Evolutionary algorithms for a three-objectives oil derivatives network problem

To distribute oil derivatives by multi-product pipelines is an important problem faced by the petroleum industry. Some researchers deal with it as a discrete problem where batches of products flow in a network. Minimizing delivery time is a usual objective handled by engineers when scheduling products in pipeline networks. Nevertheless, other costs may also be considered such as losses due to interfaces and electrical energy. Losses due to interfaces occur when different products sent consecutively contaminate each other. Usually, no separation devices exist between batches of different products and losses due to interface can be significant. The price paid for electrical energy varies during the day, so it is important also to try to minimize this cost. These three minimization objectives are considered, simultaneously, i.e. delivery time at demand nodes, interface losses and electrical energy cost. A transgenetic algorithm is proposed and applied to thirty random instances. The results obtained with the proposed method are compared with those produced by an NSGAII algorithm.