Solving the generalized multi-port container stowage planning problem by a matheuristic algorithm

Stowage plan, which is planning for a reasonable movement of containers, plays an important role in enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of container terminals. The time required for handling containerships also depends on the operations of quay cranes, which is one of the most expensive equipment in container terminals. Hence, this paper integrates stowage planning and crane split problem to minimize the total berthing time at each visiting port over the voyage. A new mathematical model is developed, which covers a wide range of operational and structural constraints for both stowage plan and crane operation. An improved genetic algorithm based on a novel encoding mode of assignment strategies, including container grouping and operation strategies, is designed to solve the problem, which also introduces penalty operations to solve the infeasible solutions. Finally, some computational experiments are carried out. Firstly, three small-sized experiments are implemented to verify the feasibility of the proposed model and algorithm. Secondly, large-sized experiments with 5 ports, 3385 containers, and 2 quay cranes show that the proposed approach can solve the integration problem with different productivity of quay cranes effectively and decrease the berthing time by 6.0%. Eventually, a comparison experiment with 5 ports, 5752 containers, and 2 quay cranes is conducted, and the results indicate that the proposed algorithm results in 62.3% and 87.7% decrease in the total number of rehandling times and computational time. Meanwhile, the results also show that the proposed algorithm can be convergent. So the proposed algorithm is effective and efficient in solving the integration problem and enhancing the efficiency of container terminals.

show abstract

“…Then they proposed a matheuristic procedure, namely an insert-and-fix heuristic, to solve the SPP. 25…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Then they proposed a matheuristic procedure, namely an insert-and-fix heuristic, to solve the SPP. 25 Other relevant papers include a variant of the SPP where the reshuffling cost is not identical for all ports (Zhang et al 26 ) and a multi-port master bay planning problem variant with weight uncertainty (Li et al 27 ).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solving integrated problem of stowage planning with crane split by an improved genetic algorithm based on novel encoding mode

Chang

Hamedi

Haghani

2022

Measurement and Control

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, research showed fewer systems exist in the market that monitor these critical parameters and detect flaws in the operations in due time [2]. Novel solutions mainly deal with optimisation problems related to optimal stacking, allocation in the terminal, transportation and other managerial tasks [3][4][5]. Other systems rely on visual inspection techniques and research methods [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Statistical Evaluation of the Impacts Detection Methodology (IDM) to Detect Critical Damage Occurrences during Quay Cranes Handling Operations

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

During various marine container handling operations, performed mainly in larger-scale container terminals, containers get damaged regularly. Our previous studies showed that each physical impact results in some form of physical deformation of the backbone structure. Even at low accelerations, the spreaders of the quay cranes impact the containers with enough force to substantially bend the metal parts of the corners of the containers, when additional hooking procedures are required. This means that the first time resulted in the metal rods hitting the metal frame with an average 15-ton mass at the average speed of 1.7 m/s. The metal rods of the hooking mechanisms’ impact areas of the containers are structurally important, and each impact surely damages the containers, diminishing their total operational time. We have already proposed the Impacts Detection Methodology (IDM) and its application system, tested in Klaipeda City port, and it proved to be efficient in real-time operations, detecting concurrent impacts with each new handling cycle. In this paper, we provide a summarisation of a larger number of detections using the IDM, and as a result of this analysis, we have detected that more impact events happen when containers are taken from the upper parts of the ship, in comparison to the ones taken from the shafts. Results suggest that more critical events occur due to operator actions and experiences working with the machinery, yet the same operators tend to make fewer impact mistakes taking the containers from the shafts as the vertical cell guides tend to direct the movements and lower the levels of the natural sway of the spreader inside closed environments. This surely damages the metal infrastructure of the shafts, as seen in our previous study, but minimizes the chances of secondary impacts occurring during hooking.

show abstract

“…Depending on the structure, container ships can have several holds, specific spaces on the ship that can hold containers vertically, and which are divided into two parts depending on whether they are on-deck or under-deck (i.e., in the hold) within the ship’s hull. Containers have exact cells, i.e., positions in these bays, along the ship’s length [ 3 ]. Vertical cell guides are relatively simple structures that are serve to guide the containers inside the holds during their lowering and extraction.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detecting Shipping Container Impacts with Vertical Cell Guides inside Container Ships during Handling Operations

Jakovlev

Eglynas

Vozňák

et al. 2022

Sensors

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Due to the mechanical nature of container handling operations, as well as natural factors, container and handling infrastructure suffers various types of damage during use, especially within the tight and enclosed environments of a ship’s hull. In this operational environment, it is critical to detect any sort of physical impacts between the vertical cell guides of the ship’s hull and the container. Currently, an inspection of impacts and evaluation of any consequences is performed manually, via visual inspection processes. This process is time-consuming and relies on the technical expertise of the personnel involved. In this paper, we propose a five-step impact-detection methodology (IDM), intended to detect only the most significant impact events based on acceleration data. We conducted real measurements in a container terminal using a sensory device placed on the spreader of the quay crane. The proposed solution identified an average of 12.8 container impacts with the vertical cell guides during common handling operations. In addition, the results indicate that the presented IDM can be used to recognize repeated impacts in the same space of each bay of the ship, and can be used as a decision support tool for predictive maintenance systems.

show abstract

Solving the generalized multi-port container stowage planning problem by a matheuristic algorithm

Cited by 17 publications

References 21 publications

Solving integrated problem of stowage planning with crane split by an improved genetic algorithm based on novel encoding mode

Solving integrated problem of stowage planning with crane split by an improved genetic algorithm based on novel encoding mode

Statistical Evaluation of the Impacts Detection Methodology (IDM) to Detect Critical Damage Occurrences during Quay Cranes Handling Operations

Detecting Shipping Container Impacts with Vertical Cell Guides inside Container Ships during Handling Operations

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About