Sway Control

By A.W.Gerstel,
December 2001
 Sway of the load during traveling of the
trolley
Introduction
• The load will sway during traveling of the trolley
in an overhead crane.
• The question is how to choose the traveling
function xk=xk(t) of the trolley such that all
swaying has been eliminated when the trolley
has arrived at its destination point.
• In the following calculation xk(t) is assumed to be
defined as shown in Fig. 1.
 
2
x k [m/s ]

a

t i m e t [ s ]
 a

x k [m/s]

v r

t i m e t [ s ]

x k [m]

     
x k = s k

0  tr  tr t i m e t [ s ] Fig. 1

x k  0 x k  s k
• It is:
– Stage I : constant acceleration a of the trolley during 
– Stage II : constant speed vr of the trolley
– Stage III: constant deceleration -a of the trolley during 

• Fig. 2 shows the motion model of the trolley and the load.
It is also called ”definition diagram”.
• With respect to the diagram:
– Mass of the trolley: mk[kg]
– Mass of the load: ml[kg]
– Gravity force: F=ml*g[N] g=9.81[m/s2]
– Force in cable: S=S(t) S is a function of time
• It is further assumed:
– All mass of the load is concentrated in one point, so the
dimensions of the grab or container are neglected
– The load is suspended by only one cable
– The cable is not elastic
– There is no hoisting during trolley traveling, so the length l
of the cable is constant
• A more detailed motion model of the load, the cables
and the trolley representing reality more accurate should
be analyzed with Matlab or Adams.
• A definition diagram as presented in Fig. 2 must contain
and define all variables being relevant in the
corresponding equations of motion, including the positive
directions of the variables.
 y[m]

x k [m/s]
x k [m] 
x k [m/s 2 ]
Trolley

xk=0 xk=s k x[m]

(t=0)  (t=tr)

Length=l
y(<0)

y at
S


x
Load
x
ar
F=m lg
Fig. 2
• The arrows of xk, , F, etc. in Fig. 2 define the positive
directions of these variables.
• This is also applicable to the axes x and y implying that
the force F - due to its chosen direction opposite to the
positive direction of the y-axis - has to be put into the
differential equations with a negative sign!
Questions to be answered
– How is the time function of the sway angle =(t) of the
load related to the movement function xk=xk(t) of the
trolley?
– Under which conditions is the sway of the load increased
or just eliminated at the end of the trolley traveling
movement?
– Which are the optimal values of the variables a, vr, , tr, l
and mk given a trolley traveling distance sk and a mass ml
of the load?
Differential equations
• The coordinates x and y of the load can be related to xk, l
and .
• As indicated before, the positive directions of the
variables has to be taken strictly into account. That is:
x  xk  l  sin   
(1)
y  l  cos   
• The second order time derivatives become:

x  xk  l    cos     l   2  sin   

(2)
y  l    sin     l   2  cos   
• Using these expressions the accelerations ar and at
along and perpendicular to the direction of motion of the
load can be determined:

at  x  cos     y  sin     xk  cos     l  

(3)
ar  x  sin     y  cos     xk  sin     l   2

• On the basis of Newton's law, the equations of motion of

the load are formulated as:
 F  sin     ml  at
 S  F  cos     ml  ar (4)

where F  ml  g
• Accelerations at and ar in these equations are eliminated
with formula (3):

 ml  g  sin     ml   xk  cos     l   (5)


 S  ml  g  cos     ml  xk  sin     l   2 
• Having chosen a function xk=xk(t), in this case according
to Fig. 1, these differential equations can be solved
resulting in the time functions =(t) and S=S(t).
• The results maybe obtained analytically in any case in a
numerical way, for example with the Matlab software.
• Because  is small it is acceptable to assume:
3 5
sin         ...   (6)
3! 5!

2 4
cos     1 
(7)
  ...  1
2! 4!
• Matlab can be used to verify the consequences of these
assumptions.
• Substitution of (6) and (7) into (5) results in:
.. ..
g xk
     (8)
l l
.. . 2 (9)
S  ml  g  ml   x k    l   
 
• Further attention will only be paid to equation (8). Once
=(t) has been obtained, one can easily substitute this
result in (9) to arrive at S=S(t).
• Applying mathematics, the solution of (8) appears to be:

 h  A  cos    t   B  sin    t 
(10)
Homogenous Part
..
xk g 2
 p   , where    [1/ s]
g l T (11)
Particular Part
Where:
A,B[rad]: integration constants
g[m/s2]: gravitational acceleration ,g=9.81[m/s2]
l[m]: length of the hoisting cable between the trolley and
the load
T[s]: swaying time of the cable and the load
• For all three stages of motion I, II and III of the trolley
from starting to destination point, owing to (10) and (11):
..
xk
  A  cos    t   B  sin    t   (12)
g
.
   A    sin    t   B    cos    t  (13)

• Now a best and a worst trolley motion procedure are

considered with respect to the occurrence of sway of the
load.
Best procedure to move the trolley
– With "best" is meant such a traveling of the trolley that all sway
of the load has disappeared just at arrival of the trolley at its
destination point.
– In that case the load can immediately be released, e.g. a
container onto an Automatic Guided Vehicle as used for internal
transport on container terminals.
• To determine the constants of integration, at the departure
point of the trolley no sway of the load is assumed:
. ..
xk
t  0     0  A  and B  0 (14)
g
..
xk
    cos  t   1 (15)
g
. ..
xk
    sin  t  (16)
g
• In stage I of the trolley traveling, it is accelerated
according to:
a
   cos  t   1 (17)
g
. a
   sin  t  (18)
g
• On t= at the end of stage I it is:

a
   cos     1 (19)
g
. a
   sin    (20)
g
• Now it is chosen the acceleration time  of the trolley
equal to a multiple of T:
  k T     k    T  k  2 k  1, 2,3,...

• Then according to (19) and (20):

.
 ( )   ( )  0 (21)

• This means no sway of the load just at the beginning of

stage II.
• Consequently the load will remain perpendicular under the
trolley in stage II, as long as the trolley is traveling with a
constant velocity.
• Note: Wind and air resistance forces are neglected.
• When the deceleration in stage III is chosen equal to the
acceleration a in stage I and the deceleration time 
equal to the acceleration time, so =k*T, the motion of
the trolley and the load in stage III is mirrored relative to
stage I. This results in a full elimination of the sway of
the load just at the time the trolley has arrived at its point
of destination.
• Fig. 3, next slide, shows the motion functions of the
trolley and the load in the 3 stages.
• The trolley traveling time tr and the acceleration time 
can be expressed in sk, a and vr as defined in Fig. 1.
 a  2 
sk  2      tr  2    vr  a  2   tr  2    vr
 2 
  (22)
sk sk vr
 vr    tr  2    vr  vr  tr  vr   tr     
vr vr a
 vr l vr g v g
  k  T  k  2  a   r  (23)
a g k  2 l 6k l

x[
m ]
k
a
*2
/2

v=a (
t -
2 
)v Sx
=
r * r * *r k k

 
 

a
*2
/2
0  t
r- t
r t
[s]




  




0
0  t
r-  t
r t
[s]



Fig. 3
Worst procedure to move the trolley
• With "worst" is meant such a traveling of the trolley that
the sway of the load is at maximum when the trolley has
arrived at its destination point.
• Now it is chosen with respect to the acceleration time 
of the trolley:
   k  1/ 2   T      k  1/ 2     T   k  1/ 2   2 k  1, 2,3,...
(24)
• Substitution of (24) in (19) and (20) results in:
2a .
 ( )    ( )  0 (25)
g
• Fig. 4, next slide, shows the position of the load after
=k*T [s] and =(k+1/2)*T [s] respectively.
 x=a*2/2

t=0 t==k*T
No sway after 
k=1,2,3,…

x=a*2/2

t=0 t==(k+1/2)*T
Max sway after 
  =-(2*a)/:g

p p:q=g:(2*a)
q

Fig. 4
• As a result of (25) the load will remain swaying with an
amplitude 2*a/g in stage II, during traveling of the trolley
with a constant velocity.
• Assume with respect to the traveling time tII in this stage:

t II  N  T so tr  2   N  T N  1, 2,3,... (26)

• Then the load is in the same position relative to the

trolley as at the beginning of stage II, so the same data
as presented in (25) apply at the beginning of stage III.
• In this stage the trolley is decelerated according to:
..
x k  a (27)
• Introducing a new time variable t'=t-(tr-), similar equations as
(12) and (13) describe the movement of the load in stage III.
• Substituting (27) in these equations, it follows:
a
  t '  A  cos    t '   B  sin    t '   (28)
g
.
  t '   A    sin    t '   B    cos    t '  (29)
On the basis of (25) it is:
2a .
 (t '  0)    (t '  0)  0 (30)
g
Combining (28), (29) and (30) results in:
a
  t '    3  cos    t '   1 (31)
g
. 3  a 
  t '    sin    t ' (32)
g
• With reference to (24) it is on time t'= at the end of the
deceleration stage:
t '      t '      k  1/ 2     T  k  2   k  1, 2,3,...
(33)

• Substitution of (33) in (31) and (32) and making use that

t'= corresponds to t=tr:
4a
  t  tr   (34)
g
.
  t  tr   0 (35)
 In practice a  0.75[ m / s 2 ] which means:
4  0.75 360
Sway angle    17.5[degree]
9.81 2
• As a consequence of (34) the load will sway between
+17.5 and -17.5 degree after the trolley has arrived its
destination point.
• This is definitely unacceptable with respect to the
lowering of the container onto an Automatic Guided
Vehicle as used on container terminals or into the cell
guides in the hold of a container ship !!!
• The positions of the load during trolley traveling and at
the end of the traveling are shown in Fig. 5, next slide.

x=a 
x=0 x
=-
a

t= 
t=-
t 
t=t
 
 
r r


2a


= *

g
  2
*

Fig. 5
Operation in practice
• In reality trolley traveling and hoisting are done
simultaneously.
• The motion control of the trolley and the load then
depends on:
– the experience of the crane operator
– if installed, the automatic control of trolley traveling and
hoisting by means of feedback algorithms implemented in
the drive of these motions
– the mostly installed possibility to apply a low trolley velocity
when approaching its destination point
Some more questions
• With reference to (9) which is the mathematical
expression of the function S=S(t) of the force in the
hoisting cable?
• Is the traveling trolley function xk=xk(t) according to Fig. 1
the best one to apply in practice, assumed such a choice
of a, vr and  that no sway occurs after the trolley has
arrived at its destination point?
• If not which kind of function would be better from view
point of dynamics of the trolley drive and the frame of the
crane?
• Is it then still possible to shape that function
mathematically such that no sway occurs after the trolley
has arrived at its destination point?