Optimization of Interconnected Natural Gas and Power Systems Using Mathematical Programs with Complementarity Constraints

Abstract

The demand for thermal power generation from natural gas has increased globally due to its cleaner burning properties compared to other fossil fuels. Optimizing the gas flow through the network to meet this demand is challenging due to the nonconvex Weymouth equation constraining gas flow and nodal pressures in pipelines. Traditional methods for addressing this nonconvexity lead to significant approximation errors or high operational costs. This study poses the Weymouth constraint as a Mathematical Programming with Complementarity Constraints (MPCC) for an optimal gas flow problem. The complementarity constraints reformulate the discontinuous sign function using binary-behaving continuous variables. This MPCC-based approach avoids solving mixed-integer programming problems while enhancing the accuracy of conventional linear and second-order approximations. Testing the approach on various interconnected systems, including Colombia’s national gas transportation grid, demonstrated significant reductions in Weymouth approximation errors, thereby supporting effective optimization for interconnected networks.