Comparison of Different Control Algorithms for a Gantry Crane System

Abstract

For a gantry crane system, this paper presents a comparison between four control algorithms. These algo-rithms are being compared on simplicity, stability and robustness. Goal for the controller is to move the load on a gantry crane to a new position with minimal overshoot of the load and maximal speed of the load. An-other goal is to provide an insight in the behaviour of the possible controllers. In this article a parallel P-controller, cascade P-controller, fuzzy controller and an internal model controller are used. To be able to validate and design the controllers a model is derived from the gantry crane. The controllers and the model are being implemented in Matlab Simulink. Finally the controllers are validated and tuned in Labview on a laboratory gantry scrane scale model. Main conclusion is that all presented controllers can be used as a con-troller for the gantry crane system but the fuzzy controller is showing the best performance.