Managing AGV Batteries

AGVs depend on batteries that require periodic charging. You can manage these batteries.

This task shows you how to:

Define a Battery

You can define a battery on a resource or a pool. If the battery is defined on a resource, the battery values are only set to this particular resource. If the battery is defined on a pool, the battery values are set to all the AGVs in that pool.

  1. Go to the Resource Pool Table. In the pool or the resource context menu, click Define Battery.
    The Edit Battery panel displays.

    Note: When there is a difference in preset among the AGVs in the resource pool, a warning message displays.
  2. In the Edit Battery panel, define the battery parameters:

    • Battery Name: is the name of the battery
    • Replenish Point: defines the point at which the battery needs to recharge before continuing its participation in the simulation
    • Release Point: defines the minimum point at which the AGV can be released from charging
    • Replenishment Mode:
      • Recharge: the battery is recharged
      • Replace: the battery is replaced.
    • Replenish Check Mode:
      • After Task Completion: the battery level is checked after every task an AGV completes.
      • At Every Decision Zone: the battery level is checked at every decision zone the AGV goes through
      • At Specified Zone: the battery level is checked at the selected decision zone.

  3. If Replenishment Mode is set to Replace:

    • Next to the Battery Object field, click Assign to assign a product that was previously marked as a battery in the Manage User Attributes panel. Click Unassign to unassign the product.
      Note: To mark a product as a battery, go to the Manage User Attributes panel. Click and select the product, then click . In the Formula and Parameter Editor panel that displays, click Add new argument and add the argument as "Battery".

    • In Replacement Details, click Assign to assign a replacement battery.

  4. If Replenishment Mode is set to Recharge:

    • In the Charging Zones field, click Assign. In the Assign Charging Zone dialog box that displays, select one or more charging zones and click OK.
    • In the ReplenishActivity field, define:
      • Name: the name of the activity triggered when the AGV is being recharged
      • Duration: the duration it takes to the AGV to charge from 0 to 100%. The actual duration may change according to the battery level in the AGV at the start of the charging.

  5. If Replenish Check Mode is set to At Specified Zone:

    In Specified Zone, click Assign to assign a decision zone. The Assign Specified Zone dialog box displays. Select a decision zone and click OK.

    Note: Double-click the Specified Decision Zone column to edit the details. In the dialog box that displays:
    • Click Add Zone to select a decision zone, storage zone, or recharge zone: this zone will be used for recharging or replacing the battery.
    • Route Type: the logic in which the AGV is routed from the specified zone to the charging zone. When set to Closest to Exit or Closest to Entry, you can select a reference zone that is considered as the entry or exit.

  6. Edit the values of the Discharging Details field.

    Notes: When a preset is set for the AGV, the values are noneditable.

  7. Optional: In the Breakdown Details field, click Assign Repair Activity to create a repair activity. This activity is triggered when the AGV reaches 0% before reaching a charging or replacement zone. At this point, the assigned resource performs the repair activity on the AGV.

  8. Click OK.
    The battery is defined.

Remove a Battery

You can remove the battery definition from the AGV. When the battery is removed on a resource, the battery definition is removed from this particular resource. When a battery is removed on a pool, the battery values are removed from all the AGVs in that pool.

  1. Go to the Resource Pool Table. In the resource pool or resource's context menu, click Remove Battery.

    Note: This command is unavailable for an AGV resource that has a preset set on it, or for an AGVs pool in which any AGV resource has a preset set on it.

  2. In the Remove Battery? dialog box, click Yes.
    The battery definition is removed.

Customize a Battery

You can customize batteries with a user logic.

  1. Go to the Define User Logic dialog box. For more information, see Managing User Logics and User Attributes.
  2. Apply the following attributes to the Logic field:

    • S_Battery:

      • In this example, when the AGV reaches the decision zone, 5% of the battery value is removed.

      • In this example, when the AGV departs from the decision zone, it chooses its target resource according to the remaining battery percentage.

    • S_StopBatteryDischarge: is used to pause the consumption of the battery on the selected scenario.

      In this example, when the AGV departs from the decision zone, the battery consumption is paused. The battery consumption only restarts when the AGV reaches or crosses through another decision zone.

Manage Battery Recharge Zones

Induction recharge zone is an opportunity charging strategy for AGVs, in which they can recharge at a particular path between two decision points.

  1. From the Setup section of the action bar, click Manage Recharge Zones and select a path system.

    The Manage Recharge Zones dialog box displays with the existing recharge zones.

  2. Click .
    The Define Recharge Zone dialog box displays.

  3. Click , select the zones from the Add Zones dialog box that displays, and click OK.

  4. In the Define Recharge Zone dialog box, edit or remove zones by clicking or and click OK.
  5. In the Manage Recharge Zones dialog box, click Add Induction Recharge Zone.
    The Define Recharge Zone dialog box displays.

  6. Click next to Start Zone and select the zones from the Add Zones dialog box that displays. Repeat for End Zone.
  7. In the Define Recharge Zone dialog box, edit the zones by clicking and click OK.
  8. In the Manage Recharge Zones dialog box, edit or remove zones with or , and click OK.

Initialize from Preset

You can preset motion and battery parameters from a selected preset xml.

  1. Upload a preset xml file in Preferences > Default values.
  2. From the Programming section of the action bar, click Configure Resource Attributes.
  3. In the Configure Resource Attributes panel that displays, use to filter the Resource Type on AGV.
    The AGV resources attributes display.

    Note: Preset Type displays as None when no preset is selected.
  4. In the panel, select the AGV resources. In the context menu, click Initialize From Preset.
  5. Select the preset type and click OK.

    The motion and battery parameters are set from the preset xml file. Those parameters are not editable.
  6. Optional: To remove a preset: in the panel, select the AGV resources. In the context menu, click Remove Preset, and click OK.