Algorithm for Long-Term Scheduling of Multiproduct Pipelines

In this article a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is presented for scheduling a multiproduct oil pipeline that connects a refinery to a few distribution centers. The scheduling task was carried out while considering a number of aspects such as satisfying daily demand, forcing settling periods for quality control, observing prespecified shutdown periods, and calculating batch size by considering the type of product. Finally, an approach to solve the model in long-term planning is proposed. The algorithm is able to achieve a near-optimal solution in reasonable running time.