What is container terminal simulation?

In today’s unpredictable and changing world, container terminals are constantly being challenged with larger volumes of cargo under strict timelines and efficiency standards, and uncertainty on the future. Terminal operators face substantial strategic and operational challenges such as how to cope with the increasing vessel size, how to handle the environmental needs and the electrification of our ports, how to keep up with the automation at terminals and in the port industry, or how many equipment is necessary to meet the expected throughput. Simulation helps to tackle these challenges by allowing operators to test potential scenarios in a virtual environment, to explore impacts and identify bottlenecks. This, in turn, supports more informed decision-making without costly or disruptive real-world testing.

What is simulation?

Simulation is a way of getting insight into the behaviour of complex systems, recognizing relations over time, and exploring future (“what-if”) scenarios. It recreates the processes of a real-world system within a virtual world, using detailed mathematical models and statistical distribution to account for uncertainty. Hereby, the sequence of events in an operational flow can be analysed, including the individual interaction between elements in the system, such as the behaviour of equipment operators or the specific truck behaviour.

Simulation combines real-world data with expert knowledge on causal relationships, resulting in a predictive model. To accurately simulate the real-world behaviour, it is essential that the model is fine-tuned with the real-world data and information such that it mirrors its behaviour.

“What-if” analyses

The flexibility of simulation enables us to conduct “what-if” analyses for evaluating the potential impact of high investments without real-world testing. Some example of “what-if” scenarios for a container terminal are:

  • What if more or less equipment is used in the container terminal, or different equipment specs?
  • What if the workload situation is high (or low)?
  • What if the storage density is high (or low)?
  • What if a greenfield has a layout designed that uses RTG or ASC? (i.e., comparing alternatives)
  • What if automation is added to the container terminal? (e.g., implementing AGVs)
  • What if electrification is applied, and what is the impact of various charging strategies (e.g., deep charging vs. opportunity charging)?

The impact of these scenarios can be evaluated on various Key Performance Indicators (KPI), such as the handling capacity, the storage capacity, the number of equipment required, and the impact on the waiting times. For example, we can determine whether the number of equipment is sufficient (or not) given the dynamic nature of the container terminal. It also allows us to determine the expected CAPEX and OPEX.

Next to the KPIs, it is crucial to design and evaluate the container terminal for its robustness and resilience due to the unpredictability of the future. To “future-proof” a container terminal, the simulation is tested under a large set of possible future scenarios. This helps terminal operators to gain insight into the robustness of their system and potential bottlenecks.

Simulation can often spark new ideas for alternative “what-if” scenarios that might not have been considered otherwise. This exploration could lead to new insight for terminal operators to enhance performance, and drive innovation.

Types of simulation models

For the simulation of a container terminal, two levels of simulation can be distinguished: strategic (long-term) simulation models, and in-depth simulation models. Depending on the question of the terminal operator, a different modelling approach should be taken.

Strategic terminal model

A strategic terminal model is needed to answer the following questions:

  • What quay lengths and terminal depths are needed to facilitate different volume growth scenarios?
  • How do vessel waiting times vary with berth length, prioritization decisions and available access channels?
  • How many quay cranes are required to handle (an increase in) the quay yearly volume?
  • What are the average and peak container volumes and what are the resulting required hourly transport and stack handling capacities on a yearly basis?

Portwise has developed TRAFALQUAR® that simulates up to a year of future vessel arrivals, including variations in arrival times and call sizes, quay crane handling rates and stack size development. By adjusting the key variables in the model, the long term requirements on the terminal’s resources and investment strategies become visible. It evaluates the characteristics of a particular terminal against the changing environment and rationalizes the trade-offs between vessel service and:

  • Quay length
  • Number, type and performance of quay cranes
  • Yard storage and handling capacity
  • Yard equipment utilization

In-depth terminal model

An in-depth terminal model is needed to answer the following questions:

  • What performances can be expected for different terminal layouts or handling systems?
  • How many prime movers are required to meet the performance targets?
  • How many stack modules of RTGs, RMGs or other are needed and of which dimensions?
  • What performance improvements can be realized by changing equipment specifications or control algorithms?

Portwise has developed the TIMESQUARE® simulation model library, containing valid representation of all types of terminal operating modes, including new innovations. It is a very comprehensive model that contains both the movements of containers and equipment as well as a detailed model of the Terminal Operating System (TOS) and Equipment Control System (ECS). This allows for the evaluation of the container terminal system in a very detailed manner within a dedicated time period, e.g., a peak scenario. With this library, a detailed yard terminal simulation or gate simulation including quay crane movements, handling times of the yard stack, driving behaviour of the terminal tractors etc., can be modelled.

Visualisation

The visualisation of the simulation is essential for conveying the key message of the model, for demonstrating the viability of solutions, and for marketing purposes. Especially in a complex system like a container terminal, it helps to gain insight into the behaviour of the system. Additionally, visualisation helps in explaining the workings of the simulation model towards any stakeholder. Visualisation can be presented in 2D- or 3D animations. of a container terminal simulation can be found here: Conversion of the Port of Virginia to semi-automated terminals

To learn more about our Container Terminal Simulation services, please visit: Terminal simulation analysis for bulk and container terminals – Portwise

 

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