Rolling Horizon Approach for Production - Distribution Coordination of Industrial Gases Supply-Chains

摘要

An industrial gases supply-chain coordinates production/distribution decisions at multiple plants/depots while satisfying several customer demands. Plants operate air separation units, which feature high electricity consumption, to produce gaseous and liquid products. Distribution is carried out by pipeline for gaseous products and by truck for liquid products. For truck distribution, multiple depots are considered. Moreover, trucks at a given depot can deliver product from multiple sources. In order to ensure customer storage replenishments, product can be purchased from alternative sources. As the number of sources and customers increase, the selection of the possible routes to be included in the formulation becomes a critical issue.