Efficient Operation of Natural Gas Pipeline Networks: Computational Finding of High Quality Solutions

Abstract: In this paper we address the problem of transporting natural gas from some source points to distribution centers or costumer along a pipeline network system. To accomplish this task, there is a pipeline network system. As the gas flows over the network, it loses the necessary energy it needs to keep moving, and the pressure required to satisfy costumer's demand. To compensate this loss, there are compressor stations in the system. We are concerned about the operation level at which every compressor station should work in order to minimize their fuel consumption, as the demand is satisfied. We present a mathematical model for this important decision making problem and evaluate a Generalized Reduced Gradient based algorithm for its solution. We also set up an instance database providing a benchmark for comparison. The algorithm reports promising results by finding optimal solutions to many problem instances.