A Method of Optimal Malfunction Management in Urban Natural Gas Transmission and Distribution Systems

Given the increasing number of urban natural gas transmission and distribution systems, it is particularly crucial to optimize the management of natural gas operations, especially when equipment failure or pipeline leakage occurs in the supply system. To meet the needs of customers for natural gas, in this paper, we considered two cases of pipeline rupture leakage and pressure regulation station failure for different supply areas. We combined natural gas supply pipelines, pressure regulating stations and a gasholder station to establish a failure optimization management model and used genetic algorithms and one-dimensional fluid dynamics models for optimization management and proposed the following two solutions: 1. Complete operation strategy: modify both the pressure of the pressure regulating station and the air supply volume of the gasholder station; 2. Partial operation strategy: modify the pressure of the pressure regulating station only, and keep the supply volume of the gasholder station constant. Finally, our model is applied to an urban natural gas transmission and distribution system. Based on the actual results, failure optimization management is proposed according to the location and the type of failure and constructive options are suggested for the operation of natural gas networks.