Simulation model and performance evaluation of battery-powered AGV systems in automated container terminals

The use of battery power is becoming widespread rapidly among the mega ports worldwide, owing its low emission and high energy efficiency. In this paper, a simulation approach is presented to configure the charging stations (CSs) and battery-powered automated guided vehicles (B-AGVs) at automated container terminals. The facility planning of the CSs and the operation strategies of the B-AGVs are crucial for the system performance of the terminal. A port system is modeled as a discrete event simulation model, mainly consisting of three parts: vessel generator, dispatcher, and traffic network. Two types of layout designs and two types of recharging policies are presented, to deploy the CSs and control the B-AGVs to be recharged, respectively. Extensive simulation experiments are conducted to analyze the parameter effects on the system performance. The results indicate that a decentralized CS layout and a progressive recharging policy lead to excellent performance. Some management insights are offered to gain a better understanding of the key factors when deploying a B-AGV system.