MicroPort: A general simulation platform for seaport container terminals

Seaport container terminals are essential nodes in sea cargo transportation networks. As such, the operational efficiency of container terminals in handling containers passing through them plays a critical role in a globalized world economy. Many models and algorithms have been developed to address various decision problems in container terminals to help improve operational efficiency. These decision support tools are usually used separately for specific purposes. However, the problems they are trying to tackle are often interrelated. Therefore, in this regard, an evaluation tool which can capture as many operational conditions as possible for different decision problems is necessary. This paper introduces a general simulation platform, named MicroPort, which aims to provide an integrated and flexible modeling system for evaluating the operational capability and efficiency of different designs of seaport container terminals. The software structure of MicroPort comprises three programming layers: (1) the Functions layer; (2) the Applications layer; and (3) the Extensions layer. Different layers are bound by Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Basic functions built in the Functions layer support the Applications layer in which major operation processes can be modeled by an agent-based method. External modules and decision support tools in the Extensions layer then use APIs to adjust the system to produce suitable simulation models for specific purposes.     

基于容器的Web运行环境轻量级虚拟化方法

Web运行环境、Web服务及Web应用的虚拟化是减轻Web操作系统安全风险的一种有效方法,然而Web运行环境的虚拟化仍然存在不少挑战,如：执行时间、资源负载和兼容性等。为解决Web操作系统在安全性、执行时间、资源负载和兼容性方面的问题,提出了一种Web运行环境轻量级虚拟化方法,采用Docker容器技术实现进程级别的隔离。本虚拟化方法可在一个基本内核上支持运行多种Web运行环境的容器。此外,为了减轻容器创建负载,提出了容器启动机制;为减轻系统资源负载,进行了系统的轻量化处理。在嵌入式设备的实验结果表明,该虚拟化方法在执行时间、资源负载及兼容性方面都具有较优表现。     

An analytical framework for integrated maritime terminal scheduling problems with time windows

Container transport, an integral part of intercontinental trade, has steadily increased over the past few decades. The productivity of such a system, in part, hinges on the efficient allocation of terminal resources such that the container transit time is minimized. This study provides an analytical framework, which entails efficient scheduling of quay and yard cranes, to minimize the time spent by containers at a terminal. A mixed-integer programming model is developed to capture the two-stage multi-processor characteristic of the problem, where each crane has specific time window availability. A genetic algorithm equipped with a novel decoding procedure is developed. The mixed-integer model is tested on a number of problem instances of varying sizes to gain managerial insights.     

试议港口集卡调度算法模型分析

随着我国集装箱吞吐量的快速增长,集装箱港口对作业效率的要求也越来越高。在现有作业技术水平和硬件设备、设施的基础上实现作业效率的提高,已经成为集装箱港口发展所面临的重要问题。从集装箱港口作业的一个环节——集卡作业入手,分析提高集卡利用率,进而带动整个港口作业效率的提高。     

基于PLC的港口集装箱码头装卸模型下位机控制系统设计

根据港口集装箱码头装卸作业的实际情况,基于PLC,设计装卸模型所对应的下位机控制系统,并介绍设计过程中的技术要点、注意事项.     

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.     

Agent based simulation architecture for evaluating operational policies in transshipping containers

An agent based simulator for evaluating operational policies in the transshipment of containers in a container terminal is described. The simulation tool, called SimPort, is a decentralized approach to simulating managers and entities in a container terminal. Real data from two container terminals are used as input for evaluating eight transshipment policies. The policies concern the sequencing of ships, berth allocation, and stacking rule. They are evaluated with respect to a number of aspects, such as, turn-around time for ships and traveled distance of straddle carriers. The simulation results indicate that a good choice in yard stacking and berthing position policies can lead to faster ship turn-around times. For instance, in the terminal studied the Overall-Time-Shortening policy offers fast turn-around times when combined with a Shortest-Job-First sequencing of arriving ships.     

An efficient placement heuristic for three-dimensional rectangular packing

By embodying the spirit of “gold corner, silver side and strawy void” directly on the candidate packing place such that the searching space is reduced considerably, and by utilizing the characteristic of weakly heterogeneous problems that many items are in the same size, a fit degree algorithm (FDA) is proposed for solving a classical 3D rectangular packing problem, container loading problem. Experiments show that FDA works well on the complete set of 1500 instances proposed by Bischoff, Ratcliff and Davies. Especially for the 800 difficult strongly heterogeneous instances among them, FDA outperforms other algorithms with an average volume utilization of 91.91%, which to our knowledge is 0.45% higher than current best result just reported in 2010.     

Institutional pressures and mindful IT management: The case of a container terminal in China

Although it has been only ten years in operations, Yantian International Container Terminals Limited (YICT) has evolved as a world-class container terminal and become the first Chinese port to receive the Best Global Container Port of the Year award for 2005–2006, as well as being designated China's best container terminal in terms of operational efficiency for 2008. A success factor of YICT is its extensive use of IT in managing and enhancing the productivity and services of the port operations. Premised upon Institutional Theory and the organizational mindfulness perspectives (preoccupation with failure and success, reluctance to simplify interpretations, sensitivity to operations, commitment to resilience, and reliance on expertise over formal authority) and using case study methodology, we examined the institutional pressures faced by YICT in its IT management (ITM), and determined how YICT coped with its institutional pressures during its IT development.     

A DSS for integrated distribution of empty and full containers

A DSS integrating empty and full containers transshipment operations is presented, addressing the typically unbalanced export/import containers trading problem. The problem is modeled as a network, where nodes represent customers, leasing companies, harbors and warehouses, while arcs represent transportation routes. The underlying mathematical model operates in stages, first prioritizing and adjusting full containers demands considering available empty containers supplies, and then statically optimizing costs. Transportation routes are registered and dynamically controlled, cyclically, for a given time horizon. The DSS is flexible, allowing several parameters to be configured. Experimental examples using randomly generated parameters were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the system.