1,159 research outputs found

    Filo büyüklüğü ve karma araç rotalama problemleri i̇çin yeni bir yapısal rotalama algoritması

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    In this study, a new constructive routing algorithm for fleet size and mix vehicle routing problem is proposed in which residual costs rather than vehicle types are considered for route selection.The algorithm of the proposed routing approach is given and then the solution phases of a sample problem are shown by using the given algorithm. In order to highlight the performance of the routing approach, Golden’s 12 test problems (Fleet Size and Mix Vehicle Routing Problem with Fixed Cost) are used. It is seen that the proposed method has better average time complexity and cost performances than Ochi’s routing approach. Therefore, the solutions of the proposed method that uses vehicle type information are better than those of the methods that use residual cost based on the vehicle type information

    On the use of biased-randomized algorithms for solving non-smooth optimization problems

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    Soft constraints are quite common in real-life applications. For example, in freight transportation, the fleet size can be enlarged by outsourcing part of the distribution service and some deliveries to customers can be postponed as well; in inventory management, it is possible to consider stock-outs generated by unexpected demands; and in manufacturing processes and project management, it is frequent that some deadlines cannot be met due to delays in critical steps of the supply chain. However, capacity-, size-, and time-related limitations are included in many optimization problems as hard constraints, while it would be usually more realistic to consider them as soft ones, i.e., they can be violated to some extent by incurring a penalty cost. Most of the times, this penalty cost will be nonlinear and even noncontinuous, which might transform the objective function into a non-smooth one. Despite its many practical applications, non-smooth optimization problems are quite challenging, especially when the underlying optimization problem is NP-hard in nature. In this paper, we propose the use of biased-randomized algorithms as an effective methodology to cope with NP-hard and non-smooth optimization problems in many practical applications. Biased-randomized algorithms extend constructive heuristics by introducing a nonuniform randomization pattern into them. Hence, they can be used to explore promising areas of the solution space without the limitations of gradient-based approaches, which assume the existence of smooth objective functions. Moreover, biased-randomized algorithms can be easily parallelized, thus employing short computing times while exploring a large number of promising regions. This paper discusses these concepts in detail, reviews existing work in different application areas, and highlights current trends and open research lines

    A simheuristic for routing electric vehicles with limited driving ranges and stochastic travel times

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    Green transportation is becoming relevant in the context of smart cities, where the use of electric vehicles represents a promising strategy to support sustainability policies. However the use of electric vehicles shows some drawbacks as well, such as their limited driving-range capacity. This paper analyses a realistic vehicle routing problem in which both driving-range constraints and stochastic travel times are considered. Thus, the main goal is to minimize the expected time-based cost required to complete the freight distribution plan. In order to design reliable Routing plans, a simheuristic algorithm is proposed. It combines Monte Carlo simulation with a multi-start metaheuristic, which also employs biased-randomization techniques. By including simulation, simheuristics extend the capabilities of metaheuristics to deal with stochastic problems. A series of computational experiments are performed to test our solving approach as well as to analyse the effect of uncertainty on the routing plans.Peer Reviewe

    Genetic Algorithms in Supply Chain Scheduling of Ready-Mixed Concrete

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    The coordination of just-in-time production and transportation in a network of partially independent facilities to guarantee timely delivery to distributed customers is one of the most challenging aspects of supply chain management. From the theoretical perspective, the timely production/distribution can be viewed as a hybrid combination of planning, scheduling and routing problem, each notoriously affected by nearly prohibitive combinatorial complexity. From a practical viewpoint, the problem calls for a trade-off between risks and profits. This paper focuses on the ready-made concrete delivery: in addition to the mentioned complexity, strict time-constraints forbid both earliness and lateness of the supply. After developing a detailed model of the considered problem, we propose a novel meta-heuristic approach based on a hybrid genetic algorithm combined with constructive heuristics. A detailed case study derived from industrial data is used to illustrate the potential of the proposed approach

    A Hybrid Heuristic for a Broad Class of Vehicle Routing Problems with Heterogeneous Fleet

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    We consider a family of Rich Vehicle Routing Problems (RVRP) which have the particularity to combine a heterogeneous fleet with other attributes, such as backhauls, multiple depots, split deliveries, site dependency, open routes, duration limits, and time windows. To efficiently solve these problems, we propose a hybrid metaheuristic which combines an iterated local search with variable neighborhood descent, for solution improvement, and a set partitioning formulation, to exploit the memory of the past search. Moreover, we investigate a class of combined neighborhoods which jointly modify the sequences of visits and perform either heuristic or optimal reassignments of vehicles to routes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first unified approach for a large class of heterogeneous fleet RVRPs, capable of solving more than 12 problem variants. The efficiency of the algorithm is evaluated on 643 well-known benchmark instances, and 71.70\% of the best known solutions are either retrieved or improved. Moreover, the proposed metaheuristic, which can be considered as a matheuristic, produces high quality solutions with low standard deviation in comparison with previous methods. Finally, we observe that the use of combined neighborhoods does not lead to significant quality gains. Contrary to intuition, the computational effort seems better spent on more intensive route optimization rather than on more intelligent and frequent fleet re-assignments

    Mixed Integer Programming Approaches to Novel Vehicle Routing Problems

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    This thesis explores two main topics. The first is how to incorporate data on meteorological forecasts, traffic patterns, and road network topology to utilize deicing resources more efficiently. Many municipalities throughout the United States find themselves unable to treat their road networks fully during winter snow events. Further, as the global climate continues to change, it is expected that both the number and severity of extreme winter weather events will increase for large portions of the US.We propose to use network flows, resource allocation, and vehicle routing mixed integer programming approaches to be able to incorporate all of these data in a winter road maintenance framework. We also show that solution approaches which have proved useful in network flows and vehicle routing problems can be adapted to construct high-quality solutions to this new problem quickly. These approaches are validated on both random and real-world instances using data from Knoxville, TN.In addition to showing that these approaches can be used to allocate resources effectively given a certain deicing budget, we also show that these same approaches can be used to help determine a resource budget given some allocation utility score. As before, we validate these approaches using random and real-world instances in Knoxville, TN.The second topic considered is formulating mixed integer programming models which can be used to route automated electric shuttles. We show that these models can also be used to determine fleet composition and optimal vehicle characteristics to accommodate various demand scenarios. We adapt popular vehicle routing solution techniques to these models, showing that these strategies continue to be relevant and robust. Lastly, we validate these techniques by looking at a case study in Greenville, SC, which recently received a grant from the Federal Highway Administration to deploy a fleet of automated electric shuttles in three neighborhoods

    Electric vehicle routing, arc routing, and team orienteering problems in sustainable transportation

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    [EN] The increasing use of electric vehicles in road and air transportation, especially in last-mile delivery and city mobility, raises new operational challenges due to the limited capacity of electric batteries. These limitations impose additional driving range constraints when optimizing the distribution and mobility plans. During the last years, several researchers from the Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Operations Research communities have been developing optimization, simulation, and machine learning approaches that aim at generating efficient and sustainable routing plans for hybrid fleets, including both electric and internal combustion engine vehicles. After contextualizing the relevance of electric vehicles in promoting sustainable transportation practices, this paper reviews the existing work in the field of electric vehicle routing problems. In particular, we focus on articles related to the well-known vehicle routing, arc routing, and team orienteering problems. The review is followed by numerical examples that illustrate the gains that can be obtained by employing optimization methods in the aforementioned field. Finally, several research opportunities are highlighted.This work has been partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (PID2019-111100RB-C21-C22/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, RED2018-102642-T), the SEPIE Erasmus+Program (2019-I-ES01-KA103-062602), and the IoF2020-H2020 (731884) project.Do C. Martins, L.; Tordecilla, RD.; Castaneda, J.; Juan-Pérez, ÁA.; Faulin, J. (2021). Electric vehicle routing, arc routing, and team orienteering problems in sustainable transportation. Energies. 14(16):1-30. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14165131130141
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