Developing an automated terminal poses a greater financial risk than developing a conventional manned terminal due to the high initial investment and fixed nature of the infrastructure. Nonetheless, automated terminals have become popular in recent years because, over the long term, automation answers the demand for lower operational costs, cleaner equipment, and more reliable service. Therefore, finding tools that lower the level of risk to implement an automated terminal provides immense value for all concerned stakeholders.
Unlike the conventional bottom-up approach that begins with infrastructure design, Moffatt & Nichol promotes a top-down development approach for automated terminals that begins with a clear definition of the project business case, which ultimately defines the required infrastructure. Simulation and emulation play essential roles in this top-down approach by demonstrating and validating the performance of the integrated proposed solution, including infrastructure and equipment, thus lowering development risks. At an early planning stage, discrete event simulation is used to analyze critical terminal areas to evaluate performance capabilities and limitations. Later, a full-terminal simulation is used to investigate the complex dynamics and interactions as in a holistic way for a proof-of-concept, providing decision makers a higher level of confidence in the development. Simulation is especially useful for comparing and optimizing alternatives by experimenting with various factors and strategies. In later stages of terminal development, emulation may be used to link the simulated virtual world to control systems used in real-world operations, such as the Terminal Operating System (TOS) or Equipment Control System (ECS). Emulation is an excellent tool for assisting in development of control systems, training terminal operators, and optimizing the system performance in a virtual environment.
In this presentation, we will discuss the process and include a few our recent project examples that used simulation and/or emulation in automated terminal development.