A multi-objective genetic algorithm for yard crane scheduling problem with multiple work lines

Due to increasing ships and quay cranes, container terminals operations become more and more busy. The traditional handling based on work line is converted into pool strategy, namely loading and unloading containers with multiple work lines are operating simultaneously. In the paper we discuss the yard crane scheduling problem with multiple work lines in container terminals. We develop a multi-objective 0-1 integer programming model considering the minimum total completion time of all yard cranes and the maximization balanced distribution of the completion time at the same time. With the application of adaptive weight GA approach, the problem can be solved by a multi-objective hybrid genetic algorithm and the Pareto solutions can be finally got. Using the compromised approach, the nearest feasible solution to ideal solution is chosen to be the best compromised Pareto optimal solution of the multi-objective model. The numerical example proves the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed method to the multi-objective yard crane scheduling problem.     

Scheduling of collaborative operations of yard cranes and yard trucks for export containers using hybrid approaches

Optimizing collaborative operations for yard cranes (YCs) and yard trucks (YTs) is vital to the overall performance of a container terminal. This research investigates four different hybrid approaches developed for dealing with yard crane scheduling problem (YCSP) and yard truck scheduling problem (YTSP) simultaneously for export containers in the yard side area of a container terminal. First, these approaches use a load-balancing heuristic to assign containers to YCs evenly. Following this, each of them employs a specific heuristic/metaheuristic, such as genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO) or subgroups PSO (SGPSO), to generate alternative container loading sequences for each YC. Finally, a simulation model is used to simulate loading and transporting of these export containers, evaluate alternative planning results, and finally output the best planning result. Experiments have been conducted to compare these hybrid approaches. The results show Hybrid4 (SGPSO) outperforms Hybrid1 (Sort-by-bay), Hybrid2 (GA), and Hybrid3 (PSO) in terms of makespan.     

Dynamic rolling strategy for multi-vessel quay crane scheduling

This paper focuses on the container loading and unloading problem with dynamic ship arrival times. Using a determined berth plan, in combination with the reality of a container terminal production scheduling environment, this paper proposes a scheduling method for quay cranes that can be used for multiple vessels in a container terminal, based on a dynamic rolling-horizon strategy. The goal of this method is to minimize the operation time of all ships at port and obtain operation equilibrium of quay cranes by establishing a mathematical model and using a genetic algorithm to solve the model. Numerical simulations are applied to calculate the optimal loading and unloading order and the completion time of container tasks on a ship. By comparing this result with the traditional method of quay crane loading and unloading, the paper verifies that the quay crane scheduling method for multiple vessels based on a dynamic rolling-horizon strategy can provide a positive contribution to improve the efficiency of container terminal quay crane loading and unloading and reduce resource wastage.     

多场桥分区域平衡策划下的集装箱堆场箱位分配问题

集装箱码头堆场出口箱箱位分配和场桥调度对码头运营效率有重要影响. 为了合理分配箱位和调度场桥, 采用分区域平衡策划方法, 在给定批量任务下, 考虑场桥实际作业中的安全距离, 以均衡各场桥作业任务量和减少场 桥的非装卸时间为目标, 建立混合整数规划模型, 并设计遗传算法求解, 通过不同批量任务的实验分析验证所提出方法的有效性. 研究表明, 分区域平衡策划方法可以更好地解决箱位分配和箱区多场桥联合作业的优化问题.

     

Load scheduling for multiple quay cranes in port container terminals

This paper proposes a method to schedule loading operations when multiple yard cranes are operating in the same block. The loading scheduling methods in this paper are based on a genetic algorithm and a simulated annealing method, which consider interferences between adjacent yard cranes. It attempts to minimize the make-span of the yard crane operation. We consider the container handling time, the yard crane travel time, and the waiting time of each yard crane, when evaluating the makespan of the loading operation by yard cranes. An encoding method considering the special properties of the optimal solution of the problem is suggested. Numerical experiment was conducted to compare performances of the algorithms suggested in this study. Received: June 2005 / Accepted: December 2005     

An analytical framework for integrated maritime terminal scheduling problems with time windows

Container transport, an integral part of intercontinental trade, has steadily increased over the past few decades. The productivity of such a system, in part, hinges on the efficient allocation of terminal resources such that the container transit time is minimized. This study provides an analytical framework, which entails efficient scheduling of quay and yard cranes, to minimize the time spent by containers at a terminal. A mixed-integer programming model is developed to capture the two-stage multi-processor characteristic of the problem, where each crane has specific time window availability. A genetic algorithm equipped with a novel decoding procedure is developed. The mixed-integer model is tested on a number of problem instances of varying sizes to gain managerial insights.     

Quay crane and yard truck dual-cycle scheduling with mixed storage strategy

In order to enhance the efficiency of port operations, the scheduling problem of the quay cranes and yard trucks is crucial. Conventional port operation mode lacks optimization research on efficiency of port handling operation, yard truck scheduling, and container storage location. To make quay crane operations and horizontal transportation more efficient, this study uses a dual-cycle strategy to focus on a quay crane and yard truck scheduling problem in conjunction with a mixed storage strategy. A dispatching plan for yard trucks is considered, as well as the storage location of inbound containers. Based on the above factors, a mixed-integer programming model is formulated to minimize vessels’ berth time for completing all tasks. The proposed model is solved using a particle swarm optimization-based algorithm. Validation of the proposed model and algorithm is conducted through numerical experiments. Additionally, some managerial implications which may be potentially useful for port operators are obtained.     

海铁联运港口混合作业模式下轨道吊与集卡协同调度

在集装箱海铁联运港口中,铁路作业区作为连接铁路运输和水路运输的重要节点,其装卸效率将影响集装箱海铁联运的整体效率。首先,对比分析了“船舶-列车”作业模式和“船舶-堆场-列车”作业模式的特点,并结合海铁联运港口实际作业情况提出了混合作业模式。然后,以轨道吊完工时间最短为目标构建混合整数规划模型,既考虑了班列和船舶的作业时间窗约束,又考虑了轨道吊间干扰和安全距离、轨道吊和集卡接续作业和等待时间等现实约束。针对遗传算法在局部搜索能力方面的不足,将启发式规则与遗传算法相结合设计了求解轨道吊与集卡协同调度问题的混合遗传算法（HGA）,并进行了数值实验。实验结果验证了所提模型和混合算法的有效性。最后通过设计实验分析集装箱数量、岸边箱占比、轨道吊数量和集卡数量对轨道吊完工时间和集卡完工时间的影响,发现同等集装箱数量下岸边箱占比提高时,应通过增加轨道吊数量来有效缩短完工时间。     

Routing straddle carriers for the loading operation of containers using a beam search algorithm

This paper discusses how to route straddle carriers during the loading operation of export containers in port container terminals. The objective of the routing is to minimize the total travel distance of straddle carriers in the yard. The routing problem is comprised of the container allocation problem and the carrier routing problem. In the container allocation problem, containers in the yard are divided into multiple classes, each of which will be loaded by a quay crane. The container allocation problem is formulated as a transportation problem. In the carrier routing problem, the sequence of yard-bays that a carrier visits is determined. A beam search algorithm is developed for the carrier routing problem. A numerical experimentation is carried out in order to evaluate the performance of the algorithm.     

A queuing network model for the management of berth crane operations

This paper focuses on the optimal management of container discharge/loading at any given berthing point, within a real maritime terminal. Productivity maximization of expensive resources, as rail-mounted berth cranes, should be matched with the vessel requirement of minimizing waiting times with an adequate rate of service completion. To this practical problem, a queuing network model is proposed. Due to its complexity, discrete-event simulation appears as the most appropriate approach to model solution. To get a systematic representation of real constraints and policies of resource allocation and activity scheduling, an event graph (EG)-based methodology has been exploited in simulator design. Alternative policies issued by the operation manager can be inserted in a suitable panel-like view of the queuing network model and then compared by means of simulation, to evaluate the average measures for all berth cranes, such as throughput and completion time. Numerical experiments for simulator validation against real data are encouraging. Some decisions on both straddle carrier assignment to berth cranes and hold assignment and sequencing upon the same crane could be improved by the proposed manager-friendly simulation tool.     

堆场龙门吊调度问题研究

在集装箱码头作业中,龙门吊是非常重要的码头资源,如何更合理地调度龙门吊对减少船舶在港时间,提高码头效率有重要意义。在综合考虑龙门吊在时间和空间上的不可跨越性以及其他约束条件的基础上,建立了龙门吊调度问题的混合整数规划模型,目标是使得集卡的等待时间最短。由于问题计算的复杂性,引进遗传算法来求解模型;算例验证了算法的有效性,与已有的模型进行比较,证明了该模型的优越性。     

An enriched model for the integrated berth allocation and quay crane assignment problem

Given the increasing pressure to improve the efficiency of container terminals, a lot of research efforts have been devoted to optimizing container terminal operations. Most papers deal with either the berth allocation problem (BAP) or the (quay) crane assignment problem (CAP). In the literature on the BAP, handling times are often simplified to be berth dependent or proportional to vessel size, so the CAP can be ignored when scheduling vessels. This is unsatisfactory for real-life applications because the handling time primarily depends on the number of containers to be handled and the number of cranes deployed. Only a limited number of papers deals with the combination of berth allocation and crane assignment. In these papers however, authors often have resorted to algorithmic simplifications that limit the practical use of the models. This paper presents a MILP model for the integrated BAP–CAP taking into account vessel priorities, preferred berthing locations and handling time considerations. The model is used in a hybrid heuristic solution procedure that is validated on real-life data illustrating the potential to support operational and tactical decision-making.     

Choice of loading clusters in container terminals

The storage allocation in the export yard of a container terminal determines the efficiency of container loading. Even if the yard manager has optimised the allocation of export containers to avoid rehandling, conflicts among loading quay cranes can still occur. Thus, all the possible handlings during loading must be considered when organising the yard space. In previous studies, the yard storage allocation has been assessed based on the subblock, which consists of several adjacent bays. However, to minimise all possible handlings in the loading process at the terminal, optimising more flexible storage clusters is also important. Thus, our aim in this research is to model the choice of loading clusters and derive a more flexible allocation strategy for organising the space in the export yard. A bi-objective model is built, which considers both the transportation distance and handling balance between blocks. A model aimed at minimising all possible handlings in the export yard for the loading process is also developed, and several of the insights derived can inform yard management in real-life operations. It is proven that the handling requirements have a significant effect on the choice of loading clusters, and yard managers should consider the various features of liner and loading processes when organising their storage space.     

基于作业链的泊位与岸桥协同调度研究

针对泊位与岸桥协同调度问题,引入“链式优化”思路,用作业链的方法分析集装箱装卸作业过程,首先将泊位计划作为开始链单元,采用资源节点优化策略进行分析,以最小化船舶在港总成本为目标建立模型;然后将岸桥卸船作业作为结束链单元,采用任务节点优化策略进行分析,以最小化岸桥最大完工时间为目标建立模型。考虑到作业链的整体性能,设计嵌套循环算法进行求解,内循环中用遗传算法分别求解泊位岸桥分配模型和岸桥调度模型,外循环中用岸桥数量作为公用变量对两个模型进行传递和反馈,寻找协同调度最优解。与单独调度进行对比,结果表明协同调度的优化效果更好;与粒子群算法、蚁群算法和蜂群算法的求解结果进行比较,表明遗传算法在求解质量和效率方面都更优,证明了提出的模型和算法能够有效解决此问题。     

A stochastic model for the throughput analysis of passing dual yard cranes

New container terminal technologies such as passing dual yard cranes per stack promise increase in stacking throughput capacity. However, dual yard cranes can interfere, which reduces the cranes’ throughput capacity. Using crane operational protocols, we develop a stochastic model for two passing dual yard cranes and obtain closed-form expressions for the crane throughput capacity with interference delays. We then develop an approximate model to estimate the expected throughput times for both balanced and unbalanced stack configuration. A detailed discrete-event simulation is built to validate the analytical model. We show that interference effects between the cranes can reduce the crane throughput capacity by an average of 35% and interference delays increase with an increase in the number of bays in the stack. We use the model to develop operational insights.     

铁路集装箱中心站资源分配与作业调度联合优化

铁路集装箱中心站主作业区资源分配与作业调度联合优化对其经营效益和运作效率有重要影响.基于“轨道吊-集卡”协同装卸方案,引入轨道吊动态配置原则,以最大化作业均衡率和最小化作业成本为目标,构建多目标非线性混合整数规划模型,综合研究作业区域动态划分、贝位分配以及多轨道吊调度多层次联合优化问题. 根据问题特点,融合启发式规则、遗传算法和模拟退火算法,设计3层混合启发式算法求解模型.通过不同规模算例,对比Cplex与所设计算法的实验结果,验证模型的正确性和算法的有效性,并借助于不同划分原则、不同优化策略与不同间隔约束下的对比实验,验证优化模型与算法普适性.结果表明,新型装卸方案、动态作业区域以及联合优化策略可大幅度均衡轨道吊作业量,避免资源过度负载、降低中心站作业成本,为中心站的实际运营管理提供决策支持.     

集卡分批到达模式下的进口箱场桥作业调度优化

在进口箱疏港过程中, 服务于相同客户的若干集卡组成集卡组, 具有相同的抵港时间, 因此, 外部集卡抵港提箱呈现分批到达的特点. 集卡组内作业指派的优劣直接影响场桥的作业效率, 存在较大的优化空间. 对此, 基于翻箱作业不能跨贝进行的现实约束, 将场桥作业调度解构为场桥作业路径优化问题和贝内翻箱作业优化问题两部分并分别建立动态优化模型. 针对场桥作业路径优化问题, 提出一种多项式时间的精确算法并给以证明; 针对贝内翻箱作业优化问题, 设计一种基于MSA的双层启发式算法进行求解. 一系列数值实验的结果显示了所提出优化模型及算法的有效性和鲁棒性.

     

Multi-objective bacterial colony optimization algorithm for integrated container terminal scheduling problem

Natural Computing - This paper proposes a multi-objective integrated container terminal scheduling problem considering three key components: berth allocation, quay cranes assignment and containers...     

考虑时间窗的集装箱港口场桥全局调度优化

合理高效的场桥调度计划有助于减少场桥与集卡相互等待的时间从而提高港口的运营效率,考虑到在实际操作中会出现多箱区多场桥同时工作、互相冲突等情况,建立了以场桥移动成本和延误成本最小化为目标的数学模型,利用计划时间段和时间窗的概念对场桥作业进行约束,通过遗传算法编码进行求解,并将计算结果与实际操作及其他算法的优化结果相对比,进而验证该模型和算法的有效性和稳定性。