Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Maritime and Naval Science and Engineering

Three Dimensional Maritime Transportation Models

ELIODOR CONSTANTINESCU
Department of Mathematical Sciences
Maritime University of Constanta
104, Mircea cel Batran Street
ROMANIA
mirelcon@yahoo.com, http://www.cmu-edu.eu

Abstract: - There are major differences between standard vehicle transportation problems and ship models.
Therefore, the classical transportation problem is not a good model for the maritime transportation. This paper
proposes the application of three dimensional transportation problems (3D) in maritime activity. We briefly
present the three dimensional maritime transportation models and the main known results obtained in solving
such difficult problems.

Key-Words: - maritime, transportation, model, three-dimensional, index, axial, planar

1 Transportation problem transportation problem in modeling of maritime

The transportation problem (also called Hitchcock transportation.
Problem and denoted by TP) is one of the classic There are major differences between classical
problems in operation research, a special type of transportation problems and ship problems.
linear programming problem: According to [6], we mention:
m n • destination of ships may be changed at sea;
min z = ∑∑c x
i =1 j =1
ij ij • ships are different from each other in their
operating characteristics (capacity, speed),

∑x
n as well as their cost structure. Due to
ij = ai , i = 1,...,m
j= 1
∑x
m
bj, j = 1,...,n,
ij =
i=1
xij ≥ o for all i , j
We have to determine the optimal shipments
from a given set of origins to a given set of
destinations in such a way as to minimize the total
transportation costs. The problem is constrained by
known upper limits on the supply at the various
origins and by the necessity to satisfy the known
demand at each destination.
The classical transportation model assumes that
the per unit cost for each potential origin destination
pair is known a priori. The model doesn’t take in
consideration the type of ship, the various
commodities to be transported, the different
characteristics of the vessels and other factors which
also can influence the total cost of transportation.
Also, it cannot be assumed that carriers will be
able to serve every origin-destination pair for which
they are the least-cost carrier because of capacity
constraints on the various carriers. Consequently, it
is impossible to assign, a priori, the appropriate per
unit transportation costs necessary to use classic
frequent fluctuations in the ship market,
even two identical ships may have quite
different cost structures;
• ships do not necessarily return to their
origin;
• there are more sources of uncertainty and
much longer voyages in maritime
transportation.
All these arguments denote that the standard
transportation model can not apply to simulate ship
problems.
2 Maritime Transport Modeling
Obviously, we have to consider more indices to
build realistic maritime transportation models. By
introducing the third index for the types of vessel
used to transport homogeneous commodity, we
obtain a three dimensional maritime transportation
model. It is very clear that the multidimensional
transportation models could be very good
representations of real situations, but the
computational problems are really very difficult.
More indices we introduce, more realistic the
maritime transportation models become; in the same
time, the problems become more and more difficult

ISSN: 1792-4707 25 ISBN: 978-960-474-222-6

 Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Maritime and Naval Science and Engineering

to be solved. elements of a real two indexes sequence aij :

Applying the three dimensional maritime
transportation model to carry homogeneous goods
∑x ijk = aij , i ∈ I, j ∈ J
k ∈K
(containers, oil, chemicals, ore, etc.), we have to The structure of this constraints type imposes the
analyze the influence of different types of ships. existence of three distinct planar constraints, as
Therefore, the third index k will define the type of maximum, one for each two indexes group {i, j}, {j,
vessel used to transport the commodity. We k} and {i, k}, denoted by (PC1), (PC2) and (PC3):
illustrate below the significance of all indexes and
dates:
∑ xijk = aij , i ∈ I, j ∈ J, (PC1)
k ∈K
i
j
the origin port (loading port)
the destination port (unloading port)
∑x ijk = bjk , j ∈ J, k ∈ K, (PC2)
i ∈I
k the type of vessel used to transport
homogeneous commodity
∑x ijk = cik , i ∈ I, k ∈ K (PC3)
j∈ J
cijk the unit cost of transportation from i to j b. Axial Constraints (AC)
using a k type vessel Fixing one index of the matrix { xijk }, i.e. i, the
xijk the amount of goods loaded in the origin double sum of xijk , for all j and k, should be equal
port i to be transported in the port j with a k type to the elements of a real one index sequence ai :
ship, so that the total cost of transportation should be
minimum ∑ ∑x ijk = ai , i ∈I
j∈ J k ∈ K
aij the amount of commodities transported from Similarly to the planar case, the structure of this
i to j constraints type imposes the existence of three
bjk the amount of commodities demanded in the distinct axial constraints, as maximum, one for each
destination port j and transported with a k type i, j, k index, denoted by (AC1), (AC2) and (AC3):
vessel ∑∑ xijk = ai , i ∈ I, (AC1)
cik the amount of goods transported from the j∈ J k ∈ K

origin port i with a k type ship ∑ ∑x ijk = bj , j ∈ J, (AC2)

ai the total amount of commodities stored in i ∈I k ∈ K

the port i ∑∑x ijk = ck , k ∈ K, (AC3)

i ∈ I j∈ J
bj the total amount of commodities demanded
According to the different types of constraints,
in the unloading port j the model will be called axial, planar or mixed. For
ck the total amount of commodities every model, the known dates of the problem are
transportedwith the k type ships. distinct, but there are three compatibility relations
Depending on the known dates and on the types (CR) between all these dates, which assure the
of the constraints adequate to the problem, there are mathematical equilibrium, as a consequence of the
several three dimensional maritime transportation economic equilibrium between demand and supply:
models. Taking into account their main
characteristics, we can do a general unit presentation
∑ aij = ∑cik = ai , i ∈ I, (CR1)
j∈ J k∈K
of the 3D case.
The objective function become ∑a ij = ∑b jk = bj , j ∈ J, (CR2)
i ∈I k∈K
z = ∑∑∑ cijkxijk , I = {1,..., m}, J = {1,..., ∑b jk =∑c ik = ck , k ∈ K, (CR3)
i ∈ I j∈ J k ∈ K
j∈ J i ∈I
n}, K = {1,...,p} and where independent on the From the above compatibility relations, it follows
semnification of indexes i, j, k in each model, the well known equilibrium condition for the
{cijk } represents the matrix of unit costs of transportation problem:
transportation and { xijk } represents the unknown ∑ ai = ∑
bj = ck , ∑ (EC)
matrix of commodities to be transported. i ∈I j∈ J k ∈K

There are two distinct types of constraints for the
variables xijk :
a. Planar Constraints (PC)
Fixing two indexes of the matrix { xijk }, i, j, the
summation of xijk , for all k, should be equal to the
Finally it is obvious that the introduction of the
third index complicates very much the model
structure, although the model still remains a linear
programming problem. On the other hand, the three
dimensional maritime transportation models allow a
better representation of real studied systems.

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 Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Maritime and Naval Science and Engineering
3 Three dimensional maritime
transportation models
Based on the main characteristics of the 3D
modeling process applied in maritime transport, we
develop five distinguish types of maritime
transportation models. The most important three
dimensional transportation models are 3A - the three
axial problem (the model which contains all three
distinct types of axial constraints) and 3P - the three
planar problem (contains all three distinct types of
planar constraints).
Considering only two distinct types of axial or
planar constraints, the 3D transportation models are
called 2A – two axial model, respectively 2P – two
planar model. The AP- axial-planar model takes into
consideration an axial restriction and a planar
constraint. It’s important to point out that while the
3A and 3P maritime transportation models are well
defined, for the other three types of 3D models there
are different model types, depending on data
considered. All these aspects of three dimensional
transport modeling are summarized in table 1:
ai bj ck aij bjk cik
3P - - - * * *
3A * * * - - -
2P - - - * * -
2A * * - - - -
AP - - * * - -
K.B. Haley [4] is the author of the algorithm for
solving the three planar transportation problem. His
algorithm is an entirely spreading of “modi method”,
a refinement of simplex applied to the classical
transportation problem (G.B. Dantzig [2]). We have
to point out that some problems remain concerning
the computational aspects and also nothing for its
solution is described by Haley. W. Junginger [5]
made some advances in the above mentioned
problems.
It is not very difficult to see that the 2A, 2P and
AP transportation models are not representative for
the three dimensional case; more exactly, these three
mentioned models could be solved as classical
transportation problems [1].
Taking into account that we also know to reduce
the three axial model to a three planar transportation
problem, it’s easily to conclude that theoretically, we
can solve any three dimensional transportation
problem. Practically, it is difficult due to the loose of
triangularity of the bases in the multi dimensional
ISSN: 1792-4707
case.
Introducing a fourth index for the commodities
transported, we obtain four dimensional maritime
transportation models. These problems are more
difficult to solve, but the models are more realistic,
especially taking into account the ships which can
transport different types of goods.
Unfortunately, starting with the four dimensional
transportation models, the application of Haley’s
algorithm is only theoretical, due to computational
aspects. Therefore, another approach will be
necessary.
4 Conclusion
When the daily operating costs of ships are
thousands of dollars, large profits may be expected
from improving its scheduling process. Therefore,
the three dimensional maritime transportation
models represent a more realistic approach of real
problems. It is obviously necessary to develop the
multidimensional transportation models applied in
maritime transport, in order to obtain significant cost
savings in the operations of shipping companies.
References:
[1] E. Constantinescu, Utilisation de divers modeles
mathematiques en transports maritime, Taol
Lagad, Vol. 70, 1995.
[2] G. B. Dantzig, Application of the Simplex
Method to a Transportation Problem, Activity
Analysis of Production and Allocation,
Koopmans Publishing House, 1951.
[3] B. Haley, The Solid Transportation Problem,
Operations Research 10, 1962.
[4] B. Haley, The Multi-Index Problem, Operations
Research 11, 1963.
[5] W. Junginger, Zur Losung des
dreidimensionalen Transport problems,
Operations Research Verfahren, 13, 1972.
[6] D. Ronnen, Ship Scheduling, European Journal
of Operational Research, 71, 1993
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