Multi-objective Weather Routing with Customised Criteria and Constraints

Abstract

The paper presents a weather routing algorithm utilising a multi-objective optimisation with constraints, namely the Multi-objective Evolutionary Weather Routing Algorithm (MEWRA). In the proposed approach weather route recommendations can be made simultaneously e.g. for passage time, fuel consumption and safety of passage by means of Pareto optimisation. The sets of criteria and constraints in the optimisation process are fully customisable. The algorithm handles static (time-independent) and dynamic (time-dependent) constraints e.g. forecasted high wind speed regions or customisable areas to be excluded from routing (e.g. due to piracy). The paper includes a description of MEWRA as well as examples of its usage for finding Pareto-optimal transoceanic ship routes.