Solving the open route capacitated periodic vehicle routing problem with time windows to service microgrids powered by uncertain renewable generation

Supply Chain and logistics operations are high-cost operations that require planning to keep costs minimum. One of the most crucial supply chain stages is the distribution stage, including delivering products to retailers and/or customers. The problem of products distribution consumes considerable amounts of time and money and is modeled in many situations as a Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP). In this paper, servicing and provision of power transactions to an electric micro-grid using a fleet of mobile energy storage systems (MESSs) during a specific time horizon is targeted using the developed model for the well-known Capacitated VRP with Time Windows (CVRPTW). The process of servicing power transactions of an electric micro-grid is repeated for each station periodically, which results in a problem known as periodic VRP (PVRP). The MESSs in the developed model do not necessarily return back to their original trip starting point (depot); hence, the problem at hand is considered as Open-Route as well. Therefore, the Open Route Capacitated Periodic VRP with Time Windows (OCPVRPTW) is studied in this paper. The model is formulated and solved using commercial software to obtain exact solutions to the tackled problem instances. For future work and due to the combinatorial nature of the problem, Ant Colony Optimization will be used to solve larger instances of the problem.