Simulation methodology for intermodal freight transportation terminals

Abstract

This paper presents the issue of general methodology for modeling and simulation of seaport and inland terminals in intermodal freight transportation systems. The report documents a phase of the on-going more comprehensive effort aimed at developing a generalized modeling capability to provide strategic and tactical decision support for transportation logistics and intermodal terminals. By providing the object-oriented process of simula tion modeling with the coherent and uniform methodo logical basis, it was possible to construct a practical tool "TRANSNODE," The Simulator of Intermodal Transportation Terminals which allows one to model and simulate any transportation terminal, or a group of interconnected terminals, large or small, multipurpose or specialized, at optional scale. Knowledge-base and artificial intelligence concepts were incorporated in the simulator. Different from traditional simulation modeling, which combines data, knowledge and control program ming, the data-driven simulation modeling approach of the TRANSNODE system treats data and control logic as distinct parts. The resulting model is a generic simulator which can be used in many different application scenarios without requiring user simulation knowledge to modify the program. The only thing the user must do is supply the input data in the specified format through data files. Different terminal configura tions can be simulated merely by changing the input data. The developed technology is expected to be used by the industry for supporting their strategic and tactical decisions, by engineering firms in evaluating the design of their client facilities, their policies, and by the universities and research institutes in supporting and furthering their research.