Port activity simulation: an overview

Abstract

Port can be viewed as a complex system containing several entities with interfering attributes. The whole image is very complex and special care should be considered to model such systems.Several works for investigating, analysing evaluating and improving port activities are carried out, each of them is concerned with a specific area related to the port functions, the key tool for most of these works is the simulation.The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of a computer simulation program used as a management decision support tool helping in evaluating and improving the comprehensive port activities. The proposed simulation model consists from a statistical module, an input module, ship generator, cargo generator, ship operation planner, cargo handling equipment planner, warehouse controller, and the transportation means planner. All the planning and controlling modules related to ships, cargoes, warehousing and transportation means contain special optimizers the optimizers constitute operations research packages to be used whenever possible to optimize the specific process related to port operations.The computer model will have several output results; evaluating different port performance indicators, performing port improvement analysis, studying port expansion possibilities, estimating future view of the port and making an economic impact evaluation.