Abstract
The transition to alternative fuels is obligatory due to the finite amount of available fossil fuels and their rising prices. However, the transition cannot be done unless enough infrastructure exists. A very important infrastructure is the fueling station. As establishing alternative-fuel stations is expensive, the problem of finding the optimal number and locations of initial alternative-fuel stations emerges and it is investigated in this paper. A mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) formulation is proposed to minimize the costs using net present value (NPV) technique. The proposed formulation considers the criteria of the two most common models in the literature for such a problem, namely P-median model and flow refueling location model (FRLM). A decision support system is developed for the users to be able to control the parameter values and run different scenarios. For case study purposes, the method is used to find the optimal number and locations of the alternative-fuel stations in the city of Chicago. Some data wrangling techniques are used to overcome the inability of the method to solve very large-scale problems.
Highlights
Since it is estimated that oil and gas resources will come to an end by the 200 years, the use of alternative fuels such as hydrogen [1, 2], electricity [3], and natural gas [4] instead of gasoline and diesel is sensible
A mathematical modeling approach was proposed in this paper for determining the optimal number and locations of alternative-fuel stations
Net present value technique of engineering economics was used in this multi-criteria model
Summary
Since it is estimated that oil and gas resources will come to an end by the 200 years, the use of alternative fuels such as hydrogen [1, 2], electricity [3], and natural gas [4] instead of gasoline and diesel is sensible. Since the flows on paths across a network representing the routes people travel are considered as the demand in these models in substitute for population (pmedian models) and road traffics (traffic-count models), these models are classified as path-based or flow demand models Locating facilities in such a way that the number of trips captured or intercepted (i.e. there is a facility anywhere along its path) is maximized is the main criterion in FILM. The other problem with this model is that, it considers a path intercepted if it passes by at least one fuel station regardless of the limited driving range of vehicles and the need for multiple times of refueling in longer inter-city trips to complete the path without running out of fuel. Covering most of the major regions could be more important for governmental decision-makers, while maximizing the profit could be more vital for the decision-makers in the private sector
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