Browsing by Author "Van Vuuren, J. H."
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- ItemThe application of a computerised decision support system for generator maintenance scheduling : a South African case study(Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering, 2012-11) Schlunz, E. B.; Van Vuuren, J. H.In the generator maintenance scheduling (GMS) problem, a schedule is sought for the planned maintenance outages of generating units in a power system. The GMS model considered in this paper is formulated as a mixed-integer quadratic program assuming a reliability objective, subject to certain constraints. A generic GMS solution methodology is derived, capable of solving general GMS problem instances that conform to this model structure, and implemented in a computerised decision support system. The decision support system is then used to solve a real-life case study in the South African national power system.
- ItemA case for the adoption of decentralised reinforcement learning for the control of traffic flow on South African highways(South African Institution of Civil Engineering, 2019) Schmidt-Dumont, T.; Van Vuuren, J. H.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As an alternative to capacity expansion, various dynamic highway traffic control measures have been introduced. Ramp metering and variable speed limits are often considered to be effective dynamic highway control measures. Typically, these control measures have been employed in conjunction with either optimal control methods or online feedback control. One shortcoming of feedback control is that it provides no guarantee of optimality with respect to the chosen metering rate or speed limit. Optimal control approaches, on the other hand, are limited in respect of their applicability to large traffic networks due to their significant computational expense. Reinforcement learning is an alternative solution approach, in which an agent learns a near-optimal control strategy in an online manner, with a smaller computational overhead than those of optimal control approaches. In this paper an empirical case is made for the adoption of a decentralised reinforcement learning approach towards solving the control problems posed by both ramp metering and variable speed limits simultaneously, and in an online manner. The effectiveness of this approach is evaluated in the context of a microscopic traffic simulation model of a section of the N1 national highway outbound from Cape Town in South Africa's Western Cape Province.
- ItemDecision support for open-air irrigation reservoir control(Operations Research Society of South Africa, 2018) Van der Walt, J. C.; Van Vuuren, J. H.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The availability of irrigation water greatly impacts on the profitability of the agricultural sector in South Africa and is largely determined by prudent decisions related to water release strategies at open-air irrigation reservoirs. The selection of such release strategies is difficult, since the objectives that should be pursued are not generally agreed upon and unpredictable weather patterns cause reservoir inflows to vary substantially between hydrological years. In this paper, a decision support system is proposed for the selection of suitable water release strategies. The system is based on a mathematical model which generates a probability distribution of the reservoir volume at the end of a hydrological year based on historical reservoir inflows. A release strategy is then computed which centres the expected hydrological year-end reservoir volume on some user-specified target value subject to user-specified weight factors representing demand satisfaction importance during the various decision periods of the hydrological year. The probability of water shortage for a given year-end transition volume may be determined by the decision support system, which allows for the computation of acceptable trade-off decisions between the fulfilment of current demand and the future repeatability of a release strategy. The system is implemented as a computerised concept demonstrator which is validated in a special case study involving Keerom Dam, an open-air reservoir in the Nuy agricultural district near Worcester in the South African Western Cape. The system's strategy suggestions are compared to historically employed strategies and the suggested strategies are found to fare better in maintaining reservoir storage levels whilst still fulfilling irrigation demands.
- ItemA decision support system for firerebase location in a nature conservation area(Operations Research Society of South Africa, 2017-04-19) Reed, R.; Van Vuuren, J. H.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is important that rebases are available on standby at strategic locations in a nature conservation area from where wild re ignition points can be reached rapidly and such res brought under control before they spread. Two facility location models are proposed in this paper which may form the basis for decision support when deciding on the locations of such rebases in a nature conservation area. Both of these models are multi-objective in nature. They are able to produce solutions that embody trade-o decisions between minimising the cost of locating rebases and maximising the coverage of key areas in a conservation area. These trade-o s may be based on a variety of coverage importance criteria, such as aiming to cover terrain portions exhibiting a steep ground slope, terrain portions that experience a high annual mean wind speed, or terrain portions in which many wild res have ignited in the past. The coverage criteria are typically case-speci c and may therefore be speci ed by the decision maker. Both models, as well as their approximate solution methodology, are implemented in the form of a computerised decision support system in order to render them accessible to non-mathematically inclined decision makers. The decision support system is validated by applying it to a special case study involving Table Mountain National Park, a nature conservation area in the Western Cape, South Africa.
- ItemThe effects of incorporating vehicle acceleration explicitly into a microscopic traffic simulation model(Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering, 2013-08) Burger, A. P.; Einhorn, M. D.; Van Vuuren, J. H.Explicitly incorporating individual vehicle acceleration into a traffic simulation model is not a trivial task, and typically results in a considerable increase in model complexity. For this reason, alternative implicit techniques have been introduced in the literature to compensate for the delay times associated with acceleration. In this paper, the claim is investigated that these implicit modelling techniques adequately account for the time delays due to vehicle acceleration; the modelling techniques are implemented in a simulated environment, and compared with models in which vehicle acceleration has been incorporated explicitly for a number of traffic network topologies and traffic densities. It is found that considerable discrepancies may result between the two approaches.
- ItemEfficient heuristics for the Rural Postman Problem(Operations Research Society of South Africa, 2005) Groves, G. W.; Van Vuuren, J. H.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A local search framework for the (undirected) Rural Postman Problem (RPP) is presented in this paper. The framework allows local search approaches that have been applied Successfully to the well–known Travelling Salesman Problem also to be applied to the RPP. New heuristics for the RPP, based on this framework, are introduced and these are capable of solving significantly larger instances of the RPP than have been reported in the literature. Test results are presented for a number of benchmark RPP instances in a bid to compare efficiency and solution quality against known methods.
- ItemAn evaluation of the effectiveness of observation camera placement within the meerkat radio telescope project(SAIIE, 2015) Heyns, A. M.; Van Vuuren, J. H.A recent development within the MeerKAT sub-project of the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope network was the placement of a network of three observation cameras in pursuit of two specific visibility objectives. In this paper, we evaluate the effectiveness of the locations of the MeerKAT observation camera network according to a novel multi-objective geographic information systems-based facility location framework. We find that the configuration chosen and implemented by the MeerKAT decision-makers is of very high quality, although we are able to uncover slightly superior alternative placement configurations. A significant amount of time and effort could, however, have been saved in the process of choosing the appropriate camera sites, had our solutions been available to the decision-makers.
- ItemThe evolutionary spatial prisoner's dilemma on a cycle(Operations Research Society of South Africa (ORSSA), 2013) Burger, A. P.; Van der Merwe, M.; Van Vuuren, J. H.In this paper we consider the Evolutionary Spatial Prisoner's Dilemma (ESPD) in which players are modelled by the vertices of a cycle representing a spatial or organisational structure amongst the players. During each round of the ESPD every pair of adjacent players in the cycle play a classical prisoner's dilemma against each other, and they update their strategies from one round to the next based on the perceived success achieved by the strategies of neighbouring players during the previous round. In this way players are able to adapt and learn from each other's strategies as the game progresses without being able to rationalise good strategies. We characterise all steady states of the game as well as the structures of those initial states that lead to the emergence of persistent substates of cooperation over time. We finally determine analytically (i.e. without using simulation) the probability that the game's states will evolve from a randomly generated initial state towards a steady state which accommodates some form of persistent cooperation. More specifically, we show that there exists a range of game parameter values for which the likelihood of the emergence of persistent cooperation increases to almost certainty as the length of the cycle increases.
- ItemAn investigation into the effectiveness of simulated annealing as a solution approach for the generator maintenance scheduling problem(Elsevier Ltd, 2013-04) Schlunz, E. B.; Van Vuuren, J. H.The generator maintenance scheduling (GMS) problem is the difficult combinatorial optimisation problem of finding a schedule for the planned maintenance outages of generating units in a power system. The GMS model considered in this paper is formulated as a mixed integer program, with a reliability optimality criterion, subject to a number of constraints. A new version of the simulated annealing (SA) method for solving the GMS problem is presented. Four cooling schedules (the geometric and three adaptive schedules), two neighbourhood move operators (an elementary move and an ejection chain move operator), and a hybrid local search heuristic/SA algorithm are compared. To our knowledge, this is the first study considering a different SA cooling schedule and move operator in a GMS context. A new 32-unit GMS test system is established and used in conjunction with a benchmark test system from the literature in this investigation. It is found that choosing a different cooling schedule and an ejection chain move operator yield improved results to that of the SA algorithm currently employed in the GMS literature. The hybrid SA algorithm performs very well compared to other methods on the benchmark test system from the literature, and an improved lower bound on the objective function value is presented for this test system.
- ItemModelling the effects of the sterile insect technique applied to Eldana saccharina Walker in sugarcane(Operations Research Society of South Africa (ORSSA), 2012) Potgieter, L.; Van Vuuren, J. H.; Conlong, D. E.A mathematical model is formulated for the population dynamics of an Eldana saccharina Walker infestation of sugarcane under the influence of partially sterile released insects. The model describes the population growth of and interaction between normal and sterile E. saccharina moths in a temporally variable, but spatially homogeneous environment. The model consists of a deterministic system of difference equations subject to strictly positive initial data. The primary objective of this model is to determine suitable parameters in terms of which the above population growth and interaction may be quantified and according to which E. saccharina infestation levels and the associated sugarcane damage may be measured. Although many models have been formulated in the past describing the sterile insect technique, few of these models describe the technique for Lepidopteran species with more than one life stage and where F1-sterility is relevant. In addition, none of these models consider the technique when fully sterile females and partially sterile males are being released. The model formulated is also the first to describe the technique applied specifically to E. saccharina, and to consider the economic viability of applying the technique to this species. Pertinent decision support is provided to farm managers in terms of the best timing for releases, release ratios and release frequencies.
- ItemModelling the South African fruit export infrastructure : a case study(Operations Research Society of South Africa, 2006) Ortmann, F. G.; Van Vuuren, J. H.; Van Dyk, F. E.A description is provided of work performed as part of the fruit logistics infrastructure project commissioned by the South African Deciduous Fruit Producers’ Trust and coordinated by the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, as described in Van Dyk FE & Maspero E, 2004, An analysis of the South African fruit logistics infrastructure, ORiON, 20(1), pp. 55–72. After a brief introduction to the problem, two models (a single-commodity graph theoretic model and a multi-commodity mathematical programming model) are derived for determining the maximal weekly flow or throughput of fresh fruit through the South African national export infrastructure. These models are solved for two extreme seasonal export scenarios and the solutions show that no export infrastructure expansion is required in the near future — observed bottlenecks are not fundamental to the infrastructure and its capacities, but are rather due to sub-optimal management and utilisation of the existing infrastructure.
- ItemA multiobjective approach towards weapon assignment in a ground-based air defence environment(Operations Research Society of South Africa, 2013) Lotter, D. P.; Nieuwoudt, I.; Van Vuuren, J. H.A typical ground-based air defence (GBAD) environment comprises defended assets on the ground which require protection from enemy aircraft entering the defended airspace. Protection against these aircraft is afforded by means of pre-deployed ground-based weapon systems that are assigned to engage these enemy aircraft according to some pre-specified criterion or set of criteria. The conditions under which human operators have to propose assignments of weapon systems to engage these aircraft are severely stressful since time is a critical factor and there is no room for error. Some progress has already been made with respect to the design of computerised threat evaluation and weapon assignment (TEWA) decision support systems (DSSs) within the context of a GBAD system. However, the weapon assignment (WA) component within such a TEWA DSS is typically based on a single criterion (objective). The aim in this paper is to model the WA problem as a multiobjective decision problem. A list of relevant factors (related to objectives) is identified by means of feedback received from a WA questionnaire which was completed by a number of military experts. For illustrative purposes, two objectives, namely the cost of assigning weapon systems for engagement and the accumulated survival probabilities of observed threats as a result of these engagements, were isolated from these factors in order to derive a bi-objective WA model. This model is solved in the context of a simulated, but realistic, GBAD environment by means of an existing multiobjective solution technique called the Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II.
- ItemA note on flow-based formulations for solving resource constrained scheduling problems(Operations Research Society of South Africa, 2017-02) Terblanche, S. E.; Van Vuuren, J. H.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The resource constrained scheduling problem involves the scheduling of a number of activities over time, where each activity consumes one or more resources per time period. For a feasible solution to exist, the total resource consumption per time period must not exceed the available resources. In addition, the order in which activities may be scheduled is determined by a precedence graph. In this paper, valid inequalities proposed for the resource flow-based formulation in previous studies are investigated to determine what effect they may have on computing times. It is shown empirically that improved computing times may be obtained if these valid inequalities are, in fact, omitted from the resource flow-based formulation. In addition, a heuristic is proposed for the generation of initial starting solutions and for estimating the extent of the scheduling horizon which, in turn, is required to calculate the latest starting times of activities. The computational results are based on well-known problem test instances as well as new randomly generated problem instances.
- ItemA note on flow-based formulations for solving resource constrained scheduling problems(Operations Research Society of South Africa, 2017) Terblanche, S. E.; Van Vuuren, J. H.The resource constrained scheduling problem involves the scheduling of a number of activities over time, where each activity consumes one or more resources per time period. For a feasible solution to exist, the total resource consumption per time period must not exceed the available resources. In addition, the order in which activities may be scheduled is determined by a precedence graph. In this paper, valid inequalities proposed for the resource ow-based formulation in previous studies are investigated to determine what e ect they may have on computing times. It is shown empirically that improved computing times may be obtained if these valid inequalities are, in fact, omitted from the resource ow-based formulation. In addition, a heuristic is proposed for the generation of initial starting solutions and for estimating the extent of the scheduling horizon which, in turn, is required to calculate the latest starting times of activities. The computational results are based on well-known problem test instances as well as new randomly generated problem instances.
- ItemOn the(d)–chromatic number of a complete balanced multipartite graph(Operations Research Society of South Africa, 2007) Burger, A. P.; Nieuwoudt, I.; Van Vuuren, J. H.In this paper we solve (approximately) the problem of finding the minimum number of colours with which the vertices of a complete, balanced, multipartite graph G may be coloured such that the maximum degrees of all colour class induced subgraphs are at most some specified integer d 2 N. The minimum number of colours in such a colouring is referred to as the (d)–chromatic number of G. The problem of finding the (d)–chromatic number of a complete, balanced, multipartite graph has its roots in an open graph theoretic characterisation problem and has applications conforming to the generic scenario where users of a system are in conflict if they require access to some shared resource. These conflicts are represented by edges in a so–called resource access graph, where vertices represent the users. An efficient resource access schedule is an assignment of the users to a minimum number of groups (modelled by means of colour classes) where some threshold d of conflict may be tolerated in each group. If different colours are associated with different time periods in the schedule, then the minimum number of groupings in an optimal resource access schedule for the above set of users is given by the (d)–chromatic number of the resource access graph. A complete balanced multipartite resource access graph represents a situation of maximum conflict between members of different user groups of the system, but where no conflict occurs between members of the same user group (perhaps due to an allocation of diverse duties to the group members).
- ItemOptimisation of radio transmitter locations in mobile telecommunication networks(Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering, 2016) Schmidt-Dumont, T.; Van Vuuren, J. H.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Multiple factors have to be taken into account when mobile telecommunication network providers make decisions about radio transmitter placement. Generally, area coverage and the average signal level provided are of prime importance in these decisions. These criteria give rise to a bi-objective problem of facility location, with the goal of achieving an acceptable trade-off between maximising the total area coverage and maximising the average signal level provided to the demand region by a network of radio transmitters. This paper establishes a mathematical modelling framework, based on these two placement criteria, for evaluating the effectiveness of a given set of radio transmitter locations. In the framework, coverage is measured according to the degree of obstruction of the so-called ‘Fresnel zone’ that is formed between handset and base station, while signal strength is modelled taking radio wave propagation loss into account. This framework is used to formulate a novel bi-objective facility location model that may form the basis for decision support aimed at identifying high-quality transmitter location trade-off solutions for mobile telecommunication network providers. But it may also find application in various other contexts (such as radar, watchtower, or surveillance camera placement optimisation).
- ItemOptimisation of stock keeping unit placement in a retail distribution centre(Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering, 2018-08-31) Van Heerden, S. A.; Van Vuuren, J. H.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The retail problem of slotting refers to the assignment of stock keeping units (SKUs) to the available storage locations in a distribution centre (DC). Generally, the expected total distance travelled by stock pickers during an order consolidation and the resulting level of congestion experienced within aisle racking are common considerations when making these assignments. These criteria give rise to a bi-objective optimisation model with the aim of identifying multiple stock setups that achieve acceptable trade-offs between minimising the criteria on expectation. A mathematical framework is established in this paper, based on these two criteria, for evaluating the effectiveness of a given stock setup. In the framework, a stock picker’s movement between various storage locations is modelled as a Markov chain in order to quantify his or her expected travel distance, while a closed queuing network model is used to devise a suitable measure of congestion. This optimisation model framework forms the basis of a flexible decision support system (DSS) for the purpose of discovering high-quality stock assignment trade-off solutions for inventory managers. The DSS is applied to a special case study involving data from a real DC, and the desirability of the recommended stock configurations is compared with that currently implemented within the DC.
- ItemAn optimisation-based decision support system framework for multi-objective in- core fuel management of nuclear reactor cores(Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering, 2016-11-06) Schlunz, E. B.; Bokov, P. M.; Van Vuuren, J. H.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The notion of in-core fuel management (ICFM) involves decision making in respect of the specific arrangement of fuel assemblies in a nuclear reactor core. This arrangement, referred to as a reload configuration, influences the efficiency and effectiveness of fuel usage in a reactor. A decision support system (DSS) may assist nuclear reactor operators in improving the quality of their reload configuration designs. In this paper, a generic optimisation-based DSS framework is proposed for multi-objective ICFM, with the intention of serving as a high-level formalisation of a computerised tool that can assist reactor operators in their complex ICFM decisions.
- ItemQuantifying the role of personal management style in the success of investment portfolios(Operations Research Society of South Africa, 2002) Wagenaar, E. A.; Van Vuuren, J. H.It is extremely difficult to quantify the effect of different management styles of portfolio managers upon the success of their portfolios. Various mathematical models in the literature attempt to predict the risk and returns of portfolios according to changes in the economic arena, but these models usually do not take into account the personal styles of portfolio managers. The aim of this paper is a modest attempt at quantifying the effect of different managerial styles upon decisions regarding portfolios. This is accomplished by the formulation of a mathematical performance index that portrays the influence of a portfolio manager's personal and managerial characteristics on the success of his portfolio.
- ItemScheduling sequence-dependent colour printing jobs(Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering, 2016) Schuurman, J.; Van Vuuren, J. H.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A scheduling problem in the colour printing industry is considered in this paper. The problem is to find an optimal assignment of print jobs to each of a set of colour printers, as well as an optimal processing sequence for the set of jobs assigned to each printer. The objective is to minimise the makespan of the schedule to achieve a suitable balance between the workloads of the printers and the efficiencies of the job sequences assigned to the printers. A novel aspect of the problem is the way in which the printer set-up times associated with the jobs are job sequence-dependent — it is possible to exploit commonalities between the colours required for successive jobs on each machine. We solve this problem approximately by using a simple heuristic and three well-known metaheuristics. Besides colour printing, the scheduling problem considered here admits many other applications. Some of these alternative applications are also briefly described.