Study on optimal operation of natural gas pipeline network based on improved genetic algorithm

Abstract

This article investigates an optimal operation model which is based on improved genetic algorithm for natural gas pipeline network. First, the maximum benefit and the maximum flow were chosen as the objective function, and several conditions were selected as the constraints including the input and output of gas, the input and output pressure of gas, the handling capacity of compressive station, the strength of the pipeline, decreasing of the pipeline pressure, the compressor, the valve, and the flow balance of pipe network node. On the basis of the above two aspects, the optimal mathematical operation model of natural gas pipeline network is established. Second, an improved genetic algorithm is proposed due to the possibility that the fitness value of particular individual in the initial population is abnormal and the possibility that the probabilities of the crossover and the mutation are too high or too low. Finally, a medium-pressure pipe network is taken as a study example. Compared with the basic genetic algorithm and the non-optimized genetic algorithm, the maximum benefit and maximum flow rate of the improved genetic algorithm are increased by 3.09%, 1.61%, 5.98%, and 2.44%, respectively.