A Model for Location of Capacitated Alternative-Fuel Stations

Increased interest in alternative fuels is attributable, in part, to rising oil prices and increasing concern about global warming. A lack of a refueling infrastructure, however, has inhibited the adoption of alternative-fuel vehicles. Little economic incentive exists to mass-produce alternative-fuel vehicles until a network of stations exists that can refuel a reasonable number of trips. The flow refueling location model (FRLM) was developed to minimize the investment necessary to create a refueling infrastructure by optimizing the location of fueling stations. The original uncapacitated FRLM assumes that the presence of a refueling station is sufficient to serve all flows passing through a node, regardless of their volume. This article introduces the capacitated flow refueling location model that limits the number of vehicles refueled at each station. It also introduces a modified objective function maximizing vehicle-miles traveled instead of trips, applies both models to an intercity network for Arizona, and formulates several other extensions.