Variable-Speed Drives For Automated Car Park

Ryoko Machinery Company, a builder of high-density car parking systems, has chosen Variable Speed Drives from Control Techniques to control the hoist motors in an automated car parking tower building. The company, based in Taipei, Taiwan, selected the Unidrive SP AC motor drives based on their stability when running above the rated motor speed and their flexibility in mode switching. Parked cars are moved to their computer-assigned parking space on a pallet. The customer drives into the garage in a manned area and parks in one of several bays, on a steel pallet, following instructions.

The car is then taken away and stored in a secure bay. The latest tower car park project, in Taipei, uses one Unidrive SP AC drive, controlling the hoist motor and lifting the car platform between the entry level and the various storage floors of the tower. The 37kW AC drive operates in closed-loop mode and was chosen for its torque performance at brake release and on stopping. The Unidrive SP can be quickly changed from closed-loop to open-loop mode if necessary, without the need for additional hardware or wiring. If the encoder or the break in the feedback wiring should fail, the operator can keep the car park in full service until the fault is fixed.

No special modules or additional PLCs are needed for the drive operation. All of the required functions are programmed directly into the drive itself, saving both space and cost. For example, the torque setting at brake release is set into the standard parameters. The start and destination are specified by the master PLC in terminal commands; no complex communications are required. The car is stored in an empty parking space and is returned automatically at the push of a button.

According to Control Techniques, there is no risk of theft or vandalism, no personal risk from robbery in long dark stairwells and no risk of injury from slipping on wet or icy ramps. The company also claims that, from the owner's perspective, parking density is double that of a conventional car park, with no space required for ramps, carriageways or stairs. It is important, therefore, that the hoist performs quickly and reliably. Movements must be rapid and precise, with no creeping to position.

Control Techniques Taiwan's partner in this venture was electrical company Xin Ling Technology, which undertook all of the electrical work and instrumentation and built the panels, incorporating the Unidrive SP, as well as the PLC control. The Unidrive SP AC variable-speed drive range spans from 0.37kW right up to 1.9MW. Unidrive SP is configurable into five operating modes - open- and closed-loop, vector, servo and regenerating modes - and provides connectivity to most industry-standard networks. It also accepts 14 position feedback protocols. A range of programmable plug-in module options is available to supplement the onboard PLC.

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