Optimization and Simulation Studies of a Production System for Ventilators to Mitigate Challenges of COVID-19 Pandemic

呼吸机生产系统的优化和模拟研究，以缓解 COVID-19 大流行的挑战

• 批准号: 555178-2020
• 负责人: Chen, Shaohua
• 金额: $ 1.46万
• 依托单位: Cape Breton University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=705156
• 关键词: Optimization; Simulation; Studies; Production; System

Protocase Incorporated is a manufacturing company in Sydney, NS Canada that produces custom-made and designed electronic enclosures and sheet metal components. After the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, Protocase decided to manufacture ventilators to play a role in mitigating the challenges caused by this pandemic including the shortage of vital medical equipment to save Canadians' lives. The goal of this study is to simulate Protocase's supply chain and conduct simulations for different production scenarios, given the uncertainties in the procurement and production systems, to estimate outputs for different production capacities. Some parts that are needed to produce a ventilator will be produced by Protocase, and some parts will be imported through their supply chain. To consider the uncertainty associated with delay in shipments, probability distributions will be explored to define the arrival pattern of the components to the production system as well as the production time. Given that the demand for ventilators is uncertain, methods of stochastic programming and queueing theory will be used to analyse the uncertain system and mixed integer linear programming will be applied to obtain optimal solutions. Triangle fuzzy numbers will be considered to present costs given the uncertainty in components' prices. Finally, we use various methods to solve the integer linear programming problems, such as cutting plane, Branch-and-Bound, relaxation and decomposition methods. Upon the completion of this project, Protocase will be able to make informed decisions about optimal allocation of their resources to produce different number of ventilators in a time interval given the uncertainties in their procurement process and production system. The outcome of this project not only will help Protocase play a crucial role in mitigating the challenges of a global and national pandemic, but also will enable Canada to have a global impact by becoming a potential supplier for a vital equipment which can also bring economic benefits to Canada.

Protocase Incorporated是位于加拿大悉尼的一家制造公司，可生产定制的和设计的电子外壳和钣金组件。在Covid-19-19大流行时，原始酶决定生产呼吸机，以减轻这一大流行造成的挑战，包括挽救加拿大人生命的重要医疗设备所带来的挑战。这项研究的目的是模拟Protocase的供应链，并为不同的生产场景进行模拟，鉴于采购和生产系统中的不确定性，以估算不同生产能力的产出。产生呼吸机所需的一些零件将由原始酶产生，某些零件将通过其供应链进口。 为了考虑与货物延迟相关的不确定性，将探索概率分布，以定义组件到生产系统的到达模式以及生产时间。鉴于对呼吸机的需求不确定，因此将使用随机编程和排队理论的方法来分析不确定的系统，并将应用混合整数线性编程来获得最佳的解决方案。考虑到组件价格的不确定性，三角模糊数字将被视为出现成本。最后，我们使用各种方法来解决整数线性编程问题，例如切割平面，分支和束缚，放松和分解方法。该项目完成后，原始酶将能够做出明智的决定，以了解其资源的最佳分配，以便在其采购过程和生产系统中的不确定性时在时间间隔内产生不同数量的呼吸机。该项目的结果不仅有助于实质酶在减轻全球和全国大流行的挑战中发挥关键作用，而且还将通过成为重要设备的潜在供应商，从而使加拿大产生全球影响，这也可以带来经济利益去加拿大。