As the size and number of ships continue to grow, effective management of vessel scheduling has become more and more important for the efficient one-way channel port operation, whose characteristics significantly affect the safety and efficiency of ports. This paper presents a reinforcement-learning-based approach to optimize the scheduling of vessels in a one-way channel, aiming to quickly identify a scheduling solution that enhances port operational efficiency. This method models the vessel scheduling problem in a one-way channel by incorporating navigational constraints, safety requirements, and vessel-specific characteristics. Using the Q-learning algorithm to minimize vessel wait times, it identifies an optimal scheduling solution. Experiments were conducted using real data from the Dayao Bay Pier of Dalian Port to validate the rationality and effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm. The results show that the reinforcement learning approach achieved approximately a 16% improvement in solution quality compared to the genetic algorithm (GA) while requiring only half the computation time. Additionally, it reduced delay times by over 40% relative to the traditional FCFS strategy, indicating superior overall performance. This research presents an efficient, intelligent approach to vessel scheduling, providing a theoretical foundation for further advancements in this field and enhancing decision support for vessel scheduling in one-way channels with practical implications.
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