Nonlinear feedback control of a gantry crane

Abstract

Considers a nonlinear dynamical model for a gantry crane to design a control input that transports a load along a specified transport trajectory in such a way that the load angle oscillation is suppressed as quickly as possible. A nonlinear tracking controller for the load position and velocity is designed that gives guaranteed performance. The controller has two loops: an outer tracking loop, and an inner loop that stabilizes the internal oscillatory dynamics using a singular perturbation design. The model and control scheme are simulated on a digital computer and the results prove that the feedback control works well for fast load positioning without sway or oscillation.