Simulation of Transportation Activities in Automated Seaport Container Terminals

A container terminal represents a complex system with highly dynamic interactions between the various handling, transportation and storage units and incomplete knowledge about future events. Hence, decentralized planning is the only realistic mode to govern logistics control of automated container terminals. We classify the specific logistics planning and control issues arising in seaport container terminals with respect to the decision level (terminal design, operative planning, real-time control) and the type of handling equipment involved. In particular, the efficient use of transportation equipment determines the performance of the entire terminal. A simulation study of transportation activities in container terminals is presented, where automated vehicles can be employed in different dispatching modes. The design of the simulation study reflects conditions, which are typical of a real automated terminal environment. Major experimental factors are the size of the terminal and the degree of stochastic variations. The main issues addressed in the simulation experiments are the relative performance of various transportation modes and dispatching strategies and the impact of stochastic variations in handling and transportation times. In addition, directions of future research are highlighted, for instance, the application of local search principles for vehicle scheduling and approaches for integrated scheduling of cranes and vehicles.