An Object-Oriented Architecture for the Simulation of Networks of Cargo Terminal Operations

Abstract

A new object-oriented architecture to simulate a network of cargo terminals is presented. The architecture simulates the complete flow of military cargo at an entity level, from multiple U.S.-based installations to a set of destinations within a theater of operations located anywhere in the world. The architecture deals with resource and infrastructure allocations and competition within each terminal in the network, as well as between the terminals, to identify conflicts that may arise. The architecture is a hierarchical, nodal model moving individual pieces of cargo through a network of cargo terminals, and within an individual cargo terminal through a network of physical processing areas. The architecture is capable of simulating cargo terminals around the world under various scenario conditions. It is impractical and expensive to conduct actual exercises to study the efficiency of a deployment. Simulating this process provides a viable alternative for testing these strategies and for evaluating technologies. It also enables an analysis of the simulation results for improved efficiency and throughput within the confines of resources and infrastructure availability. The new architecture is described as well as an example case study to demonstrate the capabilities of the architecture. The architecture focuses on resources and infrastructure within a cargo terminal, and on transportation resources between cargo terminals.