A relationship between different costs of container yard modelling in port using queuing approach

Abstract

In this paper we consider batch arrivals of containers at a port container yard which is modeled as a multi-server queue MX/M/c with c yard cranes for the service. It is assumed that the related group size (the number of containers in an arriving group), X is distributed by a Poisson-like distribution. Using a more general formula for such queue models, here it is deduced the expression for the specific cost ratio involving the state probabilities, the utilization factor, the mean and the variance of the group size. Applying this expression, related numerical and graphical results are presented when the number of yard cranes at container yard in port is 1, 2 or 3. We also point out that this expression allows us to discuss and compare the values of specific cost ratio concerning the considered MX/M/c queues with different port performance parameters, as well as with specific cost ratio of the queues investigated in earlier authors' papers on this topic.

Keywords

• container yard modelling
• mx/m/c queue
• specific cost ratio
• poisson-like distribution
• utilization factor