Economic Nonlinear Model Predictive Control for cyclic gas pipeline operation

This study presents an economic Nonlinear Model Predictive Control for optimizing gas pipeline operation. The operation of gas networks is governed by dynamic gas transport equations, compressor performance characteristics, and control valve modeling. Given the daily fluctuations in demand, these systems often do not operate under steady-state conditions. To address this, we propose a controller formulation designed for cyclic steady-state systems, incorporating stabilizing and terminal constraints to ensure asymptotic stability. The application of this approach to real-world, complex branched pipelines involves dealing with non-smoothness and switching conditions, which we tackle through smoothing and complementarity reformulations. The effectiveness of our method is demonstrated in a test network as well as the nationwide Italian gas network, showcasing its practicality for large-scale applications.