Optimal Location of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Refueling Station Using the Arc Demand Coverage Model

Abstract

In this paper a model that locates Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) refueling stations to cover the full volume of vehicle flows is developed and applied. The model inputs consist of a road network include nodes and arcs, the volume of vehicle flows between each pairs of origin and destination nodes, also some assumptions are considered as follows, refueling stations locating hierarchy, road network arcs hierarchy, crisp demand based on the volume of arc demands, road network arc flows, the potential location for refueling stations are limited and the refueling stations are capacitated. This paper extends Arc Demand Coverage Problem (ADCP) to determine locations for constructing CNG refueling stations at the considered potential locations such that the flow demands are fully met and the cost function is minimized. The cost function is positive and non-decreasing function of the located facility number. A heuristic algorithm is applied to solve ADCP.