An optimal data-splitting algorithm for aircraft scheduling on a single runway to maximize throughput

In this research, we present a data-splitting algorithm to optimally solve the aircraft sequencing problem (ASP) on a single runway under both segregated and mixed-mode of operation. This problem is formulated as a 0–1 mixed-integer program (MIP), taking into account several realistic constraints, including safety separation standards, wide time-windows, and constrained position shifting, with the objective of maximizing the total throughput. Varied scenarios of large scale realistic instances of this problem, which is NP-hard in general, are computationally difficult to solve with the direct use of commercial solver as well as existing state-of-the-art dynamic programming method. The design of the algorithm is based on a recently introduced data-splitting algorithm which uses the divide-and-conquer paradigm, wherein the given set of flights is divided into several disjoint subsets, each of which is optimized using 0–1 MIP while ensuring the optimality of the entire set. Computational results show that the difficult instances can be solved in real-time and the solution is efficient in comparison to the commercial solver and dynamic programming, using both sequential, as well as parallel, implementation of this pleasingly parallel algorithm.     

客车捎带模式下高铁快捷货物输送方案研究

以提高高铁快运当日达产品的时效性、收益率为核心,对既有载客动车组捎带模式下的快捷货物输送方案进行优化。借助时空网络以列车运行成本与时间惩罚费用之和最小为目标,同时满足货主时限、列车容量以及列车停站方案等约束,建立输送方案优化模型,通过匈牙利算法,并借助Matlab的Yalmip工具箱求解模型。以兰州西站至天水南站、宝鸡南站及西安北站部分时间段的快捷货物运输需求为背景进行算例分析,验证模型的有效性。结果表明合理估算列车装载容量及货物的延迟时限对输送方案的选择起重要作用。     

技术站间货物列车协同配流方案研究

技术站间货物列车协同作业组织模式，可实现各站获益，整体加强，对提升铁路运输生产效率具有重要意义.本文建立技术站间货物列车协同配流模型.模型以最大化两技术站的正点出发列车数作为目标函数，采用启发式遗传算法进行寻优，得到货物列车解编顺序和配流方案.最后，通过对算例进行实验分析，验证协同配流模型的实用性.结果表明，技术站间协同配流作业明显压缩车辆在站总停留时间，增加了阶段计划内正点出发列车数，进而提高了技术站内线路使用能力.     

考虑收益管理的高铁平行车次动态差别定价

基于RP(Revealed Preference)和SP(Stated Preference)调查数据，利用潜在类别模型对高铁旅客进行细分，得到旅客对平行车次不同服务属性，如列车运行时间、发车时段和舒适度的偏好程度，并对其进行量化；引入收益管理，以多列车整体收益最大为目标，构建平行车次动态差别定价模型，并设计模拟退火算法进行求解；最后，通过京沪高铁进行实例验证.结果表明：与固定票价进行客票销售相比，所提方案能够适应高峰期和平峰期不同客流特点，提高铁路客票总收益，为高铁平行车次灵活定价提供参考.     

基于深度强化学习的智能船舶航迹跟踪控制

[目的]智能船舶的航迹跟踪控制问题往往面临着控制环境复杂、控制器稳定性不高以及大量的算法计算等问题。为实现对航迹跟踪的精准控制,提出一种引入深度强化学习技术的航向控制器。[方法]首先,结合视线(LOS)算法制导,以船舶的操纵特性和控制要求为基础,将航迹跟踪问题建模成马尔可夫决策过程,设计其状态空间、动作空间、奖励函数;然后,使用深度确定性策略梯度(DDPG)算法作为控制器的实现,采用离线学习方法对控制器进行训练;最后,将训练完成的控制器与BP-PID控制器进行对比研究,分析控制效果。[结果]仿真结果表明,设计的深度强化学习控制器可以从训练学习过程中快速收敛达到控制要求,训练后的网络与BP-PID控制器相比跟踪迅速,具有偏航误差小、舵角变化频率小等优点。[结论]研究成果可为智能船舶航迹跟踪控制提供参考。     

The load-dependent vehicle routing problem and its pick-up and delivery extension

The present paper examines a Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) of major practical importance which is referred to as the Load-Dependent VRP (LDVRP). LDVRP is applicable for transportation activities where the weight of the transported cargo accounts for a significant part of the vehicle gross weight. Contrary to the basic VRP which calls for the minimization of the distance travelled, the LDVRP objective is aimed at minimizing the total product of the distance travelled and the gross weight carried along this distance. Thus, it is capable of producing sensible routing plans which take into account the variation of the cargo weight along the vehicle trips. The LDVRP objective is closely related to the total energy requirements of the vehicle fleet, making it a credible alternative when the environmental aspects of transportation activities are examined and optimized. A novel LDVRP extension which considers simultaneous pick-up and delivery service is introduced, formulated and solved for the first time. To deal with large-scale instances of the examined problems, we propose a local-search algorithm. Towards an efficient implementation, the local-search algorithm employs a computational scheme which calculates the complex weighted-distance objective changes in constant time. Solution results are presented for both problems on a variety of well-known test cases demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed solution approach. The structure of the obtained LDVRP and VRP solutions is compared in pursuit of interesting conclusions on the relative suitability of the two routing models, when the decision maker must deal with the weighted distance objective. In addition, results of a branch-and-cut procedure for small-scale instances of the LDVRP with simultaneous pick-ups and deliveries are reported. Finally, extensive computational experiments have been performed to explore the managerial implications of three key problem characteristics, namely the deviation of customer demands, the cargo to tare weight ratio, as well as the size of the available vehicle fleet.     

考虑空车调配协调的货物列车开行方案优化研究

为实现空车调配与货物列车开行方案协调优化，结合基本运行图架构与车流径路，构建货运时空服务拓展网络。考虑配空与装卸取送、集编发等环节的时间接续要求，节点与区段不对流空车要求，以重车流全程运送与空车配送等广义总费用最少为目标，建立整数规划弧路模型。针对既有算法设计局限性，结合重车或空车配空的时间接续要求，提出将不同的 k 短路重车流方案与空车配空方案相关联的改进可行解构造方法，设计混合差分进化求解算法。实例研究表明，考虑空车调配进行重车、空车流组织协调优化，能够减少空车走行费用，及时满足装车需求，有效保证作业车流配合中转车流集结编组及时挂线，提高方案可实施性。     

Strain prediction for critical positions of FPSO under different loading of stored oil using GAIFOA-BP neural network

FPSO (floating, production, storage and offloading) units are widely used in the offshore oil and gas industry. Generally, FPSOs have excellent oil storage capacity owing to their huge oil cargo holds. The volume and distribution of stored oil in the cargo holds influence the strain level of hull girder, especially at critical positions of FPSO. However, strain prediction using structural analysis tools is computationally expensive and time consuming. In this study, a prediction tool based on back-propagation (BP) neural network called GAIFOA-BP is proposed to predict the strain values of concerned positions of an FPSO model under different oil storage conditions. The GAIFOA-BP combines BP model and GAIFOA which is a combination of genetic algorithm (GA) and an improved fruit fly optimization algorithm (IFOA). Results from three benchmark tests show that the GAIFOA-BP model has a remarkable performance. Subsequently, a total of 81 sets of training data and 25 sets of testing data are obtained from experiment using fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors installed on the surface of an FPSO model. The numerical results show that the GAIFOA-BP is capable of predicting the strain values with higher accuracy as compared with other BP models. Finally, the reserved GAIFOA-BP model is utilized to predict the strain values under the inputs of a 10-day time series of volume and distribution of stored oil. The predicted strain results are further used to calculate the fatigue consumption of measurement points.     

Real-time trip purpose prediction using online location-based search and discovery services

The use of smartphone technology is increasingly considered a state-of-the-art practice in travel data collection. Researchers have investigated various methods to automatically predict trip characteristics based upon locational and other smartphone sensing data. Of the trip characteristics being studied, trip purpose prediction has received relatively less attention. This research develops trip purpose prediction models based upon online location-based search and discovery services (specifically, Google Places API) and a limited set of trip data that are usually available upon the completion of the trip. The models have the potential to be integrated with smartphone technology to produce real-time trip purpose prediction. We use a recent, large-scale travel behavior survey that is augmented by downloaded Google Places information on each trip destination to develop and validate the models. Two statistical and machine learning prediction approaches are used, including nested logit and random forest methods. Both sets of models show that Google Places information is a useful predictor of trip purpose in situations where activity- and person-related information is uncollectable, missing, or unreliable. Even when activity- and person-related information is available, incorporating Google Places information provides incremental improvements in trip purpose prediction.     

Dynamic demand estimation and prediction for traffic urban networks adopting new data sources

Nowadays, new mobility information can be derived from advanced traffic surveillance systems that collect updated traffic measurements, both in fixed locations and over specific corridors or paths. Such recent technological developments point to challenging and promising opportunities that academics and practitioners have only partially explored so far.The paper looks at some of these opportunities within the Dynamic Demand Estimation problem (DDEP). At first, data heterogeneity, accounting for different sets of data providing a wide spatial coverage, has been investigated for the benefit of off-line demand estimation. In an attempt to mimic the current urban networks monitoring, examples of complex real case applications are being reported where route travel times and route choice probabilities from probe vehicles are exploited together with common link traffic measurements.Subsequently, on-line detection of non-recurrent conditions is being recorded, adopting a sequential approach based on an extension of the Kalman Filter theory called Local Ensemble Transformed Kalman Filter (LETKF).Both the off-line and the on-line investigations adopt a simulation approach capable of capturing the highly nonlinear dependence between the travel demand and the traffic measurements through the use of dynamic traffic assignment models. Consequently, the possibility of using collected traffic information is enhanced, thus overcoming most of the limitations of current DDEP approaches found in the literature.