Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6540625 | Computers and Electronics in Agriculture | 2015 | 12 Pages |
Abstract
In this paper, a novel scheduling algorithm is presented which creates individual machine work plans for multiple machines to execute multiple consecutive operations at multiple fields, accounting for the field's readiness for the specified operation. Two optimisation algorithms are utilised to find near optimal solutions of predefined scenarios, a standard Tabu Search and a modified Tabu Search, producing optimised work schedules. The functionality of the optimisation algorithms are tested both for a real world scenario and a large set of numerical examples. The results of the optimisation methods are assessed by their computational time and their relative error compared to the optimal solution, where available. The combination of the presented scheduling algorithm and optimisation algorithms could be used either as a stand-alone tool for farm managers and agricultural contractors as part of their logistic planning, or as a component of an overall Farm Management Information System.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Computer Science
Computer Science Applications
Authors
Gareth Edwards, Claus G. Sørensen, Dionysis D. Bochtis, Lars J. Munkholm,