A hybrid genetic-heuristic algorithm for scheduling of automated guided vehicles and quay cranes in automated container terminals

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.M. Homayouni ◽  
S.H. Tang ◽  
N. Ismail ◽  
M.K.A.M. Ariffin ◽  
R. Samin
Keyword(s):  
Heuristic Algorithm ◽  
Container Terminals ◽  
Automated Guided Vehicles ◽  
Quay Cranes

scholarly journals Performance Analysis on Transfer Platforms in Frame Bridge Based Automated Container Terminals

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongtao Hu ◽  
Byung Kwon Lee ◽  
Youfang Huang ◽  
Loo Hay Lee ◽  
Ek Peng Chew
Keyword(s):  
Markov Chain ◽  
Performance Analysis ◽  
Markov Chain Model ◽  
Container Terminal ◽  
Container Terminals ◽  
Automated Guided Vehicles ◽  
Chain Model ◽  
Quay Cranes ◽  
Automated Container Terminal ◽  
Multistory Frame

This paper studies a new automated container terminal (ACT) system which utilizes multistory frame bridges and rail-mounted trolleys to transport containers between the quay and the yard. Beside typical ACT systems use trucks or automated guided vehicles for transporting containers between quay cranes and yard cranes, the new design uses three types of handling machines, namely, ground trolleys (GTs), transfer platforms (TPs), and frame trolleys (FTs). These three types of handling machines collaborate with one another to transport containers. This study decomposes the system into several subsystems. Each subsystem has one TP and several FTs and GTs dedicated to this TP. Then, a Markov chain model is developed to analyze the throughput of TPs. At last, the performance of the new ACT system is estimated. Sensitivity analyzes the numbers, and the processing rates of trolleys are conducted through the numeric experiments.

scholarly journals Multiple quay cranes scheduling for double cycling in container terminals

PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. e0180370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanling Chu ◽  
Xiaoju Zhang ◽  
Zhongzhen Yang
Keyword(s):  
Container Terminals ◽  
Quay Cranes ◽  
Double Cycling

Priority-based speed control strategy for automated guided vehicle path planning in automated container terminals

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (16) ◽  
pp. 3079-3090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meisu Zhong ◽  
Yongsheng Yang ◽  
Shu Sun ◽  
Yamin Zhou ◽  
Octavian Postolache ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Path Planning ◽  
Control Strategy ◽  
Search Algorithm ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
Optimal Path ◽  
Speed Control ◽  
Container Terminals ◽  
Automated Guided Vehicles ◽  
Operating Efficiency ◽  
Continuous Increase

With the continuous increase in labour costs and the demands of the supply chain, improving the efficiency of automated container terminals has been a key factor in the development of ports. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are the main means of horizontal transport in such terminals, and problems in relation to their use such as vehicle conflict, congestion and waiting times have become very serious, greatly reducing the operating efficiency of the terminals. In this article, we model the minimum driving distance of AGVs that transport containers between quay cranes (QCs) and yard cranes (YCs). AGVs are able to choose the optimal path from pre-planned paths by testing the overlap rate and the conflict time. To achieve conflict-free AGV path planning, a priority-based speed control strategy is used in conjunction with the Dijkstra depth-first search algorithm to solve the model. The simulation experiments show that this model can effectively reduce the probability of AGVs coming into conflict, reduce the time QCs and YCs have to wait for their next task and improve the operational efficiency of AGV horizontal transportation in automated container terminals.

Approximation algorithm for uniform quay crane scheduling at container ports

2016 ◽  
Vol 08 (02) ◽  
pp. 1650018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Liu ◽  
Feifeng Zheng ◽  
Yinfeng Xu ◽  
Chengbin Chu
Keyword(s):  
Approximation Algorithm ◽  
Container Terminals ◽  
Container Port ◽  
Quay Crane Scheduling ◽  
Processing Efficiency ◽  
Crane Scheduling ◽  
Quay Cranes ◽  
Container Ports ◽  
Loading And Unloading ◽  
Turn Around Time

At a container port, container vessels are served by quay cranes for loading and unloading containers. Each vessel is typically split into bays from head to tail where containers are stored. Parallel quay cranes can process different bays simultaneously, and their processing efficiency significantly affects the turn-around time of a container vessel. Sharing a single traveling rail, the quay cranes cannot crossover each other, and this phenomenon is referred as the non-crossing constraint. In addition, the quay cranes may have different processing speeds due to gradual equipment updates. Inspired by updating activities of cranes in modern container terminals, this paper studies a scheduling problem with two uniform quay cranes, aiming at minimizing the turn-around time of a vessel, i.e., the makespan. We mainly develop an integrated approximation algorithm which is [Formula: see text]-approximation, where the two quay cranes are of processing speeds 1 and [Formula: see text], respectively.

scholarly journals Research on Cooperative Scheduling of Automated Quayside Cranes and Automatic Guided Vehicles in Automated Container Terminal

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Qianru Zhao ◽  
Shouwen Ji ◽  
Dong Guo ◽  
Xuemin Du ◽  
Hongxuan Wang
Keyword(s):  
Search Algorithm ◽  
Container Terminal ◽  
Container Terminals ◽  
Automated Guided Vehicles ◽  
Total Energy Consumption ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Taboo Search ◽  
Automatic Guided Vehicles ◽  
Collaborative Scheduling ◽  
Taboo Search Algorithm

According to previous research studies, automated quayside cranes (AQCs) and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in automated container terminals have a high potential synergy. In this paper, a collaborative scheduling model for AQCs and AGVs is established and the capacity limitation of the transfer platform on AQCs is considered in the model. The minimum total energy consumption of automated quayside cranes (AQCs) and Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) is taken as the objective function. A two-stage taboo search algorithm is adopted to solve the problem of collaborative scheduling optimization. This algorithm integrates AQC scheduling and AGV scheduling. The optimal solution to the model is obtained by feedback from the two-stage taboo search process. Finally, the Qingdao Port is taken as an example of a data experiment. Ten small size test cases are solved to evaluate the performance of the proposed optimization methods. The results show the applicability of the two-stage taboo search algorithm since it can find near-optimal solutions, precisely and accurately.

A New Dispatching Model of Automated Lifting Vehicles in Automated Container Terminal with Limited Buffer Space

2013 ◽  
Vol 446-447 ◽  
pp. 1334-1339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Hamidreza Sadeghian ◽  
Mohd Khairol Anuar Bin Mohd Ariffin ◽  
Say Hong Tang ◽  
Napsiah Binti Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Programming Model ◽  
Container Terminal ◽  
Container Terminals ◽  
Mixed Integer ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
Buffer Space ◽  
Integrated Scheduling ◽  
Quay Cranes ◽  
Automated Lifting Vehicle ◽  
Large Container

Automation of the processes at the quays of the world's large container ports is one of the answers to the required ever-increasing transshipment volumes within the same timeframe. For such purpose, using new generation of vehicles is unavoidable. One of the automatic vehicles that can be used in container terminals is Automated Lifting Vehicle (ALV). Integrated scheduling of handling equipments with quay cranes can increase the efficiency of automated transport systems in container. In this paper, an integrated scheduling of quay cranes and automated lifting vehicles with limited buffer space is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming model. This model minimizes the makespan of all the loading and unloading tasks for a pre-defined set of cranes in a scheduling problem.

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