Determining crane areas for balancing workload among interfering and noninterfering cranes

This article treats the problem of subdividing an area for storing containers such that the workload is evenly shared among the cranes operating the resulting subareas. We consider two crane sets: while noncrossing constraints between cranes of the same set need to be observed, cranes of different sets do not interfere. Such a problem setting is, for instance, relevant for scheduling the (un‐)loading of vessels by parallel quay cranes operating on opposing berths or in container yards with cross‐over cranes. We formalize the resulting optimization problem, prove computational complexity, and present exact and heuristic solution procedures. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2012     

利用迭代线性约束最小二乘方法实现不规则阵列的方向图综合

研究了用自适应波束形成技术实现不规则阵列的方向图综合问题,改进了应用于方向图综合的迭代线性约束最小二乘方法,改进后的算法提高了数值稳定性和对随机稀疏阵的适应性。对特定的阵列如果指定的理想方向图无法达到,该算法可以获得最好的逼近。仿真结果验证了算法的性能。     

An efficient SPH methodology for modelling mechanical characteristics of particulate composites

Particulate composites are one of the widely used materials in producing numerous state-of-the-art components in biomedical, automobile, aerospace including defence technology. Variety of modelling techniques have been adopted in the past to model mechanical behaviour of particulate composites. Due to their favourable properties, particle-based methods provide a convenient platform to model failure or fracture of these composites. Smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is one of such methods which demonstrate excellent potential for modelling failure or fracture of particulate composites in a Lagrangian setting. One of the major challenges in using SPH method for modelling composite materials depends on accurate and efficient way to treat interface and boundary conditions. In this paper, a master-slave method based multi-freedom constraints is proposed to impose essential boundary conditions and interfacial displacement constraints in modelling mechanical behaviour of composite materials using SPH method. The proposed methodology enforces the above constraints more accurately and requires only smaller condition number for system stiffness matrix than the procedures based on typical penalty function approach. A minimum cut-off value-based error criteria is employed to improve the compu-tational efficiency of the proposed methodology. In addition, the proposed method is further enhanced by adopting a modified numerical interpolation scheme along the boundary to increase the accuracy and computational efficiency. The numerical examples demonstrate that the proposed master-slave approach yields better accuracy in enforcing displacement constraints and requires approximately the same computational time as that of penalty method.     

Integrated guidance and control of guided projectile with multiple constraints based on fuzzy adaptive and dynamic surface

Based on fuzzy adaptive and dynamic surface (FADS), an integrated guidance and control (IGC) approach was proposed for large caliber naval gun guided projectile, which was robust to target maneuver, canard dynamic characteristics, and multiple constraints, such as impact angle, limited measurement of line of sight (LOS) angle rate and nonlinear saturation of canard deflection. Initially, a strict feedback cascade model of IGC in longitudinal plane was established, and extended state observer (ESO) was designed to estimate LOS angle rate and uncertain disturbances with unknown boundary inside and outside of system, including aerodynamic parameters perturbation, target maneuver and model errors. Secondly, aiming at zeroing LOS angle tracking error and LOS angle rate in finite time, a nonsingular terminal sliding mode (NTSM) was designed with adaptive exponential reaching law. Furthermore, combining with dynamic surface, which prevented the complex differential of virtual control laws, the fuzzy adaptive systems were designed to approximate observation errors of uncertain disturbances and to reduce chatter of control law. Finally, the adaptive Nussbaum gain function was introduced to compensate nonlinear saturation of canard deflection. The LOS angle tracking error and LOS angle rate were convergent in finite time and whole system states were uniform ultimately bounded, rigorously proven by Lyapunov stability theory. Hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HILS) and digital simulation experiments both showed FADS provided guided projectile with good guidance performance while striking targets with different maneuvering forms.     

几何约束的改进弹性体网格变形方法研究及应用

针对现有弹性体网格变形方法无法有效抑制网格单元出现"负体积"和过度畸变等问题,引入体积弹性模量约束和挤压弹性模量约束,提出一种基于几何约束的改进弹性体法。借助Patrick网格质量参数,选取三维长方体边界在旋转、平移和伸展变形三种方式下的大幅度运动,对比研究引入几何约束后的改进效果。仿真计算二维NACA0012翼型的俯仰振荡和三维伸缩翼变形过程的气动特性,结果表明:基于几何约束的改进弹性体法显著提高了变形网格的鲁棒性,尤其在大变形时能够有效约束较差网格单元,改善经典方法存在的问题,可为非定常流场问题的求解提供有力支撑。     

子空间预测控制在固体氧化物燃料电池中的应用

为使固体氧化物燃料电池(SOFC)输出满足一定约束的稳定电压、提高其输出功率跟踪性能,采用文献中给出的SOFC动态模型,设计了基于子空间矩阵的预测控制器。将子空间辨识和预测控制算法结合起来,直接从开环输入输出数据获得预测控制器的控制矩阵,而不须经过中间参数模型辨识的步骤。仿真结果验证了所提子空间预测控制算法(SPC)的实用性。     

Scheduling parallel dedicated machines with the speeding‐up resource

We consider a problem of scheduling jobs on m parallel machines. The machines are dedicated, i.e., for each job the processing machine is known in advance. We mainly concentrate on the model in which at any time there is one unit of an additional resource. Any job may be assigned the resource and this reduces its processing time. A job that is given the resource uses it at each time of its processing. No two jobs are allowed to use the resource simultaneously. The objective is to minimize the makespan. We prove that the two‐machine problem is NP‐hard in the ordinary sense, describe a pseudopolynomial dynamic programming algorithm and convert it into an FPTAS. For the problem with an arbitrary number of machines we present an algorithm with a worst‐case ratio close to 3/2, and close to 3, if a job can be given several units of the resource. For the problem with a fixed number of machines we give a PTAS. Virtually all algorithms rely on a certain variant of the linear knapsack problem (maximization, minimization, multiple‐choice, bicriteria). © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2008     

Partial input to output impacts in DEA: Production considerations and resource sharing among business subunits

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a methodology for evaluating the relative efficiencies of peer decision‐making units (DMUs), in a multiple input/output setting. Although it is generally assumed that all outputs are impacted by all inputs, there are many situations where this may not be the case. This article extends the conventional DEA methodology to allow for the measurement of technical efficiency in situations where only partial input‐to‐output impacts exist. The new methodology involves viewing the DMU as a business unit, consisting of a set of mutually exclusive subunits, each of which can be treated in the conventional DEA sense. A further consideration involves the imposition of constraints in the form of assurance regions (AR) on pairs of multipliers. These AR constraints often arise at the level of the subunit, and as a result, there can be multiple and often inconsistent AR constraints on any given variable pair. We present a methodology for resolving such inconsistencies. To demonstrate the overall methodology, we apply it to the problem of evaluating the efficiencies of a set of steel fabrication plants. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2013     

Strategic obfuscation of production capacities

Recent supply‐chain models that study competition among capacity‐constrained producers omit the possibility of producers strategically setting wholesale prices to create uncertainty with regards to (i.e., to obfuscate) their production capacities. To shed some light on this possibility, we study strategic obfuscation in a supply‐chain model comprised of two competing producers and a retailer, where one of the producers faces a privately‐known capacity constraint. We show that capacity obfuscation can strictly increase the obfuscating producer's profit, therefore, presenting a clear incentive for such practices. Moreover, we identify conditions under which both producers' profits increase. In effect, obfuscation enables producers to tacitly collude and charge higher wholesale prices by moderating competition between producers. The retailer, in contrast, suffers a loss in profit, raises retail prices, while overall channel profits decrease. We show that the extent of capacity obfuscation is limited by its cost and by a strategic retailer's incentive to facilitate a deterrence. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 61: 244–267, 2014     

What you should know about the vehicle routing problem

In the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP), the aim is to design a set of m minimum cost vehicle routes through n customer locations, so that each route starts and ends at a common location and some side constraints are satisfied. Common applications arise in newspaper and food delivery, and in milk collection. This article summarizes the main known results for the classical VRP in which only vehicle capacity constraints are present. The article is structured around three main headings: exact algorithms, classical heuristics, and metaheuristics. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2007