Premium
Optimal economic operation of liquid petroleum products pipeline systems
Author(s) -
Khlebnikova Elena,
Sundar Kaarthik,
Zlotnik Anatoly,
Bent Russell,
Ewers Mary,
Tasseff Byron
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.17124
Subject(s) - pipeline transport , pipeline (software) , operating cost , petroleum , computer science , petroleum engineering , sensitivity (control systems) , nonlinear programming , crude oil , nonlinear system , mathematical optimization , engineering , operations research , waste management , mechanical engineering , mathematics , geology , paleontology , physics , quantum mechanics , electronic engineering
Abstract The majority of overland transport needs for crude petroleum and refined petroleum products are met using pipelines. Numerous studies have developed optimization methods for design of these systems in order to minimize construction costs while meeting capacity requirements. Here, we formulate problems to optimize the operations of existing single liquid commodity pipeline systems subject to physical flow and pump engineering constraints. The objectives are to maximize the economic value created for users of the system and to minimize operating costs. We present a general computational method for this class of continuous, non‐convex nonlinear programs, and examine the use of pump operating settings and flow allocations as decision variables. The approach is applied to compute optimal operating regimes and perform engineering economic sensitivity analyses for a case study of a crude oil pipeline developed using publicly available data.