SOLUTION TO A PIPELINE SCHEDULING PROBLEM BY USING A MIXED INTEGER LINEAR PROGRAMMING MODEL

Pipelines are efficient ways of conveying huge amounts of refined petroleum products to distant points. Different products are pumped successively, in the pipelines without a need of a separator between them. Pipelines should be chosen very carefully based on the pumping sequences, volumes to be conveyed, covering the constraints involved by cutting operational costs and focusing on market demands. The real life problem considered in this study consists of a unidirectional pipe distribution system used for pumping petroleum products between the sources and distribution centers. Problem was stated as a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model and solved by using GAMS software thorough actual data. As a result of the study, an optimal pumping schedule for pipeline operations at a certain period of time is achieved.