Multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling using RCPSP and SAT solvers

This paper reports on a new solution approach for the well-known multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling problem (MRCPSP). This problem type aims at the selection of a single activity mode from a set of available modes in order to construct a precedence and a (renewable and non-renewable) resource feasible project schedule with a minimal makespan. The problem type is known to be NP-hard and has been solved using various exact as well as (meta-)heuristic procedures.The new algorithm splits the problem type into a mode assignment and a single mode project scheduling step. The mode assignment step is solved by a satisfiability (SAT) problem solver and returns a feasible mode selection to the project scheduling step. The project scheduling step is solved using an efficient meta-heuristic procedure from literature to solve the resource-constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP). However, unlike many traditional meta-heuristic methods in literature to solve the MRCPSP, the new approach executes these two steps in one run, relying on a single priority list. Straightforward adaptations to the pure SAT solver by using pseudo boolean non-renewable resource constraints has led to a high quality solution approach in a reasonable computational time. Computational results show that the procedure can report similar or sometimes even better solutions than found by other procedures in literature, although it often requires a higher CPU time.     

Recent developments in Dual Resource Constrained (DRC) system research

Real world manufacturing systems are usually constrained by both machine and human resources. Human operators are often the constraining resource and transfer between workstations to process jobs when required. This kind of system is known as a Dual Resource Constrained (DRC) system and presents additional technical challenges which must be considered during planning and scheduling. These technical challenges can be categorised into the five main dimensions of job release mechanisms, job dispatching, worker flexibility, worker assignment and transfer costs. This paper aims to provide an overview of recent developments in DRC research concerned with each of these areas and also discusses some possible approaches to solving the resource scheduling problem in a DRC system. The focus is on materials published after 1995 and up to 2009. Previous reviews on DRC systems are commented on and followed by a review of recent works associated with each of the five dimensions of DRC system research. Advancements made and new methodologies proposed are discussed and future research directions are identified.     

Optimizing departure times in vehicle routes

Most solution methods for the vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW) develop routes from the earliest feasible departure time. In practice, however, temporary traffic congestion make such solutions non-optimal with respect to minimizing the total duty time. Furthermore, the VRPTW does not account for driving hours regulations, which restrict the available travel time for truck drivers. To deal with these problems, we consider the vehicle departure time optimization (VDO) problem as a post-processing of a VRPTW. We propose an ILP formulation that minimizes the total duty time. The results of a case study indicate that duty time reductions of 15% can be achieved. Furthermore, computational experiments on VRPTW benchmarks indicate that ignoring traffic congestion or driving hours regulations leads to practically infeasible solutions. Therefore, new vehicle routing methods should be developed that account for these common restrictions. We propose an integrated approach based on classical insertion heuristics.     

地震期间应急资源调度方案的优化选取

应急资源的调度是地震救援工作的重点,为解决这个难题,本文构建了以时效性、伤亡性和经济性为三大分量的多目标函数,然后经过无量纲和Delphi加权处理,将其转化为单目标函数,并将其中的决策效用函数看成运筹学中指派问题的效率函数,最后运用匈牙利法计算出最大的目标函数值,从而得出最优的资源调度方案.与其他多目标的应急资源调度方法相比,本文构建的这种算法具有简易、实用的优点,可以说为地震期间应急资源调度方案的优化选取工作提供了一种切实、可行的途径.     

一类自由作业供应链排序的研究

本文研究一类集成工件生产和发送的排序模型.在该模型中,供应链的上游首先将工件安排在自由作业机器上加工,然后把加工完毕的工件分批发送给下游.问题是寻找生产和发送相连的排序,使得生产排序费用和发送费用总和最少.这里,生产排序费用是以工件带权送到时间和表示;发送费用由固定费用和与运输路径有关的变化费用组成.在指出问题的NP困难性后,本文用动态规划算法构造了一致条件下的多项式时间近似算法,并分析算法的性能比.本文最后还讨论了该问题的其它情形.     

广义活动网络ETI支付进度计划问题的研究

优化ETI支付进度安排是消除承包商和业主由于进度安排原因而产生经济纠纷,实现双赢的最有效方法.本文分析了活动间广义时序关系的类型,建立了广义时序关系下活动间的约束关系;在考虑承包商和业主双方联合收益要求的基础上,提出了双方的净现值按同比例减小的折衷原则,构建了广义活动网络在ETI支付方式下的支付进度计划模型;最后通过一个算例进行了分析,验证表明该优化模型具有较好的有效性和实用性.     

A hybrid adaptively genetic algorithm for task scheduling problem in the phased array radar

A phased array radar (PAR) is used to detect new targets and update the information of those detected targets. Generally, a large number of tasks need to be performed by a single PAR in a finite time horizon. In order to utilize the limited time and the energy resources, it is necessary to provide an efficient task scheduling algorithm. However, the existing radar task scheduling algorithms can't be utilized to release the full potential of the PAR, because of those disadvantages such as full PAR task structure ignored, only good performance in one aspect considered and just heuristic or the meta-heuristic method utilized. Aiming at above issues, an optimization model for the PAR task scheduling and a hybrid adaptively genetic (HAGA) algorithm are proposed. The model considers the full PAR task structure and integrates multiple principles of task scheduling, so that multi-aspect performance can be guaranteed. The HAGA incorporates the improved GA to explore better solutions while using the heuristic task interleaving algorithm to utilize wait intervals to interleave subtasks and calculate fitness values of individuals in efficient manners. Furthermore, the efficiency and the effectiveness of the HAGA are both improved by adopting chaotic sequences for the population initialization, the elite reservation and the mixed ranking selection, as well as designing the adaptive crossover and the adaptive mutation operators. The simulation results demonstrate that the HAGA possesses merits of global exploration, faster convergence, and robustness compared with three state-of-art algorithms—adaptive GA, hybrid GA and highest priority and earliest deadline first heuristic (HPEDF) algorithm.     

考虑机器调整次数和产品质量的卷烟批量计划和柔性流水车间调度集成问题

针对卷烟企业生产中的批量计划和柔性流水车间调度集成问题,构建了整数规划模型,目标函数由卷烟生产时间、生产线调整次数、卷烟质量、库存成本四部分组成。鉴于该问题的NP-hard性,设计遗传算法进行求解,通过合理设计遗传算子,避免不可行解出现。应用某卷烟企业数据得到优化排产结果,与该企业之前依照经验排产方案进行对比,发现优化排程结果在减少品牌转换次数,提高生产的连续性方面具有明显优势。该算法已作为某卷烟企业排产人员的排产参考,应用于排产决策中,取得了良好的效果,对卷烟企业制定排产计划具有一定的实际指导意义。     

基于随机活动工期的多模式现金流均衡项目调度优化

承包商在项目执行过程中的现金流均衡是保证项目成功的关键因素。本文研究基于随机活动工期的多模式现金流均衡项目调度问题,旨是在项目工期及鲁棒性阈值约束下合理安排活动执行模式与开始时间,实现承包商现金流均衡。本文通过构建整数规划优化模型对研究问题进行刻画,随后设计模拟退火算法进行求解,最后进行案例分析。结果表明:鲁棒性阈值虽然可以保证基准进度的稳定性,但是提高鲁棒性阈值水平反而不利于承包商的现金流均衡,该值过高时甚至得不到可行解。本文研究可为随机活动工期背景下承包商的现金流控制提供定量化决策支持。     

负载均衡问题

自Ron Graham20世纪60年代发表第一篇负载均衡算法的论文以来,平行机排序作为组合优化近似算法理论的首个问题引起了学界的广泛兴趣,其本身研究的不断深化也一路见证了该领域的发展历程.介绍负载均衡问题的来龙去脉,特别是作者所在团队在相关问题的研究进展,从算法和复杂性不同的视角分析经典问题的计算本质,并对未来的研究提出一些建议.