A simulation-optimization approach for the facility location and vehicle assignment problem for firefighters using a loosely coupled spatio-temporal arrival process.

Width design of the urban rail transit stations circulation facilities is a vital issue. The existing width design approach failed in fully considering the essential factors such as fluctuation in passengers’ arrival process, fluctuation and state-dependence in passengers walking speed and the blocking when passengers’ demand exceeds the capacity of facilities. For this purpose, a PH-based simulation-optimization approach is proposed that fully considers the fluctuation, the state-dependence, Level of Service (LOS) and blocking effect. This novel approach provides automatic reconfiguration of the widths of circulation facilities by a concurrent implementation of a PH-based Discrete-Event Simulation (DES) model and the Genetic Algorithm (GA). The proposed PH-based simulation- optimization approach and the existing design approaches based on the exponential and deterministic models are applied to design the widths of circulation facilities. The results reveal that the circulation facilities designed by the proposed approach have larger widths. Similarly, increase in the SCV of arrival interval results in increasing the widths designed by the proposed approach increase while the widths of the other two approaches stay the same. The width designed of the proposed approach increase at faster rate than that of the other two approach when the passengers’ arrival rate increases.

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Simulation-Optimization Approach for Multi-Period Facility Location Problems with Forecasted and Random Demands in a Last-Mile Logistics Application

Algorithms ◽

10.3390/a14020041 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 41

Author(s):

Markus Rabe ◽

Jesus Gonzalez-Feliu ◽

Jorge Chicaiza-Vaca ◽

Rafael D. Tordecilla

Keyword(s):

Facility Location ◽

Simulation Optimization ◽

Facility Location Problem ◽

Decision Support Tool ◽

Optimal Number ◽

Dynamics Simulation ◽

Flow Diagram ◽

Optimization Approach ◽

Support Tool ◽

Last Mile

The introduction of automated parcel locker (APL) systems is one possible approach to improve urban logistics (UL) activities. Based on the city of Dortmund as case study, we propose a simulation-optimization approach integrating a system dynamics simulation model (SDSM) with a multi-period capacitated facility location problem (CFLP). We propose this integrated model as a decision support tool for future APL implementations as a last-mile distribution scheme. First, we built a causal-loop and stock-flow diagram to show main components and interdependencies of the APL systems. Then, we formulated a multi-period CFLP model to determine the optimal number of APLs for each period. Finally, we used a Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the costs and reliability level with random demands. We evaluate three e-shopper rate scenarios with the SDSM, and then analyze ten detailed demand configurations based on the results for the middle-size scenario with our CFLP model. After 36 months, the number of APLs increases from 99 to 165 with the growing demand, and stabilizes in all configurations from month 24. A middle-demand configuration, which has total costs of about 750,000€, already locates a suitable number of APLs. If the budget is lower, our approach offers alternatives for decision-makers.

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