Journal of Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University >

2026 , Vol. 60 >Issue 8: 1266 - 1278

DOI: https://doi.org/10.16183/j.cnki.jsjtu.2025.353

Digital Twin and Intelligent Design

Application of Digital Twin-Based Improved A*HNSA Algorithm to Ship Block Hoisting Tasks

  • QI Linlong ,
  • LIU Liquan ,
  • WANG Zhe ,
  • ZHANG Zishen ,
  • ZHU Ying ,
  • XIA Tangbin
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  • 1 School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
    2 Qingluan Fuxing Industrial Technology Co., Ltd., Zaozhuang 277500, Shandong, China
    3 School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
    4 Special Environment Digital Manufacturing Equipment Technology Invitation Center, Mianyang 621900, Sichuan, China

Received date: 2025-10-22

  Revised date: 2025-12-18

  Accepted date: 2026-01-15

  Online published: 2026-04-09

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Abstract

Block yard scheduling is a crucial link in ship construction. To address the issue of low efficiency in yard hoisting operations, this paper constructs a digital twin system and a high-fidelity virtual simulation environment for block yards, and proposes an improved two-stage optimization method named A*HNSA. Driven by the digital twin, this method jointly optimizes the hoisting sequence and the gantry crane path planning. Based on the real scheduling data from a shipyard in Shanghai, three types of test cases (small, medium, and large) are established according to the number of scheduling blocks, and comparisons are made with existing methods. The results show that, compared with existing methods in the three types of test cases, the proposed method reduces the total transportation distance by 3.51%, 5.33%, and 6.79% respectively, and shortens the total scheduling time by 3.82%, 5.35%, and 7.07% respectively. It significantly reduces the transportation cost of gantry cranes, improves the solution efficiency, and meets the online response requirements of the block yard digital twin system.

Key words： digital twin; ship block yard scheduling; path planning; A* algorithm; simulated annealing (SA) algorithm

Cite this article

QI Linlong , LIU Liquan , WANG Zhe , ZHANG Zishen , ZHU Ying , XIA Tangbin . Application of Digital Twin-Based Improved A*HNSA Algorithm to Ship Block Hoisting Tasks[J]. Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University, 2026 , 60(8) : 1266 -1278 . DOI: 10.16183/j.cnki.jsjtu.2025.353

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