A Practical Solution of Control Point Selection Using Depth First Search for Public Utility Pipeline Networks

• Main Authors: Sheng-Hung Chen, 陳勝鴻
• Other Authors: none
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2002
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/vds7zj

碩士 === 逢甲大學 === 資訊工程所 === 90 === Keeping safety is the primary goal for public utilities such as gas enterprise. In order to control pipeline network areas efficiently, necessary control over critical nodes is adopted by many public utilities. Using an optimal selection of such critical points, we can decide a closed area to be dominated when there is an accident happened. We found that current solutions providing control to pipeline network with a leakage of gas do not meet the optimal selection and simple needs to the public utility enterprises. On the contrary, these conventional works need a lot of related working experiences and background to complete such design goal. We derive a practical solution, an algorithm based on depth-first-search technique that is designed specifically to support the distinctive features of control point selection. With the determination of control points, we separate pipeline network into several components to dominate its flow supply efficiently and safely. The solution is designed to meet the following four high-level design goals: (1) low threshold to develop a new urban pipeline network system, (2) timely decision to leakage of flow in network, (3) low cost of network maintenance, and (4) compliance with enterprise security policies. A fundamental concept of our solution is the well-calculated weighted function which corresponds to hardware cost and customer cost. Another fundamental concept is the highly developed components that could be embedded in many applications. It is easily applied to any other public utility pipeline networks. We report the results of a trial that was carried out within a gas company and discuss how well the solution met our design goals.