Open Access

ARTICLE

A Study on Optimizing the Double-Spine Type Flow Path Design for the Overhead Transportation System Using Tabu Search Algorithm

Nguyen Huu Loc Khuu^1,2,3, Thuy Duy Truong^1,2,3, Quoc Dien Le^1,2,3, Tran Thanh Cong Vu^1,2,3, Hoa Binh Tran^1,2,3, Tuong Quan Vo^1,2,3,*

1 Department of Mechatronics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
2 Bach Khoa Research Center for Manufacturing Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
3 Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

* Corresponding Author: Tuong Quan Vo. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Intelligent Sensing, Manufacturing, Operation and Maintenance for Automatic Engineering Systems)

Intelligent Automation & Soft Computing 2024, 39(2), 255-279. https://doi.org/10.32604/iasc.2024.043854

Received 14 July 2023; Accepted 05 February 2024; Issue published 21 May 2024

Abstract

Optimizing Flow Path Design (FPD) is a popular research area in transportation system design, but its application to Overhead Transportation Systems (OTSs) has been limited. This study focuses on optimizing a double-spine flow path design for OTSs with 10 stations by minimizing the total travel distance for both loaded and empty flows. We employ transportation methods, specifically the North-West Corner and Stepping-Stone methods, to determine empty vehicle travel flows. Additionally, the Tabu Search (TS) algorithm is applied to branch the 10 stations into two main layout branches. The results obtained from our proposed method demonstrate a reduction in the objective function value compared to the initial feasible solution. Furthermore, we explore how changes in the parameters of the TS algorithm affect the optimal result. We validate the feasibility of our approach by comparing it with relevant literature and conducting additional tests on layouts with 20 and 30 stations.

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Keywords

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