Implementation, simulation and validation of dispatching algorithms for elevator systems

Abstract

Vertical transport of passengers is implemented by means of an Elevator Group Control System (EGCS) and a micro-processed sub-system implementing a Local Control System (LCS) for each elevator. The EGCSs have to improve the user comfort reducing the user waiting time and the power consumption of the overall system. This paper describes the validation of five dispatching algorithms for elevator systems that were implemented on Spartan 3 FGPA based boards in an integrated approach reducing the area and improving performance. The FPGA implementation allows the user to select the algorithm in real time. Additionally, several functional parts are shared by the algorithms reducing, therefore, the hardware resources. The overall system is composed of several LCS, which implement the dispatching algorithms, an RS485 based network and a virtual environment called Virtual Interface Elevator system (VEI), which includes both a simulator/monitoring system and an EGCS based on fuzzy logic (FEGCS). The FEGCS runs on a PC and determines the best algorithm to be run in each LCS and defines a set of calls to be attended by each elevator. The VEI allows the designer to validate in a flexible way the algorithm performance for different traffic situations. The novelty of this approach is that the LCSs are capable to run different dispatching algorithms, which are suitable for different passenger traffic situations, while the FEGCS only must determine the best algorithm to be run in each LCS. Therefore, the data traffic in the network is reduced given that the EGCS is not directly involved in calculating next floors to be visited. © 2006 IEEE.