An advanced cargo handling system operating at sea

Mobile Harbor (MH) was recently proposed by KAIST as a novel maritime cargo transfer system that can go out to a container ship anchored in deep water and handle containers at sea. Since the system operates in at-sea conditions with waves and wind, the MH crane should be designed to suppress the swing motion of a spreader and compensate the relative motion between the MH and a container ship. For that purpose, we devised a state-of-the-art crane system equipped with a dual stage trolley, tension controller, and intelligent spreader with 3 degrees of freedom. We also integrated a robust sensing system to measure remote motions in harsh open-sea condition. With these advanced systems, we achieved swing free, position, tilting, and heave control systems for precise and safe cargo transfer. Experimental results with a 1/20 scale MH crane show the feasibility of the proposed system for at-sea cargo transfer.     

Topology optimization of the primary mirror of a multi-spectral camera

A study of the topology optimization of a multi-spectral camera for space-use is presented. The optimization is carried out under self-weight and polishing pressure loading. As an objective function, a measure of Strehl ratio is used. Total mass of the primary mirror is given as a constraint to the optimization problem. The sensitivities of the objective function and constraint are calculated by direct differentiation method. The optimization procedure is carried out by an optimality criteria method. For the light-weight primary mirror design, a three dimensional model is treated. As a preliminary example, topology optimization considering a self-weight loading is treated. In the second example, the polishing pressure is also included as a loading in the topology optimization of the mirror. Results of the optimized design topology for the mirror with various mass constraints are presented. Received September 3, 2001 RID="*" ID="*"A shorter version of this paper was presented at ISSMO’s Fourth World Congress in 2001, in Dalian, China. Dr Park was awarded for it the ISSMO/Springer prize for young scientists-2001     

考虑泊位偏好和岸桥移动的泊位岸桥联合调度

为了更高效地利用码头资源,同时考虑泊位资源和岸桥资源,建立了考虑泊位偏好和岸桥移动频数的泊位岸桥联合调度两阶段模型.第一阶段模型采用船舶到港时间可变的到港策略,建立了以船舶等待成本、泊位偏离成本、延迟离港成本之和最小为目标的混合整数规划模型.第二阶段模型考虑了岸桥的干扰约束,建立了以岸桥移动频数最小为目标的整数规划模型...     

A fast heuristic for quay crane scheduling with interference constraints

This paper considers the problem of scheduling quay cranes which are used at sea port container terminals to load and unload containers. This problem is studied intensively in a recent stream of research but still lacks a correct treatment of crane interference constraints. We present a revised optimization model for the scheduling of quay cranes and propose a heuristic solution procedure. At its core a Branch-and-Bound algorithm is applied for searching a subset of above average quality schedules. The heuristic takes advantage from efficient criteria for branching and bounding the search with respect to the impact of crane interference. Although the used techniques are quite standard, the new heuristic produces much better solutions in considerably shorter run times than all algorithms known from the literature.     

船闸人字门背拉杆预应力优化设计

为有效提高船闸闸门的扭转刚度、减小闸门的扭转变形,对某大型船闸人字门背拉杆预应力进行优化.介绍船闸人字门线性规划函数形式的优化设计方法,计算在自重和单项载荷作用下背拉杆的应力和位移;综合考虑人字门门体的扭转和下垂变形的影响,建立改进线性规划的预应力优化设计模型,获得的若干预应力优化值可供现场调试参考.     

Payload pendulation and position control systems for an offshore container crane with adaptive‐gain sliding mode control

When container ports are not available for heavy ships, the offshore ship‐to‐ship transfer operation is an alternative method to an inland container terminal. This process is performed between a large container ship and a smaller ship, which is equipped with a container crane, called the mobile harbor or the ship‐mounted crane. The sea‐state condition is a crucial factor in open‐sea operations. The presence of waves, wind, and current disturbances excite the pendulum oscillations of the crane's hanging container. In this study, the problem of payload pendulation and container position for an offshore container crane using an adaptive‐gain sliding mode control (SMC) scheme is investigated. The primary control task during the loading and unloading process is to keep the container in the desired region under the harsh oceanic environment. The proposed control architecture incorporates an adaptive‐gain SMC with a compensation part and a prediction mechanism. Therein, a sliding surface is design to combine the desired sway motion of the payload with the desired trolley trajectory. Furthermore, a varying control gain is proposed in the sliding control, obtained by an adaption law that transitions the system into sliding mode. By constructing an appropriate Lyapunov function, we show that the proposed control law ensures the asymptotic stability of the ship‐mounted crane. Numerical simulations are presented to show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed control system.     

Conceptual design of aeroelastic structures by topology optimization

A topology optimization methodology is presented for the conceptual design of aeroelastic structures accounting for the fluid–structure interaction. The geometrical layout of the internal structure, such as the layout of stiffeners in a wing, is optimized by material topology optimization. The topology of the wet surface, that is, the fluid–structure interface, is not varied. The key components of the proposed methodology are a Sequential Augmented Lagrangian method for solving the resulting large-scale parameter optimization problem, a staggered procedure for computing the steady-state solution of the underlying nonlinear aeroelastic analysis problem, and an analytical adjoint method for evaluating the coupled aeroelastic sensitivities. The fluid–structure interaction problem is modeled by a three-field formulation that couples the structural displacements, the flow field, and the motion of the fluid mesh. The structural response is simulated by a three-dimensional finite element method, and the aerodynamic loads are predicted by a three-dimensional finite volume discretization of a nonlinear Euler flow. The proposed methodology is illustrated by the conceptual design of wing structures. The optimization results show the significant influence of the design dependency of the loads on the optimal layout of flexible structures when compared with results that assume a constant aerodynamic load.     

Optimum material design of minimum structural compliance under seepage constraint

In filtration and chemical engineering industry the load carrying capacity and seepage performances are very important for a successful filter design. We study a two-scale structural design optimization problem to minimize structural compliance under given seepage flow rate and material porosity constraints. Structural size, shape and topology are given because of other functional requirements. Structural material used is macro homogeneous porous material with periodic microstructure and is to be designed. Since structural compliance and seepage performances in macro-scale are implicit functions of material microstructural topology, it becomes a two-scale design optimization problem. The cross scale sensitivities are derived by the adjoint method. A new volume preserving nonlinear density filter is proposed which makes the process of optimization iteration more stable. The optimization problem is solved by GCMMA. Examples under the equality constraints of different seepage flow rate are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of two-scale design optimization formulation and solution approach.     

A modified genetic algorithm for quay crane scheduling operations

The demand for the maritime transportation has significantly increased over the past 20 years due to the rapid pace of globalization. Terminal managers confront the challenge in establishing the appropriate quay crane schedule to achieve the earliest departure time of ship and provide efficient service. In general, quay crane schedule problems include two main issues (1) the allocation of quay cranes to handle the discharging and loading operations, and (2) the service sequence of ship bays in a vessel of each quay crane. Traditionally, the terminal planners determine the quay crane schedule based on their experience and own judgment. In addition, the interference among cranes and the increased in ship size further magnify its difficulty dramatically. Accordingly, this paper proposed a modified genetic algorithm to deal with the problem. To test the optimization reliability of the proposed algorithm, a set of well known benchmarking problem is solved, and the results obtained are being compared with other well known existing algorithms. The comparison demonstrates that the proposed algorithm performs as good as many existing algorithms and obtains better solutions than the best known ones in certain instances. In addition, the computational time(s) required are significantly much lesser, allowing it to be more applicable in practical situation.     

A quay crane dynamic scheduling problem by hybrid evolutionary algorithm for berth allocation planning

A considerable growth in worldwide container transportation needs essential optimization of terminal operations. An operation schedule for berth and quay cranes can significantly affect turnaround time of ships, which is an important objective of all schedules in a port. This paper addresses the problem of determining the berthing position and time of each ship as well as the number of quay cranes assigned to each ship. The objective of the problem is to minimize the sum of the handling time, waiting time and the delay time for every ship. We introduce a formulation for the simultaneous berth and quay crane scheduling problem. Next, we combine genetic algorithm with heuristic to find an approximate solution for the problem. Computational experiments show that the proposed approaches are applicable to solve this difficult but essential terminal operation problem.     

Simultaneous design of components layout and supporting structures using coupled shape and topology optimization technique

The purpose of this paper was to study the layout design of the components and their supporting structures in a finite packing space. A coupled shape and topology optimization (CSTO) technique is proposed. On one hand, by defining the location and orientation of each component as geometric design variables, shape optimization is carried out to find the optimal layout of these components and a finite-circle method (FCM) is used to avoid the overlap between the components. On the other hand, the material configuration of the supporting structures that interconnect components is optimized simultaneously based on topology optimization method. As the FE mesh discretizing the packing space, i.e., design domain, has to be updated itertively to accommodate the layout variation of involved components, topology design variables, i.e., density variables assigned to density points that are distributed regularly in the entire design domain will be introduced in this paper instead of using traditional pseudo-density variables associated with finite elements as in standard topology optimization procedures. These points will thus dominate the pseudo-densities of the surrounding elements. Besides, in the CSTO, the technique of embedded mesh is used to save the computing time of the remeshing procedure, and design sensitivities are calculated w.r.t both geometric variables and density variables. In this paper, several design problems maximizing structural stiffness are considered subject to the material volume constraint. Reasonable designs of components layout and supporting structures are obtained numerically.     

大型门座式起重机钢结构的创新优化设计

介绍大型门座式起重机钢结构的创新优化设计,通过建立三维实体模型的方式,分析起重机的6种不利工况的载荷组合及载荷情况;根据门座式起重机的特点,列出吊重在不同工作幅度的5种工况并分别建立子模型;另外,通过其有限元强度分析构建出其各个工况的应力云图。     

Integrated layout design of supports and structures

Based on the previously proposed techniques for the integrated layout optimization of multi-component system, this paper is to demonstrate further developments and applications of the related techniques in the integrated layout design of supports and structures. The design procedure mainly consists of two parts. Firstly, the layout of the supports is described with the positions of movable support components on the specified boundary of the design domain. These components are partially embedded into the design domain and subjected to the applied boundary conditions. Secondly, the layout optimization of the support components and the structure is carried out. Locations of the support components and the pseudo-densities defined on the density points are assumed as geometrical and topological design variables, respectively. Geometrical constraints are imposed to avoid the overlap of multiple components. The technique of embedded meshing is employed to adapt the topology optimization to the variation of the finite element mesh caused by the component movement. Varieties of numerical examples are finally tested to validate the proposed method. Both surface load and self-weight load are taken into account. More complexities of partially supported components are introduced in the presented examples.     

Conceptual and detailed design of an automotive engine cradle by using topology,shape, and size optimization

An automotive engine cradle supports many crucial components and systems, such as an engine, transmission, and suspension. Important performance measures for the design of an engine cradle include stiffness, natural frequency, and durability, while minimizing weight is of primary concern. This paper presents an effective and efficient methodology for engine cradle design from conceptual design to detailed design using design optimization. First, topology optimization was applied on a solid model which only contains the possible engine cradle design space, and an optimum conceptual design was determined which minimizes weight while satisfying all stiffness constraints. Based on topology optimization results, a design review was conducted, and a revised model was created which addresses all structural and manufacturability concerns. Shape and size optimization was then performed in the detailed design stage to further minimize the mass while meeting the stiffness and natural frequency targets. Lastly, the final design was validated for durability. The initial design domain had the mass of 82.6 kg; topology optimization in conceptual design reduced the mass to 26.7 kg; and the detailed design task involving shape and size optimization further reduced the mass to 21.4 kg.     

Modeling and solving rich quay crane scheduling problems

The quay crane scheduling problem is a core task of managing maritime container terminals. In this planning problem, discharge and load operations of containers of a ship are scheduled on a set of deployed quay cranes. In this paper, we provide a rich model for quay crane scheduling that covers important issues of practical relevance like crane-individual service rates, ready times and due dates for cranes, safety requirements, and precedence relations among container groups. Focus is put on the incorporation of so-called unidirectional schedules into the model, by which cranes move along the same direction, either from bow to stern or from stern to bow, when serving the vessel. For solving the problem, we employ a branch-and-bound scheme that is known to be the best available solution method for a class of less rich quay crane scheduling problems. This scheme is extended by revising and extending the contained lower bounds and branching criteria. Moreover, a novel Timed Petri Net approach is developed and incorporated into the scheme for determining the starting times of the discharge and load operations in a schedule. Numerical experiments are carried out on both, sets of benchmark instances taken from the literature and real instances from the port of Gioia Tauro, Italy. The experiments confirm that the new method provides high quality solutions within short runtimes. It delivers new best solutions for some of the benchmark problems from the literature. It also shows capable of coping with rich real world problem instances where it outperforms the planning approach applied by practitioners.     

基于船时效率的岸桥配置优化

在集装箱码头系统中,对船舶进行有效的岸桥配置有助于缓解岸边资源紧张的现状,提高码头的运营效率。针对连续泊位下动态到港船舶的泊位分配和岸桥配置的集成优化问题,对船舶的岸桥配置进行基于船时效率的动态调整,以最小化包括船舶延迟靠泊成本、偏离偏好泊位成本、延迟离港成本和岸桥重新配置成本在内的总成本为目标建立模型,并根据基于船时效率的岸桥配置的调整规则设计了启发式算法,结合遗传算法（GA）对问题进行求解。最终通过算例分析,验证了提出的模型和算法在解决实际港口中泊位分配和岸桥配置问题上的有效性,并通过与未考虑岸桥配置进一步调整的传统GA计算的结果进行比较,证实了提出算法的优化效果。     

Motion planning for three-dimensional overhead cranes with high-speed load hoisting

This paper proposes a systematic anti-swing motion-planning method for three-dimensional overhead cranes, based on the load-swing dynamics of a two-dimensional overhead crane. First, a model-following anti-swing control law is designed based on the load-swing dynamics of a two-dimensional overhead crane, where the Lyapunov stability theorem is used as a mathematical tool. Then a new anti-swing motion-planning scheme is designed for a two-dimensional overhead crane based on the model-following anti-swing control law and typical crane operation in practice. Finally, the new anti-swing motion-planning scheme is extended for a three-dimensional overhead crane, based on the geometric relationship between a three-dimensional overhead crane and its two-dimensional counterpart. As a result, the proposed method avoids solving the load-swing dynamics of a three-dimensional overhead crane which is much more complicated than that of its two-dimensional counterpart. Furthermore, the proposed method can be applied to any existing overhead cranes without increasing their actuator torque capacity. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by generating high-performance anti-swing trajectories with high-speed long-distance load hoisting.     

干扰约束下考虑分组作业面的岸桥AGV联合调度

为解决自动化码头海侧多阶段设备作业的协调问题,加快集装箱在码头内部的周转过程。考虑干扰约束下分组作业面的的岸桥自动导引小车（AGV）联合调度问题。以岸桥、AGV完工时间和AGV等待时间加权总和最小为目标,考虑岸桥实际操作中的干扰约束与AGV堵塞等待等情况,建立岸桥与AGV联合调度优化模型。提出岸桥动态调度与AGV分组作业面调度模式,设计不同规模的算例,并采用遗传算法（GA）进行求解,将计算结果与传统调度模式进行对比。结果表明,该算法能有效提高岸桥与AGV作业效率,降低AGV的等待时间与堵塞次数,为码头实际作业提供依据。     

Artificial neural network based hole image interpretation techniques for integrated topology and shape optimization

Homogenization based and density based topology optimization seeks the best conceptual structural configuration on a predefined design domain with specific boundary and loading conditions. Such structural configuration is most often the minimum-compliance design under a fixed material usage constraint. Shape optimization must be subsequently executed so as to ensure the satisfaction of other practical design constraints such as stress and displacement, and attain the detailed definition of the structure configuration with a smooth circumference and interior hole contours. Complicated procedures involved in connection between topology and shape optimization are major obstacle for most design engineers to overcome. A fully automated configuration optimization system was developed [C.Y. Lin, L.S. Chao, Automated image interpretation for integrated topology and shape optimization, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization 20(2) (2000) 125–137] to execute the entire configuration design process automatically with room of improvements in the hole representation templates and hole interpretation reliabilities. In response, this paper proposes two-stage artificial neural networks based hole image interpretation techniques with improved template variety and recognition reliability.