Yard Crane Scheduling In Mixed Storage Container Terminals

With the development of economic globalization and world integration, container ports become more and more important, handling efficiency, operational efficiency and effectiveness of container terminals causes growing social concern. Container yard is the most important in daily operations of container terminals. Therefore, management and scheduling for equipment and space resources of yard becomes the hot research issue in container ports.In this paper, the study on the container terminal which import and export containers are stored in same block. The truck’s waiting time and yard cranes interference factors are considered and intelligent technology was used to propose the yard cranes scheduling and allocation for the container terminal in order to minimize operating costs and optimize the truck’s waiting time. The main contents are as follows: (1) On the basis of analyses the literature about the container terminal yard scheduling and allocating to determine the main issue of this paper. Secondly, analysis the yard operating system, realistic container yard management and control on the basis of relevant factors defining the specific issues of this paper. Finally, this study identified evaluation objective for yard crane scheduling, practical constraints, decision-making capacity in mixed storage container terminal. After that yard crane scheduling architecture is formed as a follow-up decision-making model of each chapter. (2) For single yard crane scheduling problem in the mixed storage zone proposed an integer programming model. The objective of the model is to minimize the total waiting cost of trucks and move cost of yard crane. Then, based on real-coded genetic algorithm to solve the single yard crane scheduling model. (3) A multiple yard cranes scheduling model is proposed and the objective of the model is also to minimize the two costs. The improved genetic algorithm is designed to solve the model, and in order to improve the ability of global optimization, a new mutation, the solution space cutting strategies, and gene repair technology embedded in the algorithm framework. (4). Innovatively proposes the yard crane scheduling problem with allocation plan is uncertain. i.e. Integrated yard allocation and scheduling problem. First, we analyses yard allocation and scheduling optimization problem, proposed a non-linear optimization model, the objective is minimize the cost of waiting tasks, yard cranes scheduling cost. Then, combining the characteristics of the model, the design of a combination of genetic taboo search algorithm to solve optimization. Memory function of taboo search is introduced to the mutation operation in order to enhancing climbing ability of genetic algorithm. Finally, based on examples demonstrate the integrated optimization model and the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Results of this study will help to improve the operation level of the container terminal yard, especially provides mixed storage yard’s YC scheduling problem with decision support. At the same time scheduling optimization of large equipment in other areas of logistics, with reference theoretical and methodological. The yard crane scheduling method for mixed storage container terminal can as a reference for the similar optimization problem. The purpose of this paper is for solving the complexity and real-time multi-target operating management in container terminals. The research can support guidance for the real operation of container terminals.