Optimization model and ACO of ship assignment for international liner transportation

Aiming at the ship assignment problem of international liner transportation, the traditional dynamic ship assignment models were analyzed. Based on the fixed routes, ship types and ship amount, the influences of freight volume, port charge, fuel cost and river-crossing cost were analyzed. The minium operating cost was taken as objective function, ship amount and ship transportation volume were taken as constraint conditions, and a new optimization model of ship assignment was set up. Based on the neighborhood search technology, ant colony optimization (ACO) was used to solve the model, and example verification was carried out by using three typical routes. Calculation result shows that when the freight transportation demand can be satisfied, the optimization costs of the three typical routes are 133 723 000, 93 339 000, 139 464 000 yuan respectively, the total cost is 366 526 000 yuan and reduces by 1 106 000 yuan. By using genetic algorithm, the costs of the three typical routes are 134 051 000, 93 416 000, 140 127 000 yuan respectively, the total cost is 367 594 000 yuan. By using simulated annealing algorithm, the costs of the three typical routes are 133 985 000, 93 397 000, 139 859 000 yuan respectively, the total cost is 367 241 000 yuan. The optimization model of ship assignment for international liner transportation is feasible, and ACO has good advantage on the optimization model of ship assignment.