Taboo Search Algorithm for Optimizing Shunting Scheme of Through Wagon Flow Delivering and Fetching Operation

Abstract

In order to improve the efficiency of selecting the optimal scheme from the delivering and fetching shunting schemes of through wagon flow to and from the enterprise dedicated lines which are located in radial shape, the taboo search algorithm is applied in the process finding the optimal solution. The objective function is directly used as the fitness function, and the solution generated by exchanging the wagon group delivering order of one dedicated line with another is taken as the new solution; the taboo list is two-dimensional array, and a fixed value is given as the taboo length; if the evaluation value of the current optimal solution is superior to the historical one, the taboo rules will be defied and the current optimal solution be directly accepted; once the iteration number reaches the predetermined number, the calculating process will be terminated. The simulation results verify the effectiveness of the Taboo search algorithm to the problem, and show that the bigger the number of the dedicated lines, the more the number of equivalent schemes and the higher the searching efficiency is. And the smaller the number of the equivalent schemes, the bigger the search scope is. If the number of the dedicated lines is not more than 8, the processing time by computer is not longer than 15 milliseconds.