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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Planning the operation of a large real-world oil pipeline

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Author(s):
Lopes, Tony M. T. [1] ; Moura, Arnaldo V. [1] ; de Souza, Cid C. [1] ; Cire, Andre A. [2]
Total Authors: 4
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Comp, BR-13084971 Campinas, SP - Brazil
[2] Carnegie Mellon Univ, Tepper Sch Business, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 - USA
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Journal article
Source: Computers & Chemical Engineering; v. 46, p. 17-28, NOV 15 2012.
Web of Science Citations: 4
Abstract

Pipelines are the most effective and reliable means for transporting oil derivatives from refineries to local depots. This paper considers the tactical distribution problem for a large pipeline network. Solutions to this problem consist of volume transfers satisfying local demands, correctly stocking production volumes, and observing a number of operational constraints. This work defines the tactical planning problem and proposes a novel and compact network flow model to address it. Also, a procedure is given to decompose the flow solution into pumping operations that can be used as input for short-term schedulers. Our experiments were performed over real instances provided by a large oil company. These instances consisted of 30 pipelines in an extension of 7000 km, 14 depots, 192 tanks, and more than 60 products. The model was tested with real-world instances and showed significant improvements over manually generated plans, which is the current practice. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)