Recent trend shows integrated automated storage and retrieval systems (IASRS) in large air-cargo terminals have to handle increasing air cargo volume. With fixed capacity, increasing equipment utilization is the only way to increase the cargo handling capacity. Reducing the shipment traveling time by routing the shipments effectively through the complex network of equipment in IASRS can reduce congestion and improve the system performance. In this thesis, flow diversion strategy for routing shipments using multiple paths and its variations are reviewed. These strategies are further developed with cost update. Based on the cost update, a simple and easy-to-implement routing strategy is developed. Simulation experiments are conducted to compare the proposed routing strategies to the class...[ Read more ]

Recent trend shows integrated automated storage and retrieval systems (IASRS) in large air-cargo terminals have to handle increasing air cargo volume. With fixed capacity, increasing equipment utilization is the only way to increase the cargo handling capacity. Reducing the shipment traveling time by routing the shipments effectively through the complex network of equipment in IASRS can reduce congestion and improve the system performance. In this thesis, flow diversion strategy for routing shipments using multiple paths and its variations are reviewed. These strategies are further developed with cost update. Based on the cost update, a simple and easy-to-implement routing strategy is developed. Simulation experiments are conducted to compare the proposed routing strategies to the classical shortest path routing strategy.