Batch-centric model for scheduling straight multisource pipelines

This article develops a highly efficient batch-centric model for the detailed scheduling of straight multiple-source pipelines. The continuous-time model permits multiple batches to be injected/delivered over a slot, thus enabling finding better schedules for a given number of event points in the grid. It can consider either global or line batch numbering. In the former, one predefines empty batches to allow injection of new products at intermediate sources. Empty batches are avoided with line numbering at the expense of specifying a number of batches for every line in the system, instead of using a global value. Three benchmark problems from the literature are solved to evaluate the performance of the proposed formulation. Compared to our recent work, new best solutions are reported in two cases, while for the third, the computational time has been reduced by two orders of magnitude. The results also show that global batch numbering is better.