Issue |
RAIRO-Oper. Res.
Volume 49, Number 1, January-March 2015
Special ROADEF 2013
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 15 - 37 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/ro/2014033 | |
Published online | 17 December 2014 |
Using Column Generation to Solve a Coal Blending Problem
1 CREST-Ensai, Rue Blaise Pascal, 35172 Bruz, France ;
Equippe, Université du Côte d’Opale and CIRPEE .
stephane.auray@ensai.fr
2 TVES, Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale 189B avenue Maurice Schumann, BP 5526, 59379 Dunkerque Cedex 1, France.
daniel.dewolf@univ-littoral.fr
3 Center for Operations Research and Econometrics, UCL, 34 voie du Roman Pays, 1348 Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium .
yves.smeers@uclouvain.be
Received: 26 August 2013
Accepted: 21 May 2014
In this paper, we formulate and solve a real life coal blending problem using a Column Generation Approach. The objective of the model is to prescribe optimal mixes of coal to produce coke. The problem is formulated as a mixed integer program. It involves various types of constraints arising from technical considerations of the blending process. The model also incorporates nonlinear constraints. It results in a large-scale problem that cannot be solved by classical operations research methods. Defining three heuristic methods based on column generation techniques, this paper proposes reasonable solutions for the industry.
Mathematics Subject Classification: 90B30 / 49M27
Key words: Column generation / coal blending
© EDP Sciences, ROADEF, SMAI, 2014
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