Energy-Optimal Allocation of a Heterogeneous Delivery Fleet in a Dynamic Network of Distribution and Fulfillment Centers 2024-01-2448

This paper presents an energy-optimal plan for the allocation of a heterogeneous fleet of delivery vehicles in a dynamic network of multiple distribution centers and fulfillment centers. Each distribution center with a heterogeneous fleet of delivery vehicles is considered as a hub connected with the fulfillment centers through the routes as spokes. The goal is to minimize the overall energy consumption of the fleet while meeting the demand of each of the fulfillment centers. To achieve this goal, the problem is divided into two sub-problems that are solved in a hierarchical way. Firstly, for each spoke, the optimal number of vehicles to be allocated from each hub is determined. Secondly, given the number of allocated delivery vehicles from a hub for each spoke, the optimal selection of vehicle type from the available heterogeneous fleet at the hub is done for each of spokes based on the energy requirement and the energy efficiency of the spoke under consideration. Furthermore, the dynamic nature of the network is also addressed. As the network changes due to the number of demanded or available vehicles, or drop out of distribution center(s) or fulfillment center(s), for example, due to unavailability of a distribution center or no requirement from a fulfillment center, the plan is updated accordingly in the next iteration. To check the effectiveness of the plan, three distribution centers and ten fulfillment centers are considered on a real-world map. The results show that the proposed plan is the most optimal plan in terms of total energy consumption among all the possible plans for the tested scenario.