On the Unloading of Container Cargo in a Seaport and its Inspection for the Presence of Deleterious Invasive Species

RIT Economics Department Working Paper No. 12-04

14 Pages Posted: 1 Jun 2012

Date Written: May 31, 2012

Abstract

We use a continuous-time Markov chain model to study the properties of a seaport container cargo unloading and inspection protocol. The purpose of cargo inspections is to detect and thereby eliminate the damage from stochastically arriving invasive species. Our analysis leads to five findings that can be used to, inter alia, optimize unloading and inspection activities. First, we determine the long run fraction of time that the unloading inspector is idle. Second, we compute the long run average number of ships from which cargo is unloaded per unit time. Third, we calculate the long run average number of ships that are waiting to have their cargo unloaded and inspected. Fourth, we ascertain the long run average waiting time per ship in our seaport. Finally, we use a simple numerical example to illustrate the computation of some of the above mentioned metrics.

Keywords: Container Cargo, Inspection, Invasive Species, Seaport, Uncertainty

JEL Classification: Q58, D81

Suggested Citation

Batabyal, Amitrajeet A., On the Unloading of Container Cargo in a Seaport and its Inspection for the Presence of Deleterious Invasive Species (May 31, 2012). RIT Economics Department Working Paper No. 12-04, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2071374 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2071374

Amitrajeet A. Batabyal (Contact Author)

Rochester Institute of Technology ( email )

Department of Economics, RIT
92 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, NY NEW YORK 14623-5604
United States
5853134063 (Phone)
5854755777 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://people.rit.edu/aabgsh

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