• Konecranes India Private Limited

Fuel-Saving RTG Crane

Konecranes has introduced a new type of fuel-saving RTG (rubber tyred gantry) crane featuring a variable-speed diesel alternator system. This innovative solution diminishes fuel consumption significantly by eliminating high-speed idling, and it reduces noise and emissions. Fuel consumption is the critical issue in any yard where hundreds of containers are handled each day. Konecranes has developed the technology to cut down fuel costs of modern RTG. The company analysed that programmable logic controllers can be used to calculate the generator power needed and to regulate the engines running speed. It invested lot of efforts to develop a unique voltage regulator with its suppliers, which was different from normal ones in that output voltage of the alternator was most linear with the rotation speed of the alternator’s axle. When the rotation speed changes, the frequency and voltage changes correspondingly. Instead of a constant voltage, it is variable. Having seen the principle of this voltage regulator in action, the company realised that once we had developed the diesel motor control algorithm, the rest of the project would not be a problem. Volvo penta, a regular supplier of Konecranes helped to understand the control of a modern diesel engine. Konecranes fuel-saving system operates on the principle of calculating the power needed by the PLC and the diesel engine speed is adjusted to be equivalent to the power required. The PLC contains all the intelligence inherent in the system and it has several cutting-edge features. The diesel engine is driven with optimal efficiency at all operating points, which eliminates high-speed idling completely. The DC-bus voltage is controlled by the active supply unit, which functions independently from the speed of the diesel alternator. Full scale productivity is thus also available with lower diesel alternator speeds. The less speed, the lower the losses, with less fuel consumed and diminished fuel consumption results in lower noise and fume emissions.