NEW BOUNDS ON TIME AND NUMBER OF PROCESSORS FOR MULTIPROCESSOR OPTIMAL SCHEDULES

Two problems for task schedules in a multiprocessor parallel system are discussed in Ans paper (1) given a partially ordered set of tasks represented by the venices of an acyclic directed graph with their corresponding processing bines, derive the lower bound on the Annimum time(LBMT) needed to process the task graph for a given number of processors. (2) Determine the lower bound on minimum number of processors(LBMP) needed to complete those tasks in minimum bine. It is shown that the proposed LBMT is sharper than previously Known values and the comPUtational aspeCts of these bounds are also discussed.

A k-Coverage Scheduling Scheme in Wireless Sensor Network Based on Hard-Core Process in Rayleigh Fading Channel

Sensing coverage is a fundamental design issue in wireless sensor networks(WSNs),while sensor scheduling ensures coverage degree to the monitored event and extends the network lifetime.In this paper,we address k-coverage scheduling problem in dense WSNs,we maintain a connected k-coverage energy efficiently through a novel Hard-Core based Coordinated Scheduling(HCCS),in which hardcore is a thinning process in stochastic geometry that inhibits more than one active sensor covering any area redundantly in a minimum distance. As compared with existing coordinated scheduling,HCCS allows coordination between sensors with little communication overhead.Moreover,due to the traditional sensing models in k-coverage analysis is unsuitable to describe the characteristic of transmit channel in dense WSNs,we propose a novel sensing model integrating Rayleigh Fading and Distribution of Active sensors(RFDA),and derive the coverage measure and k-coverage probability for the monitored event under RFDA. In addition,we analyze the influence factors,i.e. the transmit condition and monitoring degree to the k-coverage probability. Finally,through Monte Carlo simulations,it is shown that the k-coverage probability of HCCS outperforms that of its random scheduling counterpart.

Modeling and Optimization for Scheduling of Chemical Batch Processes

Chemical batch processes have become significant in chemical manufacturing. In these processes, large numbers of chemical products are produced to satisfy human demands in daily life. Recently, economy globalization has resulted, in growing worldwide competitions in tradi.tional chemical .process industry. In order to keep competitive in the global marketplace, each company must optimize its production management and set up a reactive system for market fluctuation. Scheduling is the core of production management in chemical processes. The goal of this paper is to review the recent developments in this challenging area. Classifications of batch scheduling problems and optimization methods are introduced. A comparison of six typical models is shown in a general benchmark example from the literature. Finally, challenges and applications in future research are discussed.

A dynamic programming algorithm for scheduling problems on earliness award and tardiness penalty with time-dependent processing time

In this paper, a single-machine scheduling model with a given common due date is considered. Job processing time is a linear decreasing function of its starting time. The objective function is to minimize the total weighted earliness award and tardiness penalty. Our aim is to find an optimal schedule so as to minimize the objective function. As the problem is NP-hard, some properties and polynomial time solvable cases of this problem are given. A dynamic programming algorithm for the general case of the problem is provided.

Research on task scheduling and concurrent processing technology for energy internet operation platform

The energy Internet operation platform provides market entities such as energy users,energy enterprises,suppliers,and governments with the ability to interact,transact,and manage various operations.Owing to the large number of platform users,complex businesses,and large amounts of data-mining tasks,it is necessary to solve the problems afflicting platform task scheduling and the provision of simultaneous access to a large number of users.This study examines the two core technologies of platform task scheduling and multiuser concurrent processing,proposing a distributed task-scheduling method and a technical implementation scheme based on the particle swarm optimization algorithm,and presents a systematic solution in concurrent processing for massive user numbers.Based on the results of this study,the energy internet operation platform can effectively deal with the concurrent access of tens of millions of users and complex task-scheduling problems.

Real-time and dynamic schedule optimization of construction projects on the basis of lean construction

Lean construction has been newly applied to construction industry. The best performance of a project can be achieved through the precise definition of construction product, rational work break structure, lean supply chain, decrease of resources waste, objective control and so forth. Referring to the characteristics of schedule planning of construction projects and lean construction philosophy, we proposed optimizing methodology of real-time and dynamic schedule of construction projects based on lean construction. The basis of the methodology is process reorganization and lean supply in construction enterprises. The traditional estimating method of the activity duration is fuzzy and random;however, a newly proposed lean forecasting method employs multi-components linear-regression, back-propagation artificial neural networks and learning curve. Taking account of the limited resources and the fixed duration of a project, the optimizing method of the real-time and dynamic schedule adopts the concept of resource driving. To optimize the schedule of a construction project timely and effectively, an intellectualized schedule management system was developed. It can work out the initial schedule, optimize the real-time and dynamic schedule, and display the schedule with the Gant Chart, the net-work graph and the space-time line chart. A case study was also presented to explain the proposed method.

Integrating Process Planning and Scheduling with an Intelligent Facilitator

This paper introduces a dynamic facilitating mechan is m for the integration of process planning and scheduling in a batch-manufacturi ng environment. This integration is essential for the optimum use of production resources and generation of realistic process plans that can be readily executed with little or no modification. In this paper, integration is modeled in two le vels, viz., process planning and scheduling, which are linked by an intelligent facilitator. The process planning module employs an optimization approach in whi ch the entire plan solution space is first generated and a search algorithm is t hen used to find the optimal plan. Based on the result of scheduling module an u nsatisfactory performance parameter is fed back to the facilitator, which then i dentifies a particular job and issues a change to its process plan solution spac e to obtain a satisfactory schedule.

Genetic Algorithm for Scheduling Problem of Chemical Batch Process with Due Date Constraints

The intense competition in the current marketplace ha s forced firms to reexamine their methods of doing business, using superior manu facturing practices in the form of just-in-time (JIT), production with JIT pra ctices pursue completion on time and zero inventory, which is often instruct ed according to the custom’s demand or the sale contract. Earliness and tardine ss are undesirable because both of them will bring the extra cost, cost will als o be increased by some factors such as operation condition, intermediate storage , clean method, etc, to minimize the total cost is often the main scheduling objective, but sometime it is most important for factories to eliminate the tar diness cost in order to maintain the commercial credit and to avoid penalty, the refore, minimum of tardiness cost becomes the first objective. It is more import ant to select a reasonable objective by the actual condition during scheduli ng. In this paper scheduling problem of chemical batch process with due date is studied, two different intermediate storage policies and two different productio n modes are also discussed, production scheduling with different intermediate st orage policy and different production mode is proposed and the result is compare d. In order to complete all products within the due date, not only earliness and tardiness but also holding problem is considered, the objective is to selec t a proper intermediate storage policy and production mode and to minimize the c ost resulted by the earliness and tardiness, even the cost result by the interme diate storage. Scheduling with multiple stage and multiple machine is known as a NP-hard problem, mathematical program (MP) method, such as branch-and-bound (BAB), mixed integer linear program (MILP), etc, is often used to solve the sche duling problem. But as is well known, MP method is not good for combination opti mization, especially for large scale and complex optimal problem, whereas geneti c algorithm (GA) can overcome the MP method’s shortcoming and is fit for solvin g such scheduling problem. In this paper a modified genetic algorithm with speci al crossover operator and mutation operator is presented to solve this schedulin g problem. The results show such problem can be solved effectively with the pres ented method.

Number of Tardy Jobs of Single Machine Scheduling Problem with Variable Processing Time

The number of tardy jobs of the single machine scheduling problem with a variable processing time is studied in accordance with the published instances of traffic transportation management engineering. It is proved by 3 partition problem that if the problem is of ready time and common deadline constrained, its complexity is NP hard in the strong sense. Finally, a polynomial algorithm for solving unit processing time and common deadline problems is proposed.

A Class of Single Machine Scheduling Problems with Variable Processing Time

In this paper, single machine scheduling problems with variable processing time are raised. The criterions of the problem considered are minimizing scheduling length of all jobs, flow time and number of tardy jobs and so on. The complexity of the problem is determined. [WT5HZ]

Strong NP-Hardness of Single Machine Scheduling Problems with Variable Processing Time

In this paper, single machine scheduling problems with variable processing time is discussed according to published instances of management engineering. Processing time of a job is the product of a “coefficient' of the job on position i and a “normal' processing time of the job. The criteria considered is to minimize scheduled length of all jobs. A lemma is proposed and proved. In no deadline constrained condition, the problem belongs to polynomial time algorithm. It is proved by using 3 partition that if the problem is deadline constrained, its complexity is strong NP hard. Finally, a conjuncture is proposed that is to be proved.

A Graph-based Ant Colony Optimization Approach for Integrated Process Planning and Scheduling

This paper considers an ant colony optimization algorithm based on AND/OR graph for integrated process planning and scheduling(IPPS). Generally, the process planning and scheduling are studied separately. Due to the complexity of manufacturing system, IPPS combining both process planning and scheduling can depict the real situation of a manufacturing system. The IPPS is represented on AND/OR graph consisting of nodes, and undirected and directed arcs. The nodes denote operations of jobs, and undirected/directed arcs denote possible visiting path among the nodes. Ant colony goes through the necessary nodes on the graph from the starting node to the end node to obtain the optimal solution with the objective of minimizing makespan. In order to avoid local convergence and low convergence, some improved strategy is incorporated in the standard ant colony optimization algorithm. Extensive computational experiments are carried out to study the influence of various parameters on the system performance.

Concurrent processes scheduling with scarce resources in small and medium enterprises

Scarce resources,precedence and non-determined time-lag are three constraints commonly found in small and medium manufacturing enterprises(SMEs),which are deemed to block the application of workflow management system(WfMS). To tackle this problem,a workflow scheduling approach is proposed based on timing workflow net(TWF-net) and genetic algorithm(GA). The workflow is modelled in a form of TWF-net in favour of process simulation and resource conflict checking. After simplifying and reconstructing the set of workflow instance,the conflict resolution problem is transformed into a resource-constrained project scheduling problem(RCPSP),which could be efficiently solved by a heuristic method,such as GA. Finally,problems of various sizes are utilized to test the performance of the proposed algorithm and to compare it with first-come-firstserved(FCFS) strategy. The evaluation demonstrates that the proposed method is an overwhelming and effective approach for scheduling the concurrent processes with precedence and resource constraints.

A PSL Ontology-based Shop Floor Dynamical Scheduler Design

Due to the complex,uncertainty and dynamics in the modern manufacturing environment,a flexible and robust shop floor scheduler is essential to achieve the production goals.A design framework of a shop floor dynamical scheduler is presented in this paper.The workflow and function modules of the scheduler are discussed in detail.A multi-step adaptive scheduling strategy and a process specification language,which is an ontology-based representation of process plan,are utilized in the proposed scheduler.The scheduler acquires the dispatching rule from the knowledge base and uses the build-in on-line simulator to evaluate the obtained rule.These technologies enable the scheduler to improve its fine-tune ability and effectively transfer process information into other heterogeneous information systems in a shop floor.The effectiveness of the suggested structure will be demonstrated via its application in the scheduling system of a manufacturing enterprise.

Process Planning and Scheduling Integration in an Open Manufacturing Environment

New open manufacturing environments have been proposed aiming at realizing more flexible distributed manufacturing paradigms,which can deal with not only dynamic changes in volume and variety of products,but also changes of machining equipments,dispersals of processing locations,and also with unscheduled disruptions.This research is to develop an integrated process planning and scheduling system,which is suited to this open,dynamic,distributed manufacturing environment.Multi-agent system(MAS)approaches are used for integration of manufacturing processing planning and scheduling in an open distributed manufacturing environment,in which process planning can be adjusted dynamically and manufacturing resources can increase/decrease according to the requirements.One kind of multi-level dynamic negotiated approaches to process planning and scheduling is presented for the integration of manufacturing process planning and scheduling.

A Genetic Algorithm for Single Machine Scheduling with Fuzzy Processing Time and Multiple Objectives

In this paper, by considering the fuzzy nature of the data in real-life problems, single machine scheduling problems with fuzzy processing time and multiple objectives are formulated and an efficient genetic algorithm which is suitable for solving these problems is proposed. As illustrative numerical examples, twenty jobs processing on a machine is considered. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method have been demonstrated in the simulation.

Dual-radiation-chamber coordinated overall energy efficiency scheduling solution for ethylene cracking process regarding multi-parameter setting and multi-flow allocation

Ethylene cracking process is the core production process in ethylene industry,and is paid more attention to reduce high energy consumption.Because of the interdependent relationships between multi-flow allocation and multi-parameter setting in cracking process,it is difficult to find the overall energy efficiency scheduling for the purpose of saving energy.The traditional scheduling solutions with optimal economic benefit are not applicable for energy efficiency scheduling issue due to the neglecting of recycle and lost energy,as well as critical operation parameters as coil outlet pressure(COP)and dilution ratio.In addition,the scheduling solutions mostly regard each cracking furnace as an elementary unit,regardless of the coordinated operation of internal dual radiation chambers(DRC).Therefore,to improve energy utilization and production operation,a novel energy efficiency scheduling solution for ethylene cracking process is proposed in this paper.Specifically,steam heat recycle and exhaust heat loss are considered in cracking process based on 6 types of extreme learning machine(ELM)based cracking models incorporating DRC operation and three operation parameters as coil outlet temperature(COT),COP,and dilution ratio according to semi-mechanism analysis.Then to provide long-term decision-making basis for energy efficiency scheduling,overall energy efficiency indexes,including overall output per unit net energy input(OONE),output-input ratio per unit net energy input(ORNE),exhaust gas heat loss ratio(EGHL),are designed based on input-output analysis in terms of material and energy flows.Finally,a multiobjective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition(MOEA/D)is employed to solve the formulated multi-objective mixed-integer nonlinear programming(MOMINLP)model.The validities of the proposed scheduling solution are illustrated through a case study.The scheduling results demonstrate that an optimal balance between multi-flow allocation,multi-parameter setting,and DRC coordinated operation is reached,which achieves 3.37%and 2.63%decreases in net energy input for same product output and conversion ratio,as well as the 1.56%decrease in energy loss ratio.

An Architecture of Computer Aided Process Planning System Integrated with Scheduling Using Decision Support System

Process planning and scheduling are two major plann in g and control activities that consume significant part of the lead-time, theref ore all attempts are being made to reduce lead-time by automating them. Compute r Aided Process Planning (CAPP) is a step in this direction. Most of the existin g CAPP systems do not consider scheduling while generating a process plan. Sched uling is done separately after the process plan has been generated and therefore , it is possible that a process plan so generated is either not optimal or feasi ble from scheduling point of view. As process plans are generated without consid eration of job shop status, many problems arise within the manufacturing environ ment. Investigations have shown that 20%～30% of all process plans generated are not valid and have to be altered or suffer production delays when production sta rts. There is thus a major need for integration of scheduling with computer aide d process planning for generating more realistic process plans. In doing so, eff iciency of the manufacturing system as a whole is expected to improve. Decision support system performs many functions such as selection of machine too ls, cutting tools, sequencing of operations, determination of optimum cutting pa rameters and checking availability of machine tool before allocating any operati on to a machine tool. The process of transforming component data, process capabi lity and decision rules into computer readable format is still a major obstacle. This paper proposes architecture of a system, which integrates computer aided p rocess-planning system with scheduling using decision support system. A decisio n support system can be defined as " an interactive system that provides the use rs with easy access to decision models in order to support semi-structured or u nstructured decision making tasks".

Modeling and Solving Lot-Splitting Scheduling Problem Based on Process

In flexible job-shop batch scheduling problem, the optimal lot-size of different process is not always the same because of different processing time and set-up time. Even for the same process of the same workpiece, the choice of machine also affects the optimal lot-size. In addition, different choices of lot-size between the constrained processes will impact the manufacture efficiency. Considering that each process has its own appropriate lot-size, we put forward the concept of scheduling with lot-splitting based on process and set up the scheduling model of lot-splitting to critical path process as the core. The model could update the set of batch process and machine selection strategy dynamically to determine processing route and arrange proper lot-size for different processes, to achieve the purpose of optimizing the makespan and reducing the processing batches effectively. The experiment results show that, comparing with lot-splitting scheduling scheme based on workpiece, this model optimizes the makespan and improves the utilization efficiency of the machine. It also greatly decreases the machined batches （42%） and reduces the complexity of shop scheduling production management.

SINGLE MACHINE SCHEDULING WITH CONTROLLABLE PROCESSING TIMES AND COMPRESSION COSTS （PART I：EQUAL TIMES AND COSTS）

Abstract Most papers in scheduling research have treated individual job processing times as fixed parameters. However, in many practical situations, a manager may control processing time by reallocating resources. In this paper, authors consider a machine scheduling problem with controllable processing times. In the first part of this paper, a special case where the processing times and compression costs are uniform among jobs is discussed. Theoretical results are derived that aid in developing an O(n 2) algorithm to slove the problem optimally. In the second part of this paper, authors generalize the discussion to general case. An effective heuristic to the general problem will be presented.