Delft University of Technology
Faculty Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering Transport Technology / Logistic Engineering
R.F.B. Hünteler De logistieke functionaliteit van SmartTrailing.
Masters thesis, Report 2000.LT.4764, Transport Technology, Logistic Engineering.
In the present situation AGV's are used for the automised container transport in the Rotterdam harbour region. Owing to the expected developments, the increasing containerflow and the expanding harbour-territory, raises the desire to increase the scale of automated container transport. Because the functionality demands of the transporting vehicles will change, the design of a new type of vehicle has been investigated. This new vehicle is named the &quoat;SmartTrailer".
This vehicle can be applied in different ways:
1. as an independent operating unit for the intra-terminal transport (speed: 3m/s);
2. as a wagon in a train of 5 units, this train can automatically be assembled, pulled (speed 45 km/h) and split up.
The SmartTrailer is cheaper than the "old" AGV's. because the driving capacity is lower. Therefore their speed is lower, in independent operation, than the speed of the AGV's. In the situation that short distances must be moved and/or only a few number of containers has to be transported, the SmartTrailer will drive independent (alone). In the situation that longer distances have to be covered and/or a larger number of containers has to be transported, the SmartTrailers will be assembied to a train and be transported by a pulling engine.
To enable a quick investigation, of the required transport capacities in different applications, a static model has been developed.
For the application of large scaled automised containertransport, as presented in the DiTrans study [J.J.M. Evers Een geïntegreerd systeem voor gerobotiseerd containertransport: R&D programma DiTrans Onderzoekschool TRAIL, Delft, 1994 June], SmartTrailing has proven to be a good alternative for the use of AGV's, based on the static required capacities. In this application a simulation model is developed through which also dynamic aspects are involved in the consideration. This dynamic model however is restricted, because only few facts about characteristics of containerflows are available.
To investigate the application of SmartTrailing in the Inter Terminal Transport on the Maasvlakte in the year 2015, an existing simulation model is used [J.A. Ottjes e.a. Simulatiestudie Inter Terminal Transport Maasvlakte, TRAIL Onderzoekschool, Delft (1996)]. Also investigated is a model in which a Truck Service Centre is supposed to be situated near the Maasvlakte. As a result of this model can be concluded, that the performances of
SmartTrailing and the application of AGV's are more or less similar, after comparing the financial investments of the required number of vehicles and the instrumentcapacity on the terminals. If the planned Truck Service Centre will be located near the Eem/Waalhaven-area, SmartTrailing appears to be a weIl applicable and financially justified improvement.
Reports on Logistic Engineering (in Dutch)
