An intelligent simulation method based on artificial neural network for container yard operation

This paper presents an intelligent simulation method for regulation of container yard operation on container terminal. This method includes the functions of system status evaluation, operation rule and stack height regulation, and operation scheduling. In order to realize optimal operation regulation, a control architecture based on fuzzy artificial neural network is established. The regulation process includes two phases: prediction phase forecasts coming container quantity; inference phase makes decision on operation rule and stack height. The operation scheduling is a fuzzy multi-objective programming problem with operation criteria such as minimum ship waiting time and operation time. The algorithm combining genetic algorithm with simulation is developed. A case study is presented to verify the validity and usefulness of the method in simulation environment.