Straddle Carriers Research Articles

AGW for efficient freight transport in container yard: models and costs

Abstract Different modes of transport are frequently used to transfer goods from origin to destination, especially on medium-long distances, in relation to the network supply, the available services, the costs. The transfer from one carrier to another, in an interchange node such as a port, a rail station, a logistics terminal, often implicates an increase of monetary and temporal costs, connected to material and immaterial operations. The principal aim is to minimize the overall cost of transport, but the freight interchange node can represent critical steps in logistics chain and for this reason much attention is now committed to actions to make efficient the functional organization of the terminal. In the last years an increasing interest is directed to the use of vehicles technologically advanced with automation of functions. The paper focuses on a particular technology, conceived recently, otherwise an intelligent rail wagon called AGW (Automated Guided Wagon) for handling of containers in a port. The use of intelligent system AGW as handling unit of containers in the yard, would allow the overcoming of diseconomies of scale and the reduction of the handling times and costs through a flexible management in relation to the characteristics of the transport supply and demand, the latter subject to a high variability. In the paper, after a brief description of the AGW technology and the advantages connected to the use of this handling system in a freight interchange node, the attention is focused on a comparative analysis between the handling system now operating in the container port (RTG, Straddle Carrier, AVG, etc.) and the system that involves the use of AGW. This analysis is made on the operational characteristics of the different handling systems, through the use of: functional schemes, with the aim to carry out evaluations related to the spatial, organizational and relational structure of container yard equipped with different handling unit; network models (graphical representation of links and paths; basic cost parameters) for the schematization and simulation of container handling in the yard; cost models for quantitative evaluation of monetary and temporal impacts, that derive from the use of different handling unit in the yard.

Review of horizontal transport decision problems in the marine intermodal terminal

The article is a review of the transport problems that appear in a marine intermodal terminal. The importance of intermodal terminals has been increasing since the 1980s as a result of the development of containerized international trade. This increase in the handling of containers cause problems connected with securing adequate space for container storage or efficient usage of available terminal loading equipment such as cranes, AGVs, straddle carriers or terminal tractors with trailers. The equipment of a terminal depends mainly on the size of containers flow. The use of this equipment determine the terminal technology and work organization. That is why the classification of intermodal container terminals is presented in chapter 2. This classification was made according to different criteria. To understand transport problems, the identification of processes performed in the marine intermodal terminal is presented in chapter 3. For the purpose of research an example of an intermodal marine terminal with its individual functional areas is presented. Finally, the literature review on research conducted on the transport processes performed in the terminal are presented in chapter 4. These processes refer to quay side and land side horizontal transport operations. Additionally, the arrangement of containers at the storage yard was investigated.

Economic Impact Analysis of Autonomous Containerised Freight

Advanced robotics is a disruptive technology that has the potential to create massive economic impact. One application of advanced robotics is the automation of cargo ports, with the intention of increasing profitability for cargo terminals by reducing costs and increasing container handling productivity.Autonomous straddle carrier technology can not only significantly improve freight capacity but can also enhance the safety of operations, reducing the potential for manual errors by isolating the workforce from heavy machinery. Our findings suggest a net present value (NPV) of autonomous straddle carrier technology in direct impact worth for NSW of around $9.42 to $10 billion between the years 2014 and 2030.In this report we present only the final application of a long term process of university R&D effort, i.e. cost benefit analysis was not undertaken in this report as innovation studies show that any innovation outcome cannot capture the full benefit to the economy, therefore the costs are normally high and in most cases create no tangible benefit but creates intangibles like knowledge is not easy to be quantified

A Petri Net Model and its Simulation for Straddle Carrier Direct-System Operation in a Container Terminal

This paper presents a petri net model for examining effectiveness of straddle carrier direct-system operation. Dynamic of operation is addressed by formal petri net model that affiliates types of operation and sequences of motion for various agents in container terminal. An interchange model in the petri net is introduced to represent transloading process that controls the flow of containers between agents. In addition, simulation model was developed to examine the deployment scenarios of gantry cranes, straddle carriers and truck slots at transfer point. The results suggest terminal performance indicators such as level of productivity, waiting time and equipment’s idle time for each deployment scenarios which is beneficial as decision support systems for efficient management of terminal equipment.

Solving the straddle carrier routing problem using Six Sigma methodology

The straddle carrier routing problem is solved in the context of optimising transport operations at a container terminal. The contribution of this paper lies in the formulation and subsequent development of a Six Sigma approach solution for the problem. This work aims to develop a novel method based on a combined ANP and DEMATEL techniques to help container terminals determine critical Six Sigma transportation plans. An empirical case study is used to explore the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Solving the straddle carrier routing problem using Six Sigma methodology

Solving the straddle carrier routing problem using Six Sigma methodology

Container Inspection Utilizing 14 MeV Neutrons

A proposal for an autonomous and flexible ship container inspection system is presented. This could be accomplished by the incorporation of an inspection system on various container transportation devices (straddle carriers, yard gentry cranes, automated guided vehicles, trailers). The configuration is terminal specific and it should be defined by the container terminal operator. This enables that no part of the port operational area is used for inspection. The inspection scenario includes container transfer from ship to transportation device with the inspection unit mounted on it. The inspection is performed during actual container movement to the container location. A neutron generator without associated alpha particle detection is used. This allows the use of higher neutron intensities ( $5\times {10^9} - {10^{10}} \text{n/s}$ in $4\pi $ ). The inspected container is stationary in the “inspection position” on the transportation device while the “inspection unit” moves along its side. The following analytical methods will be used simultaneously: neutron radiography, X-ray radiography, neutron activation analysis, (n, $\gamma $ ) and (n,n’ $\gamma $ ) reactions, neutron absorption. and scattering, X-ray backscattering. The neutron techniques will utilize “smart collimators” for neutrons and gamma rays, both emitted and detected. The inspected voxel is defined by the intersection of the neutron generator and the detectors solid angles. The container inspection protocol is based on identification of discrepancies between the cargo manifest, elemental “fingerprint” and radiography profiles. In addition, the information on container weight is obtained during the container transport and screening by measuring of density of material in the container.

Design and Optimization of Straddle Carrier Trolley Gate

Straddle carriers help optimize terminal productivity by decoupling waterside and landside operations. The speed, reach and flexibility of straddle carriers allow terminals to use a single type of equipment for all container operations. Kalmar straddle carriers can handle loads of up to 60 tonnes and stack containers up to 4-high. Kalmar straddle carrier is built on a heritage of over 70 years. To date over 5000 units have been manufactured. The first fully automated terminal are using Kalmar Autostrada was open in Brisbane, Australia in 2005. Kalmar develops energy-efficient, safe and intelligent machinery and automation solutions at its Technology and Competence Centre in Tampere, Finland. The Centre is a unique research facility that simulates port operations and includes an extensive testing area for new equipment and solutions. There are different type of straddle carrier are using to handling the container on the port. In these there are different type of components are assembled in this vehicle.Here we are considering one of the important part of the straddle carrier which is called gate frame. This gate is important related to the safety for the people who are working there.

Container terminal operations simulator (CTOS) – Simulating the impact of extreme weather events on port operation

This paper develops a methodology to design a Container Terminal Operation Simulation (CTOS), which simulates the vulnerability of port operations to extreme weather events. In CTOS, an agent based model was built for a container terminal at the Port of Sydney to simulate the operations of port operational assets such as cranes, straddle carriers and trucks to observe the individual and collective behaviour under various extreme weather events using a set of Key Performance Indicators (e.g. crane rates, straddle productivity, truck queue length, yard utilisation). The CTOS results show that the crane throughput loss due to six hours of heavy rain and six hours of high speed wind (separately) is 13 per cent within a 24 hour period. While high speed wind and heavy rain have the highest impact on the crane throughput, high speed wind and flooding in the port area leads to a backlog in servicing trucks. Using a single terminal for the purpose of the simulation, as opposed to the entire Sydney Port, is a limitation. However, the CTOS is designed and coded in a manner that permits its modification such that it can be applied to other port contexts. CTOS offers a versatile tool for port authority to enable estimating performance implications of extreme weather-related disruptions to port operations. CTOS provides an effective proof of concept prototype where the system architecture can be reused in developing an open generic port operations model.

A Simulation Study on the Design of a Novel Automated Container Terminal

In this paper, we design, analyze, and evaluate a novel automated container terminal (ACT), namely, the rail-shuttle-based ACT. To analyze the performance, one detailed simulation system is built based on parametric design ideas. Two different microscopic rail-shuttle-based ACT simulation models, in which either straddle carriers (SCs) or automated guided vehicles with lifting devices (lift-AGVs) are employed, are formulated. Simulation experiments are carried out to obtain a reasonable equipment configuration for the proposed ACT. The results indicate that the performance of conventional ACTs can be improved if equipped with rail shuttles, and the performance of the rail-shuttle-based ACT with SCs exceeds that with lift-AGVs.

Preventative maintenance of straddle carriers

Background: Robotic vehicles such as straddle carriers represent a popular form of cargo handling amongst container terminal operators.Objectives: The purpose of this industry-driven study is to model preventative maintenance (PM) influences on the operational effectiveness of straddle carriers.Method: The study employs historical data consisting of 21 273 work orders covering a 27-month period. Two models are developed, both of which forecast influences of PM regimes for different types of carrier.Results: The findings of the study suggest that the reliability of the straddle fleet decreases with increased intervals of PM services. The study also finds that three factors – namely resources, number of new straddles, and the number of new lifting work centres – influence the performances of straddles.Conclusion: The authors argue that this collaborative research exercise makes a significant contribution to existing supply chain management literature, particularly in the area of operations efficiency. The study also serves as an avenue to enhance relevant management practice.

Agent-based simulation for the evaluation of a new dispatching model for the straddle carrier pooling problem

To deal with several classes of planning and management problems in different business domains (transport, energy, defense, etc.) and at different decisional levels (strategic, tactical and operational levels), significant benefits can derive from the definition of solution methods which are able to combine and capitalize on the strengths of mathematical programming and agent-based techniques. In this paper, an approach based on the joint use of mathematical programming and agent-based techniques is exploited in the context of maritime logistics. In particular, a transshipment terminal is considered with the goal of planning the container transportation between the yard and the quay during the loading/discharging operations of a containership by exploiting a pool of straddle carriers shared among the quay cranes. The goal is to route the straddle carriers by determining a sequence of container movements for each of them in order to optimize a given performance criterion. In particular, a new dispatching model is proposed and evaluated through an agent-based simulation model which also made it possible a better understanding of interesting properties of the problem under consideration.

New Procedure for Assigning Drivers to Work Schedules at a Container Terminal

One of the success factors of a terminal is related to the time in port for the retrieval and transport of containers. Straddle carriers (SCs) are the pivotal axis around which the terminal transportation system evolves and the success or failure of that process is an indicator of the reliability of the container terminal. Over the last years, the deficiency of efficient control and coordination mechanisms in practice produced a relaxation of transportation principles. The valorization of the academic environment represents nowadays one of the most important research challenges. In this paper, we present a collaborative filtering recommender system able to manage the work schedule’s assignment to straddle carrier’s drivers in a container terminal and provide preliminary results on customer’s satisfaction.

Motion-Based Energy Analysis Methodology for Hybrid Straddle Carrier Towards Eco-Friendly Container Handling System

This paper presents an in-depth energy analysis for hybrid straddle carrier to identify their energy consumption sources and discover energy reduction potentials. The methodology incorporates analysis of motions, performance data acquisitions by data logger, video analysis and spatial information analysis. Impact of various hybrid straddle carrier motions to energy consumption is presented and its total energy consumption is compared to diesel-driven straddle carrier. Subsequently, energy consumption model is calculated to grasp fuel coefficient associated to each motions that forms a movement of hybrid straddle carrier. Finally, prediction of energy use is calculated based on analysis of motion as a decision support system for container handling tasks.

ハイブリット型ストラドルキャリアのコンテナ荷役時の省エネ性能分析法に関する研究

The reduction of the greenhouse gas is demanded in the container terminal from effect of the Kyoto Protocol. The hybrid straddle carrier (HSC) was introduced into the Kashii container terminal in 2010 to reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emission. Although HSC impacts the reduction of fuel consumption by HSC, it is necessary to evaluate the effect of the energy-saving performance on HSC through actual container operation. According to data analysis on monthly fuel consumption in comparison with the difference of HSC and conventional straddle carrier, the reduction effect of the fuel consumption is 27.1% in the fuel consumption rate per distance. However, for a gain from further energy saving performance, it is necessary to grasp the details of the fuel consumption on HSC under actual operation. In this study, methodology of energy saving performance analysis is created using measurement data of container handling by HSC.

Simulation-based optimization for housekeeping in a container transshipment terminal

An important activity in container transshipment terminals consists in transferring containers in the yard from their current temporary positions to different positions closer to the point along the berth from which the containers will be boarded on departing vessels. This housekeeping process aims at speeding-up discharge and loading operations and, thus, relieving congestion. This paper introduces a heuristic procedure to manage the routing of multi-trailer systems and straddle carriers in a maritime terminal. A simulation model embedded in a local search heuristic allows a proper evaluation of the impact of different vehicle schedules on congestion and throughput. Computational experiments performed on test instances derived from real-life data show that important improvements in routing distance and vehicle waiting time can be obtained compared to the use of standard scheduling policies.

Six Sigma Approach for the Straddle Carrier Routing Problem

This paper discusses how to route straddle carriers in port container terminals. This problem is solved in the context of optimizing transport operations. The contribution of the work lies in the formulation and subsequent development of a Six Sigma Approach solution for the problem. Generating and prioritizing the critical Six Sigma transportation plans, however, are real challenges in practice. This study aims to develop a novel approach based on a combined ANP and DEMATEL technique to help container terminals determine critical Six Sigma transportation plans. An empirical case study is used to explore the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Development of Efficiency Measurement for Container Handling Equipment -Application for Hybrid Straddle Carrier-

Immense pressure on environmental impact of yard machinery as part of operating system in container handling industry has led to the introduction of hybrid straddle carrier (HSC). This study attempted to examines operational activity of HSC to distinguish major factors that embroiled in high energy cost and develop appropriate method to measure it. The proposal includes combination of data logging system, spatial data acquisition and visual motion analysis. Motion based analysis was introduced to improve the accuracy of energy analysis, and impact of various motions on HSC performance is explained. Energy analysis from measurement result was able to show that height of stack has impact on battery state of charge during lowering and traveling motion covers 52% from total fuel consumption. Some countermeasures are proposed to increase efficiency as well as exploit full potential of HSC.

Rescheduling policies for large-scale task allocation of autonomous straddle carriers under uncertainty at automated container terminals

This paper investigates replanning strategies for container-transportation task allocation of autonomous Straddle Carriers (SC) at automated container terminals. The strategies address the problem of large-scale scheduling in the context of uncertainty (especially uncertainty associated with unexpected events such as the arrival of a new task). Two rescheduling policies–Rescheduling New arrival Jobs (RNJ) policy and Rescheduling Combination of new and unexecuted Jobs (RCJ) policy–are presented and compared for long-term Autonomous SC Scheduling (ASCS) under the uncertainty of new job arrival. The long-term performance of the two rescheduling policies is evaluated using a multi-objective cost function (i.e., the sum of the costs of SC travelling, SC waiting, and delay of finishing high-priority jobs). This evaluation is conducted based on two different ASCS solving algorithms–an exact algorithm (i.e., branch-and-bound with column generation (BBCG) algorithm) and an approximate algorithm (i.e., auction algorithm)–to get the schedule of each short-term planning for the policy. Based on the map of an actual fully-automated container terminal, simulation and comparative results demonstrate the quality advantage of the RCJ policy compared with the RNJ policy for task allocation of autonomous straddle carriers under uncertainty. Long-term testing results also show that although the auction algorithm is much more efficient than the BBCG algorithm for practical applications, it is not effective enough, even when employed by the superior RCJ policy, to achieve high-quality scheduling of autonomous SCs at the container terminals.

Optimized allocation of straddle carriers to reduce overall delays at multimodal container terminals

Increased global container trade and strong competition are boosting the need for efficient container terminals. Using internal transport resources efficiently reduces transfer times and operating costs. This article addresses the allocation of straddle carriers at a tactical level at intermodal container terminals via optimization and simulation. Our objective is to reduce overall delays at the terminal—with special focus on delays of inland transport modes (rail, road and waterway). We introduce a notation to describe different service strategies and delay criteria and analyze the complexity of different service strategies. A generic mixed integer linear program—that can be easily adapted to different service strategies—models the allocation problem based on a network flow representation of the terminal. We conduct a case study for a container terminal at the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille to evaluate the proposed allocation: we adapt the optimization model to the specific terminal, implement a discrete event simulation model and conduct experiments on actual data. Results show that the allocation proposed by the optimization model reduces delays at the terminal and performs well in a stochastic environment.