Minimum-cost fuel consumption on natural gas transmission network problem.

摘要

In this study we address the problem of minimizing the fuel consumption of compressor stations in a steady-state gas transmission network. A gas transmission network for delivering natural gas involves a broad variety of physical components such as pipes, regulators, and compressor stations. By effectively operating the compressor stations driving the gas, a substantial reduction in the fuel consumption can be obtained resulting, consequently, in a significant reduction in the operational cost. The objective is to find the values for pressures and flows that minimize the operating cost of the whole system, which is generally measured by the fuel consumed at the compressor stations, while satisfying constraint both for flows and pressures.; We present a heuristic solution procedure for minimizing fuel cost of steady-state gas transmission problems on looped networks. The algorithm uses dynamic programming as part of an iterative procedure that modifies flows and pressures separately in an attempt to find a better solution.