Performance analysis on transfer platforms in frame bridge based automated container terminals

10.1155/2013/593847Mathematical Problems in Engineering2013

The synergistic effect of operational research and big data analytics in greening container terminal operations: a review and future directions

Container Terminals (CTs) are continuously presented with highly interrelated, complex, and uncertain planning tasks. The ever-increasing intensity of operations at CTs in recent years has also resulted in increasing environmental concerns, and they are experiencing an unprecedented pressure to lower their emissions. Operational Research (OR), as a key player in the optimisation of the complex decision problems that arise from the quay and land side operations at CTs, has been therefore presented with new challenges and opportunities to incorporate environmental considerations into decision making and better utilise the ‘big data’ that is continuously generated from the never-stopping operations at CTs. The state-of-the-art literature on OR's incorporation of environmental considerations and its interplay with Big Data Analytics (BDA) is, however, still very much underdeveloped, fragmented, and divergent, and a guiding framework is completely missing. This paper presents a review of the most relevant developments in the field and sheds light on promising research opportunities for the better exploitation of the synergistic effect of the two disciplines in addressing CT operational problems, while incorporating uncertainty and environmental concerns efficiently. The paper finds that while OR has thus far contributed to improving the environmental performance of CTs (rather implicitly), this can be much further stepped up with more explicit incorporation of environmental considerations and better exploitation of BDA predictive modelling capabilities. New interdisciplinary research at the intersection of conventional CT optimisation problems, energy management and sizing, and net-zero technology and energy vectors adoption is also presented as a prominent line of future research

DISPATCHING AND CONFLICT-FREE ROUTING OF VEHICLES IN NEW CONCEPTUAL AUTOMATED CONTAINER TERMINALS

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

The synergistic effect of operational research and big data analytics in greening container terminal operations: A review and future directions

Container Terminals (CTs) are continuously presented with highly interrelated, complex, and uncertain planning tasks. The ever-increasing intensity of operations at CTs in recent years has also resulted in increasing environmental concerns, and they are experiencing an unprecedented pressure to lower their emissions. Operational Research (OR), as a key player in the optimisation of the complex decision problems that arise from the quay and land side operations at CTs, has been therefore presented with new challenges and opportunities to incorporate environmental considerations into decision making and better utilise the ‘big data’ that is continuously generated from the never-stopping operations at CTs. The state-of-the-art literature on OR's incorporation of environmental considerations and its interplay with Big Data Analytics (BDA) is, however, still very much underdeveloped, fragmented, and divergent, and a guiding framework is completely missing. This paper presents a review of the most relevant developments in the field and sheds light on promising research opportunities for the better exploitation of the synergistic effect of the two disciplines in addressing CT operational problems, while incorporating uncertainty and environmental concerns efficiently. The paper finds that while OR has thus far contributed to improving the environmental performance of CTs (rather implicitly), this can be much further stepped up with more explicit incorporation of environmental considerations and better exploitation of BDA predictive modelling capabilities. New interdisciplinary research at the intersection of conventional CT optimisation problems, energy management and sizing, and net-zero technology and energy vectors adoption is also presented as a prominent line of future research

Estudio sobre el avance del conocimiento en la automatización de las terminales portuarias de contenedores

[ES] Dada la alta competitividad del sector portuario, asi como la alta especializacion de los traficos, se intenta dar un valor an~adido a los clientes, y en especial a las navieras, que buscan tiempos de estancia bajos para poder maximizar la rentabilidad del buque. Por otro lado, y centrandose en el trafico de contenedores maritimos, los operadores de las terminales buscan una eficiencia en las operaciones, y en algunos casos, ademas, un aumento de la capacidad. Actualmente existe una tendencia de llevar a cabo la consecucion de los objetivos anteriores a partir de la automatizacion de la terminal. Esta tendencia de automatizacion ha crecido muy rapidamente desde la apertura en 1993 de la primera terminal de este tipo. Es por ello, que, este trabajo tiene como objetivo estudiar la evolucion de estas, enfocandose en los avances mas recientes, teniendo varias perspectivas. En primer lugar, se examina el avance en los distintos elementos que componen la terminal de contenedores automatizada, para posteriormente ver que problemas se han resuelto en el ambito academico. Finalmente se realizara un analisis de las terminales automatizadas y semiautomatizadas existentes.[CA] Donada l'alta competitivitat del sector portuari, aixi com l'alta especialitzacio dels tra`nsits, s'intenta donar un valor afegit als clients, i especialment a les navilieres, que busquen temps d'estada baixos per a poder maximitzar la rendibilitat del vaixell. D'altra banda, i centrant-se en el tra`nsit de contenidors maritims, els operadors de les terminals busquen una eficie`ncia en les operacions, i en alguns casos, a mes, un augment de la capacitat. Actualment existeix una tende`ncia de dur a terme la consecucio dels objectius anteriors a partir de l'automatitzacio de la terminal. Aquesta tende`ncia d'automatitzacio ha crescut molt ra`pidament des de l'obertura en 1993 de la primera terminal d'aquest tipus. Es per aixo`, que, aquest treball te com a objectiu estudiar l'evolucio d'aquestes, enfocant-se en els avancos mes recents, tenint diverses perspectives. En primer lloc, s'examina l'avanc en els diferents elements que componen la terminal de contenidors automatitzada, per a posteriorment veure quins problemes s'han resolt en l'a`mbit acade`mic. Finalment es realitzara` una ana`lisi de les terminals automatitzades i semiautomatitzades existents.[EN] The high competitiveness of port industry coupled with the specialization of maritime have resulted in rising the added value they place toward customers. The ones most affected are usually the shipping companies which seek short turnarounds to maximize the ship's cost-efficiency. Furthermore, -and focusing in the traffic of containers- terminal operator's aim is to ensure operations are efficient, and in some cases, to increase capacity. Current trends try to accomplish both goals with the automation of port container terminals. That trend of automation has rapidly expanded since its inception in 1993. This project will therefore study the evolution of said innovations, centring itself in the progress achieved recently. Firstly, this paper will discuss the evolution of the various elements that compose an automated terminal. Secondly, all problems present within said elements and already solved by the academia will be examined. Finally, an analysis of all existing automated and semi-automates terminals will be done.Baviera García, M. (2019). Estudio sobre el avance del conocimiento en la automatización de las terminales portuarias de contenedores. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/131784Archivo delegad

A study of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in Dublin Port in conjunction with the Intelligent Transport for Dynamic Environment (InTraDE) Project

In the last four decades the container as an essential part of a unit load-concept has achieved authentic importance in international sea freight transportation. With ever increasing containerization the number of port container terminals and competition among them has become quite remarkable. Port container operations are nowadays unthinkable without effective and efficient use of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) (Steenken & Stahlbock, 2004). The main problem in handling increasing levels of cargo is managing the internal traffic and optimizing space inside smaller and medium sized ports. A gap exists between automated cargo handling equipment that is suitable for use in the larger container terminals such as Rotterdam and its suitability in smaller terminals such as Dublin. A new generation of cargo handling technology has been designed in the form of an Intelligent Autonomous Vehicle (IAV). The IAV is a clean, safe, intelligent vehicle which will contribute to improving the traffic management and space optimization inside confined space by developing a clean, safe and intelligent transport system. This technology has been designed and developed as part of the ‘InTraDE’ (Intelligent Transport for Dynamic Environment) project to which the research has contributed. By using ITSs, logistics operations could be improved by enhancing the exchange of information and real-time status updates regarding different business operations in different modes of transportation (Schumacher et al., 2011). Maritime transport has recently gained increased attention, especially in connection to the building and further development of ITS (Pietrzykowski, 2010). This research looks at the main logistic processes and operations in port container terminals. It discusses the extent to which the terminal shipping operators in Dublin Port currently meet the demands of their customers and whether the introduction of ITS could enhance the efficiency and productivity of such services

Hierarchical modeling and analysis of container terminal operations

After the breakdown of trade barriers among countries, the volume of international trade has grown significantly in the last decade. This explosive growth in international trade has increased the importance of marine transportation which constitutes the major part of the global logistics network. The utilization of containers and container ships in marine transportation has also increased after the eighties due to various advantages such as packaging, flexibility, and reliability. Parallel to the container throughput, the capacities of ships and sizes of fleets as well as the number of terminals have been increased considerably. Substantial pressure of competition on ship operators and terminal managers has forced them to consider the issues regarding operational efficiency more deeply. Thus, the operational efficiency at port container terminals has become the major concern of terminal managers to satisfy the rapid transshipment of goods. In this thesis, we focus on a set of decision problems regarding container terminal operations. Since these problems are interrelated hierarchically, we attempt to model and analyze them consecutively. First, we consider the storage space allocation problem over a rolling horizon as an aggregate planning model. Since the model has the minimum cost flow network structure there exist polynomial time solution procedures via linear programming models. Although ship turnaround time is the principal performance criteria for whole container terminal operations, the total distances traveled by containers in the terminal throughout the planning horizon is determined as the surrogate objective function for the allocation model. The output of the storage space allocation problem is used as the input for the next step of our methodology, namely the location matching model. With the location matching model, the routes of vehicles for each time period have been identified while minimizing the total distance traveled by the vehicles, which reveals the ship turnaround times. The routes that are found subject to the output of storage space allocation models are better than those of random allocation in terms of total distances traveled. Next, the vehicle scheduling problem is discussed for different levels of complexity. The solution procedures proposed for similar problems in the machine scheduling literature are provided. Finally, we discuss the problem of simultaneous vehicle dispatching with precedence constraints. We have modeled the problem as a nonlinear mixed integer programming model and proposed an iterative solution procedure to obtain reasonable solutions in considerable times. Moreover, we have presented the worst-case performance analysis for this heuristic

Simulation Modelling in the service and repair Industry

Benco and Fakkel Armature Winding is a rewinding company in Middelburg that does rewiring of electrical motors and servicing of motors and industrial fans. The rate at which a service is being delivered is a major concern for the company. Certain department’s causes bottlenecks in the system. Simio Simulation modeling software will be used to build a simulation model on data gather from Benco and Fakkel Armature Winding. The company is considering the addition of two new departments, 1) Sandblasting department and 2) balancing department. The model will represent the current situation in the company and will be analyzed according to these data gathered. The model will be studied and analyzed to identify these problems that prohibit the company from performing to its full potential. For example what will the effect be if the company focused on only certain types of electrical motors to repair or how will they improve the overall performance of the company if they try to eliminate idle time in the different departments. The company has a lot of potential to introduce new methodologies into their system to improve the overall performance, thus research in this environment will be essential in delivering a solution. It’s important to know which process innovation methodologies to implement so that they could be applied to the service industry and delivering a result that is feasible. The focus for the project will mainly be on the Simulation modelling of the process flow from one department to the next. Research will be done on the implementation of two new departments that the company is considering to add to their system and what contradiction will these to departments have on the overall performance. A redesign on the current system and layout will be done, also a further analysis on the effect these changes will have on the new model of the company. Improvement of a system can have advantages and disadvantages depending on the way it was introduced into the system. It’s also important to identify core ideas from new technology and the value it can add to your system. From this onwards the company can make decisions on whether or not to implement these changes and what the effect will be on the system if these changes were implemented. In the final report there will be a in depth calculation cost of implementing these changes and comparison between alternatives the company can consider.Thesis (B Eng. (Industrial and Systems Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2012