Fuzzy Management Control of Line-to-Line Power Transfer in Automated Warehouse Application

Green logistics have been a trending research topic recently due to environmental challenges and energy optimization targets of that sector. Warehouses are considered the pillar of logistics and transportation sector operations since they act as a buffer between producers and consumers. A fully automated warehouse encompasses many devices and elements; however, stacker cranes are the key element in the product maneuvering processes. A battery-supported stacker crane can boost the system's sustainability by inducing autonomy. In order to prevent over-depletion of battery resources when a deficiency in generation is experienced, energy sharing between power lines of different cranes inside the warehouse is introduced. By employing an interlinking bidirectional DC converter, the burden of continuous active operation of certain crane systems can be shared with a crane that undergoes extended halt periods. In this research, the automated warehouse is considered as an islanded Microgrid where the energy is generated locally using a solar energy generator. The generation level fluctuation of the solar energy is tackled using the on-board battery systems of the crane units. Energy sharing is an operator-invoked functionality when inconsistency in the service tasks is observed between different service lines. A fuzzy logic management system is utilized to determine the required injected or extracted energy from the donor battery into the active line battery. Simulation of the power complex verified the effectiveness of the proposed design. Power sharing between the lines was maintained, while the load delivery response of the drive systems was not affected by the supply change.