Batch Energy Scheduling Problem with no-wait/blocking Constraints for the general Flow-shop Problem
Ivan Ferretti, Lucio Zavanella
Abstract
In the last years, energy costs have gained great attention, because of their constant rise and environmental implications. More researchers have directed their attention towards energy-efficient production planning systems, as their adoption is usually not tied to large investments. This study presents a scheduling model that minimizes the total energy production costs. In particular, the industrial system considered is a two-machines flow-shop without intermediate buffers, so that a no-wait or a blocking condition can arise. Moreover, batches of different sizes are possible. We develop a Genetic Algorithm (GA) that minimizes total system energy costs based on energy states of the two machines. A numerical analysis is carried out in order to show the effectiveness of the proposed model. Finally, managerial insights are proposed, supported by a scenario analysis.