A port system simulation facility with an optimisation capability

This paper details the optimization of bulk material port handling systems through the use of an evolutionary based approach. The effective management of port systems requires effective solutions for the design, operation and maintenance of these facilities. This has to be achieved through a reduction in financial costs, and an increase in the utilization of equipment and other resources. The operation of a port system is complex and difficult to model mathematically. Consequently, through the explicit characterization of port components, a port modeling tool was developed that permits the generic construction of port simulation models. A genetic algorithm based approach was developed to provide an optimization capability to the port simulation tool. Two case studies based on real world port systems are presented and the results are discussed. A significant improvement is demonstrated in both the operational and economic performance as a result of the GA/model interaction.