The vehicle platooning problem: Computational complexity and heuristics

We create a mathematical framework for modeling trucks traveling in road networks, and we define a routing problem called the platooning problem. We prove that this problem is NP-hard, even when the graph used to represent the road network is planar. We present integer linear programming formulations for instances of the platooning problem where deadlines are discarded, which we call the unlimited platooning problem. These allow us to calculate fuel-optimal solutions to the platooning problem for large-scale, real-world examples. The problems solved are orders of magnitude larger than problems previously solved exactly in the literature. We present several heuristics and compare their performance with the optimal solutions on the German Autobahn road network. The proposed heuristics find optimal or near-optimal solutions in most of the problem instances considered, especially when a final local search is applied. Assuming a fuel reduction factor of 10% from platooning, we find fuel savings from platooning of 1–2% for as few as 10 trucks in the road network; the percentage of savings increases with the number of trucks. If all trucks start at the same point, savings of up to 9% are obtained for only 200 trucks.     

应用于现代有轨电车的司机手动排路方案研究

由于目前大部分有轨电车采用与社会车辆共有路权的运营方式,当岔区与路口区域重合时,就需要司机根据路口信号机状态,选择合理时机手动办理进路。基于上述需要,讨论几种应用于现代有轨电车信号系统的司机手动排路方案,并试图减小手动排路操作的复杂度,提高手动排路正确性,从而保障有轨电车安全高效运营。     

The split-demand one-commodity pickup-and-delivery travelling salesman problem

This paper introduces a new vehicle routing problem transferring one commodity between customers with a capacitated vehicle that can visit a customer more than once, although a maximum number of visits must be respected. It generalizes the capacitated vehicle routing problem with split demands and some other variants recently addressed in the literature. We model the problem with a single commodity flow formulation and design a branch-and-cut approach to solve it. We make use of Benders Decomposition to project out the flow variables from the formulation. Inequalities to strengthen the linear programming relaxation are also presented and separated within the approach. Extensive computational results illustrate the performance of the approach on benchmark instances from the literature.     

Profit-based maritime container assignment models for liner shipping networks

We propose the problem of profit-based container assignment (P-CA), in which the container shipment demand is dependent on the freight rate, similar to the “elastic demand” in the literature on urban transportation networks. The problem involves determining the optimal freight rates, the number of containers to transport and how to transport the containers in a liner shipping network to maximize the total profit. We first consider a tactical-level P-CA with known demand functions that are estimated based on historical data and formulate it as a nonlinear optimization model. The tactical-level P-CA can be used for evaluating and improving the container liner shipping network. We then address the operational-level P-CA with unknown demand functions, which aims to design a mechanism that adjusts the freight rates to maximize the profit. A theoretically convergent trial-and-error approach, and a practical trial-and-error approach, are developed. A numerical example is reported to illustrate the application of the models and approaches.     

The flying sidekick traveling salesman problem: Optimization of drone-assisted parcel delivery

Once limited to the military domain, unmanned aerial vehicles are now poised to gain widespread adoption in the commercial sector. One such application is to deploy these aircraft, also known as drones, for last-mile delivery in logistics operations. While significant research efforts are underway to improve the technology required to enable delivery by drone, less attention has been focused on the operational challenges associated with leveraging this technology. This paper provides two mathematical programming models aimed at optimal routing and scheduling of unmanned aircraft, and delivery trucks, in this new paradigm of parcel delivery. In particular, a unique variant of the classical vehicle routing problem is introduced, motivated by a scenario in which an unmanned aerial vehicle works in collaboration with a traditional delivery truck to distribute parcels. We present mixed integer linear programming formulations for two delivery-by-drone problems, along with two simple, yet effective, heuristic solution approaches to solve problems of practical size. Solutions to these problems will facilitate the adoption of unmanned aircraft for last-mile delivery. Such a delivery system is expected to provide faster receipt of customer orders at less cost to the distributor and with reduced environmental impacts. A numerical analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of the heuristics and investigates the tradeoffs between using drones with faster flight speeds versus longer endurance.     

Continuous approximation models for mixed load school bus routing

School bus routing is a complex and expensive transportation problem for many public school districts. Typical school bus routes serve a single school, but mixed load school bus routes carry students for more than one school at the same time. A mixed load policy reduces the number of stops and distance to pick up and drop off children, but it can increase travel distance by visiting multiple schools. This paper provides a general strategic analysis using continuous approximation models to assess the conditions under which mixed loading is likely to be beneficial. We also present a case study for a semi-rural Missouri school district to illustrate the application of the models in practice. Results show that mixed load routing is more beneficial for larger districts, when a large percentage of bus stops are shared by students of different schools, and when schools are closer together.     

船舶气象导航随船验证

横渡太平洋往返两个笈欠的随船调查研究表明，采用气象导航对减少燃油消耗和保证船舶安全、班期等，不但有一定的经济效益，而且是一种非常有效的航运管理方法。     

山区铁路选线应注意的几个问题

通过对影响山区线路走向的各种因素进行分析,提出山区选线中的常见问题及解决方法。     

广州地铁四号线交路运营可行性研究

介绍了广州地铁四号线实行交路运营的目的及交路运营方式,分析了目前广州地铁四号线车辆乘客信息系统(PIS)实现交路存在的报站广播及乘客显示信息问题,研究了相关问题的解决方法,对实现交路运营功能的可行性进行了深入探讨。     

城市轨道交通多重嵌套交路车底固定使用方案及计算

基于嵌套交路车底固定使用方案,研究了城市轨道交通列车运行图周期、通过能力及车底运用的计算方法.提出标准铺图的概念,建立了城市轨道交通多重嵌套交路模式下列车运行图周期、线路通过能力及车底运用的数学模型,并给出了计算实例.