Zhengzhou Research Institute of Chinalco sets new industry standards with remote centralised crane control system

The intelligent control R&D team at the Zhengzhou Research Institute of Chinalco has successfully developed and implemented a Remote Centralised Control System for cranes in raw material warehouses, which has passed enterprise-level acceptance with high praise from experts. Addressing challenges such as inefficiencies in material handling and mixing, harsh working conditions, and limited automation, the team upgraded the crane's mechanical and electrical control systems.

The system is seamlessly integrated with the petroleum coke precise batching metering control system, independently developed by the R&D team. This integration enables the crane to grab materials automatically, facilitates intelligent raw material mixing, and ensures accurate, unmanned batching operations.

The system boasts a measurement error of less than 8 per cent, maintains the sulphur content of petroleum coke within 0.2 per cent of the reference value, and keeps the alum content within 10 per cent of the reference value. By minimising human intervention at the source, this advancement not only establishes a solid foundation for the safe production of high-quality anodes but also drives quality enhancement and efficiency gains for carbon enterprises.

They created a digital elevation model (DEM) by incorporating advanced scene perception technology. They introduced innovative features, including precise crane positioning, hopper anti-sway mechanisms, safety protocols, intelligent dispatching within the storage area, and integrated management and control. This achievement enables remote, centralised operation of cranes with safe, unmanned execution. Tests demonstrated impressive results, with a control accuracy of 5 mm and data transmission speeds at the millisecond level.