Scheduling for yard cranes based on two-stage hybrid dynamic programming

    Zhan Bian Info
    Qi Xu Info
    Na Li Info
    Zhihong Jin Info

Abstract

Making operational plans for Yard Cranes (YCs) to enhance port efficiency has become vital issues for the container terminals. This paper discusses the load-scheduling problem of multiple YCs. The problem is to schedule two YCs at different container blocks, which serve the loading operations of one quay crane so as to minimize the total distance of visiting paths and the make-span at stack area. We consider the container handling time, the YC visiting time, and the waiting time of each YC when evaluating the make-span of the loading operation by YCs. Both the container bay visiting sequences and the number of containers picked up at each visit of the two YCs are determined simultaneously. A mathematical model, which considers interference between adjacent YCs, is provided by means of time-space network to formulate the problem and a two-stage hybrid algorithm composed of greedy algorithm and dynamic programming is developed to solve the proposed model. Numerical experiments were conducted to compare performances of the algorithm in this study with actual scheduling rules.

First published online 08 December 2016

Keywords:

container terminals, load-scheduling; greedy algorithm, dynamic programming, two-stage hybrid algorithm

How to Cite

Bian, Z., Xu, Q., Li, N., & Jin, Z. (2018). Scheduling for yard cranes based on two-stage hybrid dynamic programming. Transport, 33(2), 408–417. https://doi.org/10.3846/16484142.2016.1255993

Share

Published in Issue
January 26, 2018
Abstract Views
1032

References

Bian, Z.; Shao, Q.; Jin, Z. 2016. Optimization on the container loading sequence based on hybrid dynamic programming, Transport 31(4): 440–449. <a href= "http://doi.org/10.3846/16484142.2014.994563" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> http://doi.org/10.3846/16484142.2014.994563</a>

Chung, Y.-G.; Randhawa, S. U.; McDowell, E. D. 1988. A simulation analysis for a transtainer-based container handling facility, Computers & Industrial Engineering 14(2): 113–125. <a href= "http://doi.org/10.1016/0360-8352(88)90020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> http://doi.org/10.1016/0360-8352(88)90020-4</a>

Han, X. L. 2005. Routing problem of transfer crane at container terminals, Journal of Shanghai Maritime University 26(2): 39–41. (in Chinese).

Han, X.-L.; Ding, Y.-Z. 2008. Yard crane allocation and optimization in container terminal, Navigation of China 31(1): 6–14. (in Chinese).

He, J.; Mi, W.; Yan, W. 2007. Container yard crane scheduling based on hill-climbing algorithm, Journal of Shanghai Maritime University 28(4): 11–15. (in Chinese).

Kim, K. H.; Kim, K. Y. 1999. An optimal routing algorithm for a transfer crane in port container terminals, Transportation Science 33(1): 17–33. <a href= "http://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.33.1.17" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> http://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.33.1.17</a>

Kim, K. Y.; Kim, K. H. 2003. Heuristic algorithms for routing yard-side equipment for minimizing loading times in container terminals, Naval Research Logistics 50(5): 498–514. <a href= "http://doi.org/10.1002/nav.10076" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> http://doi.org/10.1002/nav.10076</a>

Kim, K. Y.; Kim, K. H. 1997. A routing algorithm for a single transfer crane to load export containers onto a containership, Computers & Industrial Engineering 33(3–4): 673-676. <a href= "http://doi.org/10.1016/S0360-8352(97)00219-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> http://doi.org/10.1016/S0360-8352(97)00219-2</a>

Kim, K. H.; Lee, K. M.; Hwang, H. 2003. Sequencing delivery and receiving operations for yard cranes in port container terminals, International Journal of Production Economics 84(3): 283–292. <a href= "http://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-5273(02)00466-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> http://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-5273(02)00466-8</a>

Kim K. H.; Park, Y. M. 2004. A crane scheduling method for port container terminals, European Journal of Operational Research 156: 752–768. <a href= "http://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-2217(03)00133-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> http://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-2217(03)00133-4</a>

Lee, D.-H.; Cao, Z.; Meng, Q. 2007. Scheduling of two-transtainer systems for loading outbound containers in port container terminals with simulated annealing algorithm, International Journal of Production Economics 107(1): 115–124. <a href= "http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2006.08.003" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2006.08.003</a>

Lee, D.-H.; Meng, Q.; Cao, Z. 2006. Scheduling two-transtainer systems for loading operation of containers using revised genetic algorithm, in TRB 85th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers CD-ROM, 22–26 January 2006, Washington, DC, US, 1–13.

Narasimhan, A.; Palekar, U. S. 2002. Analysis and algorithms for the transtainer routing problem in container port operations, Transportation Science 36(1): 63–78. <a href= "http://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.36.1.63.576" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> http://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.36.1.63.576</a>

Ng, W. C. 2005. Crane scheduling in container yards with inter-crane interference, European Journal of Operational Research 164(1): 64–78. <a href= "http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2003.11.025" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2003.11.025</a>

Ng, W. C.; Mak, K. L. 2005a. An effective heuristic for scheduling a yard crane to handle jobs with different ready times, Engineering Optimization 37(8): 867–877. <a href= "http://doi.org/10.1080/03052150500323849" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> http://doi.org/10.1080/03052150500323849</a>

Ng, W. C.; Mak, K. L. 2005b. Yard crane scheduling in port container terminals, Applied Mathematical Modelling 29(3): 263–267. <a href= "http://doi.org/10.1016/j.apm.2004.09.009" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> http://doi.org/10.1016/j.apm.2004.09.009</a>

Wie, Z.; Shen, J.; Xiao, R.; Zhang, Z.; Shi, D. 2007. Research on rubber tired gantry crane scheduling of port container terminal, Engineering Sciences 9(8): 47–51. (in Chinese).

Zhang, C.; Wan, Y. W.; Liu, J.; Linn, R. J. 2002. Dynamic crane deployment in container storage yards, Transportation Research Part B: Methodological 36(6): 537–555. <a href= "http://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-2615(01)00017-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> http://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-2615(01)00017-0</a>

View article in other formats

CrossMark check

CrossMark logo

Published

2018-01-26

Issue

Section

Original Article

How to Cite

Bian, Z., Xu, Q., Li, N., & Jin, Z. (2018). Scheduling for yard cranes based on two-stage hybrid dynamic programming. Transport, 33(2), 408–417. https://doi.org/10.3846/16484142.2016.1255993

Share