Reducing simulation costs in embedded simulation in yard crane dispatching in container terminals

• Main Author: Ong, Yi Long.
• Other Authors: Huang Shell Ying
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Computer science and engineering::Theory of computation::Analysis of algorithms and problem complexity; DRNTU::Engineering::Computer science and engineering::Computing methodologies::Simulation and modeling
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/52795
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Computational costs of the embedded simulation in optimising algorithm with NP-hard problems are very likely to be considerable. One of the optimising algorithm that is NP-hard is YC dispatching. Thus, it is important to reduce these simulation costs in YC dispatching. In this project, we will discuss 2 approaches to reduce simulation cost in the optimisation algorithm proposed in Embedded Simulation in Yard Crane Dispatching to Minimize Job Tardiness in Container Terminals by Huang et al. In the optimisation algorithm proposed, the tardiness of the sequenced job(s) has to be evaluated each time after a job is added to the job list. Our approaches on reducing the simulation cost will be saving the cost(s) and state(s) of the partially completed job(s). From the experimental results, it was found that one approaches significantly reduces the computational time of the optimisation algorithm while the other not only did not reduce the computation time but also do badly against the original optimisation algorithm. We will also analyse the reasons for the other approach which fails to reduce the computational time.