Energy harvesting for automated storage and retrieval system with sustainable configuration of storage assignment and input/output point

Abstract

The warehouse automation market has experienced significant growth due to the necessity for quick responses to customer needs. The adoption of Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS) aims to enhance operational efficiency and expedite order fulfillment, although environmental considerations are frequently overlooked. This study introduces the implementation of energy harvesting using Regenerative Braking System (RBS) on AS/RS to minimize the carbon emission impact. The best configuration of storage assignments and Input/Output (I/O) points is examined to improve travel time, response time, and carbon emission as sustainability indicators. This study employs a discrete-event simulation mimicking the AS/RS and warehouse environment under uncertainty. Simulation-based experiment was performed under 96 different scenarios and the result was assessed through statistical tests revealing the main and interaction effects between factors to performance indicators, including the trade-off between them. The result reveals that the implementation of RBS in AS/RS can result in 13% energy saving on average or equal to additional travel range of 28,800 m indicating the suitability adoption towards green operation. However, the lowest carbon emission is followed by higher travel time and response time. Thus, metamodel-based optimization was also performed via desirability function analysis. The optimization result reveals that the sustainable AS/RS configuration is obtained with a single-side for I/O point, non-class for storage classification, closest open location with column-order for slot selection, and closest open location with row-order for retrieval selection.