A General Modeling Framework for the Long-Term Scheduling of Multiproduct Pipelines with Delivery Constraints

Common carrier pipelines are one of the most economic modes for transportation of petroleum refined products over land, especially when huge amounts of these products have to be pumped toward long-distance terminals. This paper introduces a novel Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP)-based approach for the long-term scheduling of a real world multiproduct pipeline connecting a unique refinery to several distribution centers. This approach allows consideration of multiple due dates for demands at period ends, flow rate limitation on pipeline segments, and simultaneous deliveries at distribution centers. The proposed model results in substantial reduction in pump operation and maintenance costs in comparison with the available models. Computational results and data are reported.