Proposal Summary and Objectives

Florida State is vulnerable to various forms of natural disasters including hurricanes, tropical storms, tropical depressions, tornadoes, wildfires, and floods. These events regularly affect Florida's residents, visitors, and Florida's economy. Therefore, it is of great importance to plan thoroughly in advance of happening any of the natural disasters. Natural disasters are effective and influential vectors for direct and indirect releases of hazardous material (hazmat). Preparedness is the process of turning awareness of the natural hazards and risks faced by a community into actions that improve its capability to respond to and recover from disasters. Recent disasters illustrate the destructive potential of natural hazards and the long term societal disruption that is felt well beyond the boundaries of the communities that are affected. Directed refueling process of gas stations is one issue that has been the focus for many years because of its importance and its complexity. The main concern for the petroleum supply chain during a natural disaster is its adjustment to the highly increased fuel demand before and after an evacuation. This research will focus on the process of fuel distribution after a disaster, taking into consideration the changes in the supply chain and roadway network. The ultimate goal of this research is the development of an integrated model that considers the interaction between the decision problems in all the following objectives tasks simultaneously.

The approach of the problem is a combination of the Gas Station Replenishment Problem (GSRP) and the Multi Compartment Vehicle Routing Problem (MCVRP) with time windows to account for objectives, assumptions, and constraints of a post evacuation network condition. The research team proposes a mathematical model optimizing the fuel distribution process, to address increased demand and decreased resources, after the disaster in specific time windows. The extension of the classic GSRP by limiting the available fuel inventory and the multi compartmental truck fleet is the primary approach. The research goal is to maximize the number of gas stations served (i. maximize the met demand) under timing and cost constraints.

Funding Amount: $251,484
Status: Active
Duration: Sep 1, 2020 - Aug 31, 2021