Transport system on which a vehicle travels and method for controlling such a vehicle

Abstract

An installation for transporting a load including a support having at least two stretched cables extending between at least two pylons so as to form a track on which a vehicle travel, where the vehicle has a floor cooperating with rollers through a set of suspensions controlled by at least one force setpoint and a control command system configured to drive the set of suspensions by a control method, the control method including the following steps: collection of a pitch parameter of the floor, representative of the pitch rotational acceleration of the floor; determination of a longitudinal correction command intended to modify the at least one force setpoint; and application of the longitudinal correction command to the set of suspensions.

1 . A control method for controlling a vehicle moving on a track, the vehicle comprising rollers intended for contact on at least one support defining the track, a floor intended for transporting a load, said floor cooperating with the rollers through a set of suspensions, the set of suspensions comprising at least one suspension, the at least one suspension being controlled by at least one force setpoint defining the force exerted by the at least one suspension on the floor, the method being implemented by a control command system and comprising the following steps:
 a. collection of a pitch parameter of the floor, representative of the pitch rotational acceleration of the floor;   b. determination of a longitudinal correction command intended to modify the at least one force setpoint;   c. application of the longitudinal correction command to the set of suspensions, the longitudinal correction command being representative of a longitudinal force setpoint differential, said longitudinal differential being applied between two suspensions associated respectively with two rollers disposed longitudinally in the displacement direction of the vehicle, the differential being dependent on the distance between the two rollers and on the pitch parameter of the floor.   
     
     
         2 . The control method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of collecting a pitch parameter of the floor comprises collecting the value and the sign of the value of the pitch parameter of the floor, the control method comprising a step of comparing the value of the pitch parameter of the floor with a predetermined comfort pitch value, the step of determining a longitudinal correction command being implemented in the case where the value of the pitch parameter of the floor is greater than the comfort pitch value. 
     
     
         3 . The control method according to any one of  claims 1  comprising the following steps:
 a. collection of an acceleration parameter on the track, representative of the acceleration of the floor longitudinally in the displacement direction of the vehicle; 
 b. modification of the longitudinal differential taking into account the acceleration parameter on the track. 
 
     
     
         4 . The control method according to  claim 3 , wherein the step of collecting an acceleration parameter on the track comprises collecting the value and the sign of the value of the acceleration parameter on the track, the control method comprising a step of comparing the value of the acceleration parameter on the track with a predetermined comfort floor acceleration value, the step of modifying the longitudinal differential being implemented in the case where the acceleration parameter value on the track is greater than the comfort floor acceleration value. 
     
     
         5 . The control method according to  claim 1 , comprising the following steps:
 a. collection of a crushing parameter of the load, representative of the acceleration of the floor along an axis substantially perpendicular to the floor;   b. determination of a normal correction command intended to modify the at least one force setpoint;   c. Application of the normal correction command to the set of suspensions, the vertical correction command being intended to drive the suspensions so as to bring back the crushing parameter of the load in one direction and with an intensity substantially close to the gravitational acceleration.   
     
     
         6 . The control method according to  claim 5 , wherein the step of collecting a crushing parameter of the load comprises collecting the value and the sign of the value of the crushing parameter of load, the control method comprising a step of comparing the value of the crushing parameter of the load with a predetermined comfort normal acceleration value, the step of determining a normal correction command being implemented in the case where the crushing parameter value of the load is greater than the comfort normal acceleration value. 
     
     
         7 . The control method according to  claim 1 , comprising the following steps:
 a. collection of a roll parameter of the floor, representative of the roll rotational acceleration of the floor;   b. determination of a lateral correction command intended to modify the at least one force setpoint;   c. application of the lateral correction command to the set of suspensions, the lateral correction command being representative of a force setpoint lateral differential, said lateral differential being applied between two suspensions associated respectively with two rollers disposed laterally with respect to the displacement direction of the vehicle and being dependent on the distance between the two rollers and on the roll parameter of the floor.   
     
     
         8 . The control method according to  claim 7 , wherein the step of collecting a roll parameter of the floor comprises collecting the value and the sign of the value of the roll parameter of the floor, the control method comprising a step of comparing the value of the roll parameter of the floor with a predetermined comfort roll value, the step of determining a lateral correction command being implemented in the case where the value of the roll parameter of the floor is greater than the comfort roll value. 
     
     
         9 . The control method according to  claim 1 , comprising a step of measuring the mass of the load and its distribution in the vehicle, the longitudinal differential and/or the lateral differential being dependent on the mass of the load and on the distribution of the mass in the vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . The control method according to  claim 1 , comprising the following steps:
 a. measurement of the position of each of the rollers with respect to the vehicle;   b. in the case where the position of a roller is outside a predetermined target interval, determination of a return command intended to modify the at least one force setpoint;   c. application of the return command to the set of suspensions so as to bring the position of each of the rollers back to the target interval.   
     
     
         11 . The control method according to  claim 10 , wherein the step of determining a return command comprises a step of transmitting a speed reduction instruction to an external system for controlling the displacement speed of the vehicle, with the aim of reducing the displacement speed of the vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The control method according to  claim 10 , wherein the track comprises a plurality of track sections defined by a section type and wherein the control command system comprises a position sensor, the control method comprising the following steps
 a. measurement of the position of the vehicle on the track;   b. determination of a track section and of a section type corresponding to the position of the vehicle on the track;   c. modification of the comfort pitch value, the comfort floor acceleration value, the comfort normal acceleration value and the target interval in accordance with the section type.   
     
     
         13 . The control method according to  claim 12 , wherein the comfort pitch value, the comfort floor acceleration value, the comfort normal acceleration value and the target interval evolve in accordance with the state of the track. 
     
     
         14 . The control method according to any one of  claims 12 , comprising a step of collecting shape data of the track, representative of the shape of the travelling track extending upstream and a step of modifying the comfort pitch value and/or the comfort floor acceleration value and/or the comfort normal acceleration value and/or the target interval in accordance with the shape data of the track. 
     
     
         15 . An installation for transporting a load comprising a support comprising at least two stretched cables extending between at least two pylons so as to form a track on which a vehicle travels; the vehicle comprising rollers intended for contact on the support, a floor intended for transporting the load, said floor cooperating with the rollers through a set of suspensions, the set of suspensions having a travel and being controlled by at least one force setpoint defining the force exerted by each of the rollers on the floor and a control command system configured to drive the set of suspensions by a control method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . The transport installation according to  claim 15 , wherein the transported load comprises people. 
     
     
         17 . The transport installation according to any one of  claim 15 , wherein the control command system comprises a kinematic measurement device configured to measure kinematic data of the floor of the vehicle, for example an inertial unit. 
     
     
         18 . The transport installation according to  claim 15 , wherein each suspension of the set of suspensions has a travel of between 1.5 m and 3.0 m. 
     
     
         19 . The transport installation according to  claim 15 , wherein the vehicle is self-propelled.