Stowage Planning System for Ferry Ro-Ro Ships Using Particle Swarm Optimization Method

Abstract

Stowage planning involves distributing cargo on board a ship, including quantity, weight, and destination details. It consists of collecting cargo manifest data, planning cargo location on decks, and calculating stability until the vessel is declared safe for sailing. Finding the ideal solution to real-world situations in this stowage planning problem is challenging and frequently requires a very long computing period. The Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is one of the evolutionary algorithms known for its efficient performance. PSO has been extended to complex optimization problems due to its fast convergence and easy implementation. In this study, the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) method is implemented to automate stowage arrangements on ships considering three factors (width, length, and weight of the vehicle). This system was evaluated with KMP Legundi vehicle manifest data and four load cases of 12 different vehicle types that can be loaded on Ferry / Ro-Ro Ships. It provides complete vehicle layouts and allows interactive changes for stowage planners, ensuring speed and accuracy in arranging ship cargo.