A Mathematical Model to Optimize the Operation of a Gas Distribution Network

Designing and manufacturing of technical systems and devices in refineries, oil and gas pipelines and gas booster stations is associated with huge costs from an economic point of view. Hence, managers at industry section, especially oil and gas industry, seek ways to control the production and distribution costs. Generally speaking, at distribution section, selection of operational appliances by operators in gas booster stations to be run, would be done without considering various kinds of cost. In this research, a deterministic mixed integer program is presented to minimize the operational costs in gas booster stations of a gas distribution network. The objective is to select operational appliances, turbo-compressors here, such that minimize the operational costs while customer demands are met. Operational costs are include consumed fuel costs (fuel exploded in gas turbine combustion chambers to yield the torque power to run the gas compressor), maintenance and repair costs, startup costs (generally the electrical costs used for running the electro air compressors which provide the compressed air), and penalty costs. Considering the gas transmission operating region no.9 as a case study, the result is that the model could minimize the total costs about 14% in comparison with the selection of two chief operators.