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Operational RMGC-Planning Problems

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Book cover Design and Operation of Automated Container Storage Systems

Part of the book series: Contributions to Management Science ((MANAGEMENT SC.))

Abstract

The operational performance of automated RMGC systems is to a large extent determined by the planning strategies applied for container stacking, crane scheduling and crane routing. In the present chapter, these operational planning problems are addressed in depth. It is started with the container-stacking problem. After reviewing and classifying existing stacking strategies, a new stacking approach is presented, which allows for a weighted combination of different stacking strategies, and a procedure for generating and scheduling housekeeping moves is introduced. Thereafter, the crane-scheduling problem is addressed. After this problem is discussed and an overview on known solution approaches is given, some new scheduling strategies are presented which are based on priority rules, integer programming, enumeration and genetic algorithms. Finally, the problem of routing RMGCs is introduced, relevant literature for that problem is discussed and different claiming-based routing strategies are presented.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The kinematic equations for the computation of driving, acceleration and deceleration times as well as for acceleration and deceleration distances (Hering et al. 2009) can be used to compute the time duration for movements of a steadily accelerated/decelerated portal, trolley and spreader between two positions as

    $$m = \frac{v} {a} + \frac{1} {v} \times \left (l -\frac{{v}^{2}} {2a} -\frac{{v}^{2}} {2b}\right ) + \frac{v} {b},$$

    where the time for acceleration to the maximum velocity, the driving time with the maximum velocity and the time for deceleration to the stop are given by the first, second and third terms of the sum. Simplifying this equation yields

    $$m = \frac{l} {v} + \frac{v} {2a} + \frac{v} {2b}.$$

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  1. University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Nils Kemme

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Kemme, N. (2013). Operational RMGC-Planning Problems. In: Design and Operation of Automated Container Storage Systems. Contributions to Management Science. Physica, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7908-2885-6_5

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