Adaptive Transportation Management of Naval Logistics for Distributed Energy Supply (ATM-LOG)
Abstract
Project AbstractThe proposed research aims to solve the complex energy supply problem with deployed vehicles in contested environments by developing a novel decision support framework for planning and managing adaptive transportation systems for naval logistics. The project will focus on expeditionary and non-tactical use cases and the operations of a multi-modal transportation system composed of manned and unmanned aerial, ground, and maritime surface vehicles, which are optimized for naval endurance and reliable energy supply. We propose new algorithms that couple strategic management of interoperable vehicle systems for the distribution of naval energy logistics with batteries supply. We formulate and solve novel stochastic vehicle routing and assignment problems of unmanned aerial and ground electric vehicles (UAVs and UGVs, respectively) carried by maritime surface vessels in a two-echelon naval logisticssystem. Maritime surface vessels (or first echelon vehicles) are tasked with carrying a finite number of UAVs and UGVs (or second echelon vehicles) powered by and equipped with batteries. We develop quantitative metrics to measure efficiency, resilience, adaptivecapacity, and sustainability associated with the operations of such a two-echelon naval logistics system, under a plethora of contested environment scenarios around the littoral zone. We also address the problem of seaward fortification, determining the at-sea satellite nodes (i.e., ports) that should be fortified under a bounded investment protection budget. A new tri-level defender-adversary-defender model is formulated and solved using efficient heuristics to determine the optimal ports# fortification strategy from sophisticated adversaries for resilient energy supply and secured logistics operations. The stochastic two-echelon vehicle routing and energy supply model and its resilience analysis via the fortification problem are proposed to be integrated into a decision support system. This project#s science augments the Department of Defense capabilities to meet naval operational endurance priorities by providing theoretical decision-making insights of near-silent, low-thermal signature, UGV and UAV logistics for energy supply, increasing dismounted Marines ashore self-sustainment. Results are transferable and generalizable to all naval two-echelon logistics operations and fortification practices. The project will contribute a suite of computational frameworks, optimization models and analyticalsolution algorithms, heuristic techniques, and metrics for a comprehensive naval energy supply decision support system.Approved forPublic Release
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 12, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312314
Entities
People
- Eleftheria Kontou
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign