Journal of Applied Sciences

Year: 2013 | Volume: 13 | Issue: 22 | Page No.: 5434-5439
DOI: 10.3923/jas.2013.5434.5439

Study on Container Yard Pick-up Operations based on Distributed Decision-making

Yang Xiaoming, Zhao Ning, Chai Jiaqi, Liu Haiwei and Mi Chao

Abstract: In this study, a state-of-the-art strategy of distributed decision-making is proposed for pick-up operations in a container yard which secures an important position during the container handling process. According to the pick-up principles in the storage yard and corresponding practical experience, a distributed decision-making algorithm is formulated which is intended to assist yard operators to figure out the best solution, thus maximally raising operational efficiency in container yard and avoiding unnecessary traffic congestions of container trucks. Moreover, the workflow of yard cranes is efficiently optimized to reduce their movement frequency. In the entire decision-making process, numerous workloads are distributed to all yard cranes. The optimal scheme will be generated after individual computation for each yard crane. Numerical tests are carried out and their results show the effectiveness and feasibility of the algorithm. The application of the proposed theory provides a practical significance to improve operational efficiency when picking up containers.

Keywords: Distributed decision-making, container yard, pick-up operation and operational efficiency

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