Load scheduling for multiple quay cranes in port container terminals

Abstract

This paper proposes a method to schedule loading operations when multiple yard cranes are operating in the same block. The loading scheduling methods in this paper are based on a genetic algorithm and a simulated annealing method, which consider interferences between adjacent yard cranes. It attempts to minimize the make-span of the yard crane operation. We consider the container handling time, the yard crane travel time, and the waiting time of each yard crane, when evaluating the makespan of the loading operation by yard cranes. An encoding method considering the special properties of the optimal solution of the problem is suggested. Numerical experiment was conducted to compare performances of the algorithms suggested in this study.