precise positioning system can plan the optimal walking path according to on-site working conditions, realize automatic driving, smooth speed regulation and precise alignment, avoid redundant actions throughout the process, and greatly reduce the inertial energy consumption caused by start and stop.The parameters of the entire operation process are stable and controllable, so as to get rid of the arbitrariness of manual operation.Combined with the actual application data of Qingdao Port, the no-load return energy consumption of the shore bridge equipped with automatic positioning function can be reduced by 22%, and the overall operating energy efficiency can be significantly improved.
Anti-sway and intelligent control
Crane start-stop and variable-speed operations can easily cause the cargo to sway. Manual operation requires waiting for the cargo to stabilize and repeatedly correcting the position, which not only slows down the pace of the operation, but also continues to produce excess energy consumption.The intelligent anti-swing control system can monitor the swing state in real time, dynamically fine-tune the operating parameters of the motor through algorithms, and actively suppress the shaking of the goods without manually waiting for correction.This technology effectively shortens the operating cycle and reduces the invalid operating loss of equipment. In high-frequency container loading and unloading scenarios, it can stably reduce the operating energy consumption by 12%-15%, taking into account energy saving and operating safety.
Energy-efficient operating strategies
Traditional manual operation only relies on experience to regulate equipment, and cannot dynamically adapt energy consumption according to real-time loads and working conditions, which is likely to cause energy waste.Relying on big data and AI algorithms, the automated intelligent system monitors parameters such as lifting height, load, and operating distance in real time, and automatically matches the optimal energy-saving operation strategy.The equipment can intelligently distinguish between heavy-duty, light-load and no-load operating conditions, flexibly adjust the operating speed and start-stop logic, reduce the output of high-energy-consuming operating conditions, and optimize the operation rhythm of multiple equipment clusters, balance the load and peak-off operations, and comprehensively tap the overall energy-saving space of the terminal.
What Is the Most Effective Way to Reduce Port Crane Energy Consumption?
Combining the three categories of energy-saving solutions mentioned above: hardware upgrade, process optimization, and intelligent empowerment, a single energy-saving method has certain limitations. The cost of simple equipment upgrade is high, and the upper limit of energy-saving for simple process optimization is low. It is difficult to implement a single automation transformation.Combining the landing cases and measured data of major ports around the world, the comprehensive solution that integrates electrification hardware upgrade, refined operation optimization and intelligent automation empowerment is currently the most efficient, stable and cost-effective crane energy-saving and consumption-reducing method, which can achieve a comprehensive energy consumption reduction of 35%-50%, and is suitable for various operating scenarios of old and new terminals.
Upgrade drive and recovery systems
The upgrade of the drive and energy recovery system is the core hardware foundation for energy saving and consumption reduction, and it is a prerequisite for achieving significant energy saving.Inefficient motors of old equipment, traditional braking systems, and drive structures without frequency conversion control are the root causes of high energy consumption.Priority is given to completing the core hardware upgrade, replacing the first-class energy-efficient and energy-saving motor, equipped with a VFD frequency conversion speed control system, and supporting a regenerative braking energy recovery device to solve the problem of basic energy consumption and waste from the source of power.
The program has the most direct energy-saving effect and the strongest stability. It can solve the core energy consumption pain points of lifting, braking, and walking at once, and the basic energy-saving benefits can reach 25%-40%.For ports with limited budgets, priority can be given to frequency conversion transformation and energy recovery system installation, so as to quickly obtain significant energy-saving effects at the lowest hardware transformation cost. It is the hardware upgrade method with the highest neutral price ratio of all energy-saving solutions.
Optimize operating practices
Normalized operation optimization is the key to low-cost and continuous amplification of energy-saving effects, and it is a long-term energy-saving method with zero cost and high return.After the hardware upgrade, it is equipped with standardized operating specifications, a refined scheduling system, and a strict standby control mechanism, which can further tap the potential of energy saving, make up for the shortcomings of hardware energy saving, and solve the waste of energy consumption caused by human operation and management loopholes.
Through standardized personnel training, operation process control, intelligent scheduling landing, and standby energy consumption control, an additional energy-saving benefit of about 15% can be achieved on the basis of hardware energy saving.At the same time, a standardized operating model can reduce equipment failures and losses, reduce long-term operation and maintenance costs, extend the service life of equipment, and realize the long-term value of energy saving, cost reduction, quality improvement, and efficiency enhancement. It is a basic control method that all ports must implement.
Combine electrification and automation
The deep integration of electrification and automation is the best and ultimate solution for energy saving and consumption reduction of Henan Mine Crane Factory supply port cranes, and it is also the development trend of smart green ports.Electrification solves the problems of high energy consumption of equipment and hardware and energy that cannot be recovered, and automation solves the problems of irregular manual operation, inefficient operation, and unreasonable scheduling. The two complement each other and enable them to completely open up the energy-saving link of the whole crane process.
Electrification hardware provides a stable foundation for intelligent automation control, and automation algorithms can maximize the energy-saving advantages of electrified equipment and realize optimal dynamic energy consumption control.The landing cases of leading ports at home and abroad have proved that after the integration and transformation of the dual-system, the comprehensive energy consumption of port cranes can be reduced by 40%-50%, the operating efficiency can be increased by more than 30%, and the equipment failure rate has been significantly reduced. At the same time, it fully meets the requirements of the dual-carbon policy and environmental protection assessment, and helps the port achieve low-cost, green, and intelligent long-term development.
Henan Mine Crane Factory Custom Custom
The energy saving and consumption reduction of port cranes is not a single equipment transformation, but a systematic project covering hardware systems, operating processes, intelligent control, and operation management.Investigate the pain points of energy consumption and waste in lifting, walking, and standby from the root cause, rely on electrification transformation to consolidate the foundation of energy saving, tap the potential of lightweight energy saving through operation optimization, and realize intelligent and accurate energy saving with the help of automation technology, and finally maximize the energy-saving effect through a combination of electrification, automation and refined operations.
For port companies of different sizes and equipment working conditions, Henan Mine Crane Factory can provide customized and phased crane energy-saving transformation solutions, which are accurately adapted to various budgets and operating scenarios.Priority can be given to frequency conversion upgrades and energy recovery and lightweight transformation of old equipment, which can be quickly implemented and quickly returned to cost.Small and medium-sized terminals can achieve zero cost, efficiency and quality improvement through process optimization.Large-scale smart ports can implement integrated electrification and automation transformation plans.Relying on mature equipment technology and landing experience, it will help major ports easily achieve cost reduction and efficiency enhancement and green and low-carbon transformation, and firmly occupy the core advantages of low-carbon development in the industry.
