Optimization Models for Transport and Service Scheduling

Optimization Models for Transport and Service Scheduling
Author: Kursad Derinkuyu
Publisher:
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2011
Genre:
ISBN:

This dissertation focuses on service scheduling and transshipment problems. The study of service scheduling is motivated by decisions facing service planners, who must inspect and maintain geographically dispersed infrastructure facilities. We study the problem of deciding which operations a service unit must perform at each customer location, given the sequence in which the unit periodically visits these locations. Each customer requires multiple service operations, and each operation has a time-varying completion or penalty cost that depends on the previous service time. The goal is to schedule the service start time for each customer and select the operations to perform so as to minimize the total completion cost. We first discuss how to solve a special case of this problem in which each site is visited only once per service cycle. We formulate this problem as a discrete time indexed network flow problem and prove that it is NP-hard in the ordinary sense. Then, we represent the problem as a multidimensional shortest path problem with path-dependent arc lengths. In this structure, arc costs depend on the total time spent for all customers. The resulting formulation is solvable via algorithms that have pseudo-polynomial run times. Computational results show that the shortest path approach outperformed the general network flow model. We then analyze the general case of this problem, in which each site can be visited more than once and prove that the problem is NP-Hard in the strong sense. We discuss the valid cuts and describe the preprocessor that reduces the problem size. Next, we examine an application to the general case of the problem and develop a fast and effective heuristic procedure that repeatedly applies the shortest path approach to subsequences that do not visit any customer more than once. Computational results for several problem instances show that the proposed heuristic identifies near optimal results very quickly, whereas a general purpose integer-programming solver (CPLEX) is not able to find an optimal solution even after many hours of computational time. Then we focus on techniques such as problem reduction, branching variables, and subdividing problem to smaller problems to get better solution times for the actual problem. Computational results show that these techniques can improve solution times substantially. Finally, we study a transshipment problem, in which the shipments need to be transported from their origin to destination and are subject to the logical and physical transportation network on which they rely. We consider a space-time network that allows one to formulate the problem as a multi-commodity network flow problem with additional side constraints and show the complexity results. We propose alternative models and propose algorithms for lower and upper bound calculations.

Integrated Optimization in Public Transport Planning

Integrated Optimization in Public Transport Planning
Author: Philine Schiewe
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 195
Release: 2020-06-23
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 3030462706

This book is one of the first to include an extensive discussion of integrated public transport planning. In times of growing urban populations and increasing environmental awareness, the importance of optimizing public transport systems is ever-developing. Three different aspects are presented: line planning, timetabling, and vehicle scheduling. Classically, challenges concerning these three aspects of planning are solved sequentially. Due to their high interdependence, the author presents a clear and detailed analysis of innovative, integrated models with accompanied numerical experiments performed to assess, and often support, the benefits of integration. The book will appeal to a wide readership ranging from graduate students to researchers.

Robust and Online Large-Scale Optimization

Robust and Online Large-Scale Optimization
Author: Ravindra K. Ahuja
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 439
Release: 2009-10-21
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 364205465X

Scheduled transportation networks give rise to very complex and large-scale networkoptimization problems requiring innovative solution techniques and ideas from mathematical optimization and theoretical computer science. Examples of scheduled transportation include bus, ferry, airline, and railway networks, with the latter being a prime application domain that provides a fair amount of the most complex and largest instances of such optimization problems. Scheduled transport optimization deals with planning and scheduling problems over several time horizons, and substantial progress has been made for strategic planning and scheduling problems in all transportation domains. This state-of-the-art survey presents the outcome of an open call for contributions asking for either research papers or state-of-the-art survey articles. We received 24 submissions that underwent two rounds of the standard peer-review process, out of which 18 were finally accepted for publication. The volume is organized in four parts: Robustness and Recoverability, Robust Timetabling and Route Planning, Robust Planning Under Scarce Resources, and Online Planning: Delay and Disruption Management.

Schedule-Based Modeling of Transportation Networks

Schedule-Based Modeling of Transportation Networks
Author: Nigel H. M. Wilson
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 319
Release: 2008-10-22
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0387848126

"Schedule-Based Modeling of Transportation Networks: Theory and Applications" follows the book Schedule-Based Dynamic Transit Modeling, published in this series in 2004, recognizing the critical role that schedules play in transportation systems. Conceived for the simulation of transit systems, in the last few years the schedule-based approach has been expanded and applied to operational planning of other transportation schedule services besides mass transit, e.g. freight transport. This innovative approach allows forecasting the evolution over time of the on-board loads on the services and their time-varying performance, using credible user behavioral hypotheses. It opens new frontiers in transportation modeling to support network design, timetable setting, and investigation of congestion effects, as well as the assessment of such new technologies, such as users system information (ITS technologies).

Optimization Models and Methods for Transportation Services

Optimization Models and Methods for Transportation Services
Author: Sifeng Lin
Publisher:
Total Pages: 308
Release: 2015
Genre:
ISBN:

Managing transportation services efficiently is essential to both public and private sectors. This dissertation addresses three scheduling problems in modern transportation systems: the network design problem, the train dispatching problem, and the service route design problem. The transportation network design problem with service requirements designs arcs on a directed network and route commodities on the designed arcs so that i) commodities satisfy service requirements and ii) the total cost is minimized. We develop three mathematical programming models: a compact but weak arc-flow formulation, a large but strong path-flow formulation, and a hybrid formulation that uses both the arc-flow and the path-flow representations. We show that the hybrid formulation can significantly strengthen the LP formulation without introducing many variables. To find a good hybrid formulation, we develop columnization and decolumnization algorithms that uses the LP relaxation information to identify commodities that should use the path-flow representation. We also develop valid inequalities for commodities using the path-flow representation. The train dispatching problem schedules the movements of trains on scarce railroad tracks so as to improve the average velocity of trains. We develop a mathematical programming model and strengthen the model using valid inequalities. Besides, we present a heuristic to find a feasible solution quickly, which can serve as the warm-start solution to the MIP solver. For the third problem, we seek to design vehicle routes to deliver and pickup orders for a major grocery chain. We design a GRASP that can incorporate various operational requirements, including warehouse loading capacity, loading sequence, time window requirements, truck volume and weight capacities, and driver time limits. Our GRASP procedure consists of two phases: the solution construction (Phase I) and the Tabu search (Phase II). We show that the neighborhood structure of solutions is highly degenerate, which limits the solution space explored by the Tabu search. We apply the Tabu search with random variable neighborhood to increase the solution space explored.

Optimization Models for Rail Car Fleet Management

Optimization Models for Rail Car Fleet Management
Author: Milos Milenkovic
Publisher:
Total Pages: 284
Release: 2019-09-15
Genre:
ISBN: 0128151544

Optimization Models for Rail Car Fleet Management represents the result of multi-year efforts to provide readers with insights into one of the most important areas of railway transport management. The book covers mathematical procedures for the effective and efficient utilization of railway freight cars, developed models for optimization methods, heterogeneity and partial substitutability of freight cars, research and development in rail freight car fleet management models, and the stochastic and dynamic nature of the supply, demand and traveling time of freight cars, among other topics. Summarizes the authors past research efforts in the field of rail freight car fleet management Presents various approaches that include the application of a variety of optimization techniques Contains centralized, decentralized, distributed perspectives considered under the assumption of deterministic, stochastic, fuzzy and fuzzy stochastic parameters

Planning and Scheduling Optimization

Planning and Scheduling Optimization
Author: Farouk Yalaoui
Publisher: Mdpi AG
Total Pages: 344
Release: 2021-11-05
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9783036523378

Although planning and scheduling optimization have been explored in the literature for many years now, it still remains a hot topic in the current scientific research. The changing market trends, globalization, technical and technological progress, and sustainability considerations make it necessary to deal with new optimization challenges in modern manufacturing, engineering, and healthcare systems. This book provides an overview of the recent advances in different areas connected with operations research models and other applications of intelligent computing techniques used for planning and scheduling optimization. The wide range of theoretical and practical research findings reported in this book confirms that the planning and scheduling problem is a complex issue that is present in different industrial sectors and organizations and opens promising and dynamic perspectives of research and development.

Mathematical Methods on Optimization in Transportation Systems

Mathematical Methods on Optimization in Transportation Systems
Author: M. Pursula
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2013-12-14
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1475733577

This book contains selected papers from the presentations given at the 7th EURO-Working Group Meeting on 'Iransportation, which took place at the Helsinki University of Technology (HUT), Finland, during August 2-4, 1999. Altogether 31 presentations were given and 14 full papers have been selected in this publication through a peer review process coordinated by the editors. The papers in this book cover a wide range of transportation problems from the simulation of railway traffic to optimum congestion tolling and mode choice modeling with stated preference data. In general, the variety of papers clearly demonstrates the wide areas of interest of people who are involved in the research of transportation systems and their operation. They as well demonstrate the importance and possibilities of modeling and theoretical approaches in the analysis of transportation systems and problem solving. Most of the papers are purely theoretical in nature, that is, they present a theoretical model with only a hypothetical example of applica tion. There are, however, some papers, which are closer to the practice or describe applications of and give interesting results of studies made by known methodologies. It is especially noteworthy, that half of the accepted papers deal with planning and operation of public transport.

Computer-based Modelling and Optimization in Transportation

Computer-based Modelling and Optimization in Transportation
Author: Jorge Freire Sousa
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 474
Release: 2014-02-20
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3319046306

This volume brings together works resulting from research carried out by members of the EURO Working Group on Transportation (EWGT) and presented during meetings and workshops organized by the Group under the patronage of the Association of European Operational Research Societies in 2012 and 2013. The main targets of the EWGT include providing a forum to share research information and experience, encouraging joint research and the development of both theoretical methods and applications, and promoting cooperation among the many institutions and organizations which are leaders at national level in the field of transportation and logistics. The primary fields of interest concern operational research methods, mathematical models and computation algorithms, to solve and sustain solutions to problems mainly faced by public administrations, city authorities, public transport companies, service providers and logistic operators. Related areas of interest are: land use and transportation planning, traffic control and simulation models, traffic network equilibrium models, public transport planning and management, applications of combinatorial optimization, vehicle routing and scheduling, intelligent transport systems, logistics and freight transport, environment problems, transport safety, and impact evaluation methods. In this volume, attention focuses on the following topics of interest: · Decision-making and decision support · Energy and Environmental Impacts · Urban network design · Optimization and simulation · Traffic Modelling, Control and Network Traffic Management · Transportation Planning · Mobility, Accessibility and Travel Behavior · Vehicle Routing

Dynamic Fleet Management

Dynamic Fleet Management
Author: Vasileios S. Zeimpekis
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2007-10-05
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0387717226

This book focuses on real time management of distribution systems, integrating the latest results in system design, algorithm development and system implementation to capture the state-of-the art research and application trends. The book important topics such as goods dispatching, couriers, rescue and repair services, taxi cab services, and more. The book includes real-life case studies that describe the solution to actual distribution problems by combining systemic and algorithmic approaches.