TY - GEN A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Lindner, Niels A1 - Rehfeldt, Daniel A1 - Koch, Thorsten T1 - Comparing Branching Rules for the Quota Steiner Tree Problem with Interference N2 - Branching decisions play a crucial role in branch-and-bound algorithms for solving combinatorial optimization problems. In this paper, we investigate several branching rules applied to the Quota Steiner Tree Problem with Interference (QSTPI). The Quota Steiner Tree Problem (QSTP) generalizes the classical Steiner Tree Problem (STP) in graphs by seeking a minimum-cost tree that connects a subset of profit-associated vertices to meet a given quota. The extended version, QSTPI, introduces interference among vertices: Selecting certain vertices simultaneously reduces their individual contributions to the overall profit. This problem arises, for example, in positioning and connecting wind turbines, where turbines possibly shadow other turbines, reducing their energy yield. While exact solvers for standard STP-related problems often rely heavily on reduction techniques and cutting-plane methods – rarely generating large branch-and-bound trees – experiments reveal that large instances of QSTPI require significantly more branching to compute provably optimal solutions. In contrast to branching on variables, we utilize the combinatorial structure of the QSTPI by branching on the graph’s vertices. We adapt classical and problem-specific branching rules and present a comprehensive computational study comparing the effectiveness of these branching strategies. T3 - ZIB-Report - 25-16 Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-101250 SN - 1438-0064 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Le, Thi Thai A1 - Koch, Thorsten A1 - Zittel, Janina T1 - Optimal discrete pipe sizing for tree-shaped CO2 networks JF - OR Spectrum N2 - For industries like the cement industry, switching to a carbon-neutral production process is impossible. They must rely on carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies to reduce their production processes’ inevitable carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. For transporting continuously large amounts of CO2, utilizing a pipeline network is the most effective solution; however, building such a network is expensive. Therefore minimizing the cost of the pipelines to be built is extremely important to make the operation financially feasible. In this context, we investigate the problem of finding optimal pipeline diameters from a discrete set of diameters for a tree-shaped network transporting captured CO2 from multiple sources to a single sink. The general problem of optimizing arc capacities in potential-based fluid networks is already a challenging mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problem. The problem becomes even more complex when adding the highly sensitive nonlinear behavior of CO2 regarding temperature and pressure changes. We propose an iterative algorithm splitting the problem into two parts: a) the pipe-sizing problem under a fixed supply scenario and temperature distribution and b) the thermophysical modeling, including mixing effects, the Joule-Thomson effect, and heat exchange with the surrounding environment. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by applying our algorithm to a real-world network planning problem for a CO2 network in Western Germany. Further, we show the robustness of the algorithm by solving a large artificially created set of network instances. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00291-024-00773-z VL - 46 SP - 1163 EP - 1187 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Van Bulck, David A1 - Goossens, Dries A1 - Clarner, Jan-Patrick A1 - Dimitsas, Angelos A1 - Fonseca, Georg H. G. A1 - Lamas-Fernandez, Carlos A1 - Lester, Martin Mariusz A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Phillips, Antony E. A1 - Rosati, Roberto Maria T1 - Which algorithm to select in sports timetabling? JF - European Journal of Operational Research N2 - Any sports competition needs a timetable, specifying when and where teams meet each other. The recent International Timetabling Competition (ITC2021) on sports timetabling showed that, although it is possible to develop general algorithms, the performance of each algorithm varies considerably over the problem instances. This paper provides a problem type analysis for sports timetabling, resulting in powerful insights into the strengths and weaknesses of eight state-of-the-art algorithms. Based on machine learning techniques, we propose an algorithm selection system that predicts which algorithm is likely to perform best based on the type of competition and constraints being used (i.e., the problem type) in a given sports timetabling problem instance. Furthermore, we visualize how the problem type relates to algorithm performance, providing insights and possibilities to further enhance several algorithms. Finally, we assess the empirical hardness of the instances. Our results are based on large computational experiments involving about 50 years of CPU time on more than 500 newly generated problem instances. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2024.06.005 VL - 318 IS - 2 SP - 575 EP - 591 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Weinand, Jann Michael A1 - Syranidou, Chloi A1 - Rehfeldt, Daniel T1 - An efficient solver for large-scale onshore wind farm siting including cable routing JF - European Journal of Operational Research N2 - Existing planning approaches for onshore wind farm siting and grid integration often do not meet minimum cost solutions or social and environmental considerations. In this paper, we develop an exact approach for the integrated layout and cable routing problem of onshore wind farm planning using the Quota Steiner tree problem. Applying a novel transformation on a known directed cut formulation, reduction techniques, and heuristics, we design an exact solver that makes large problem instances solvable and outperforms generic MIP solvers. In selected regions of Germany, the trade-offs between minimizing costs and landscape impact of onshore wind farm siting are investigated. Although our case studies show large trade-offs between the objective criteria of cost and landscape impact, small burdens on one criterion can significantly improve the other criteria. In addition, we demonstrate that contrary to many approaches for exclusive turbine siting, grid integration must be simultaneously optimized to avoid excessive costs or landscape impacts in the course of a wind farm project. Our novel problem formulation and the developed solver can assist planners in decision-making and help optimize wind farms in large regions in the future. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2024.04.026 VL - 317 IS - 2 SP - 616 EP - 630 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Hoppmann-Baum, Kai A1 - Zittel, Janina A1 - Koch, Thorsten T1 - Blending hydrogen into natural gas: An assessment of the capacity of the German gas grid T2 - Operations Research Proceedings 2021 N2 - In the transition towards a pure hydrogen infrastructure, repurposing the existing natural gas infrastructure is considered. In this study, the maximal technically feasible injection of hydrogen into the existing German natural gas transmission network is analysed with respect to regulatory limits regarding the gas quality. We propose a transient tracking model based on the general pooling problem including linepack. The analysis is conducted using real-world hourly gas flow data on a network of about 10,000 km length. Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08623-6_28 SP - 182 EP - 187 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Koch, Thorsten A1 - Berthold, Timo A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Vanaret, Charlie T1 - Progress in Mathematical Programming Solvers from 2001 to 2020 N2 - This study investigates the progress made in LP and MILP solver performance during the last two decades by comparing the solver software from the beginning of the millennium with the codes available today. On average, we found out that for solving LP/MILP, computer hardware got about 20 times faster, and the algorithms improved by a factor of about nine for LP and around 50 for MILP, which gives a total speed-up of about 180 and 1,000 times, respectively. However, these numbers have a very high variance and they considerably underestimate the progress made on the algorithmic side: many problem instances can nowadays be solved within seconds, which the old codes are not able to solve within any reasonable time. T3 - ZIB-Report - 21-20 Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-82779 SN - 1438-0064 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Hoppmann-Baum, Kai A1 - Zittel, Janina A1 - Koch, Thorsten T1 - Blending hydrogen into natural gas: An assessment of the capacity of the German gas grid; Technical Report N2 - In the transition towards a pure hydrogen infrastructure, utilizing the existing natural gas infrastructure is a necessity. In this study, the maximal technically feasible injection of hydrogen into the existing German natural gas transmission network is analysed with respect to regulatory limits regarding the gas quality. We propose a transient tracking model based on the general pooling problem including linepack. The analysis is conducted using real-world hourly gas flow data on a network of about 10,000 km length. T3 - ZIB-Report - 21-21 Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-82838 SN - 1438-0064 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Schachler, Birgit A1 - Heider, Anya A1 - Pleßmann, Guido T1 - Distribution System Planning with Battery Storage using Multiperiod Optimal Power Flow T2 - 14th International Renewable Energy Storage Conference 2020 (IRES 2020) N2 - The ongoing energy transition introduces new challenges for distribution networks and brings about the need to expand existing power grid capacities. In order to contain network expansion and with it economic costs, utilization of various flexibility options to reduce expansion needs is discussed. This paper proposes a multiperiod optimal power flow (MPOPF) approach with a new continuous network expansion formulation to optimize the deployment of flexibility options under the objective of minimizing network expansion costs. In a comparison of the newly proposed continuous network expansion formulation with an existing mixed integer formulation and a continuous interpretation of the latter the here proposed formulation is shown to be useful in order to obtain a solvable problem and contain computational efforts. The presented MPOPF including the flexibility options storage units and curtailment is then assessed on synthetic medium voltage grids and applied to evaluate the benefit of a combined vs. a stepwise optimization of these flexibility options. It is demonstrated that using a local solver the proposed approach is applicable and yields a solution in reasonable time. Furthermore, it is shown that the combined optimization generally leads to a more efficient utilization of the considered flexibility options and therefore lower grid expansion costs than the stepwise consideration. Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2991/ahe.k.210202.007 VL - 6 SP - 41 EP - 48 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Spreckelsen, Klaus A1 - Gotzes, Uwe A1 - Zittel, Janina A1 - Koch, Thorsten T1 - Beimischung von Wasserstoff zum Erdgas: Eine Kapazitätsstudie des deutschen Gasnetzes JF - 3R – Fachzeitschrift für Rohrleitungssystem N2 - Die europäische Gasinfrastruktur wird disruptiv in ein zukünftiges dekarbonisiertes Energiesystem verändert; ein Prozess, der angesichts der jüngsten politischen Situation beschleunigt werden muss. Mit einem wachsenden Wasserstoffmarkt wird der pipelinebasierte Transport unter Nutzung der bestehenden Erdgasinfrastruktur wirtschaftlich sinnvoll, trägt zur Erhöhung der öffentlichen Akzeptanz bei und beschleunigt den Umstellungsprozess. In diesem Fachbeitrag wird die maximal technisch machbare Einspeisung von Wasserstoff in das bestehende deutsche Erdgastransportnetz hinsichtlich regulatorischer Grenzwerte der Gasqualität analysiert. Die Analyse erfolgt auf Basis eines transienten Tracking-Modells, das auf dem allgemeinen Pooling-Problem einschließlich Linepack aufbaut. Es zeigt sich, dass das Gasnetz auch bei strengen Grenzwerten genügend Kapazität bietet, um für einen großen Teil der bis 2030 geplanten Erzeugungskapazität für grünen Wasserstoff als garantierter Abnehmer zu dienen. Y1 - 2023 IS - 06/2023 SP - 70 EP - 75 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Spreckelsen, Klaus A1 - Gotzes, Uwe A1 - Zittel, Janina A1 - Koch, Thorsten T1 - Beimischung von Wasserstoff zum Erdgas: Eine Kapazitätsstudie des deutschen Gasnetzes T1 - Blending hydrogen into natural gas: An assessment of the capacity of the German gas grid JF - gwf Gas + Energie N2 - Die europaische Gasinfrastruktur wird disruptiv in ein zukunftiges dekarbonisiertes Energiesystem verändert; ein Prozess, der angesichts der jüngsten politischen Situation beschleunigt werden muss. Mit einem wachsenden Wasserstoffmarkt wird der pipelinebasierte Transport unter Nutzung der bestehenden Erdgasinfrastruktur wirtschaftlich sinnvoll, trägt zur Erhöhung der öffentlichen Akzeptanz bei und beschleunigt den Umstellungsprozess. In diesem Beitrag wird die maximal technisch machbare Einspeisung von Wasserstoff in das bestehende deutsche Erdgastransportnetz hinsichtlich regulatorischer Grenzwerte der Gasqualität analysiert. Die Analyse erfolgt auf Basis eines transienten Tracking-Modells, das auf dem allgemeinen Pooling-Problem einschließlich Linepack aufbaut. Es zeigt sich, dass das Gasnetz auch bei strengen Grenzwerten gen ̈ugend Kapazität bietet, um für einen großen Teil der bis 2030 geplanten Erzeugungskapazität für grünen Wasserstoff als garantierter Abnehmer zu dienen. N2 - The European gas infrastructure is being disruptively transformed into a future decarbonised energy system; a process that needs to be accelerated given the recent political situation. With a growing hydrogen market, pipeline-based transport using the existing natural gas infrastructure becomes economically viable, helps to increase public acceptance and accelerates the transition process. In this paper, the maximum technically feasible feed-in of hydrogen into the existing German natural gas transport network is analysed with regard to regulatory limits of gas quality. Analysis is based on a transient tracking model that builds on the general pooling problem including linepack. It is shown that even with strict limits, the gas grid offers sufficient capacity to serve as a guaranteed customer for a large part of the green hydrogen generation capacity planned until 2030. Y1 - 2023 PB - Vulkan Verlag ET - 06/2023 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koch, Thorsten A1 - Berthold, Timo A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Vanaret, Charlie T1 - Progress in mathematical programming solvers from 2001 to 2020 JF - EURO Journal on Computational Optimization N2 - This study investigates the progress made in lp and milp solver performance during the last two decades by comparing the solver software from the beginning of the millennium with the codes available today. On average, we found out that for solving lp/milp, computer hardware got about 20 times faster, and the algorithms improved by a factor of about nine for lp and around 50 for milp, which gives a total speed-up of about 180 and 1,000 times, respectively. However, these numbers have a very high variance and they considerably underestimate the progress made on the algorithmic side: many problem instances can nowadays be solved within seconds, which the old codes are not able to solve within any reasonable time. Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejco.2022.100031 VL - 10 SP - 100031 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Lindner, Niels A1 - Rehfeldt, Daniel A1 - Koch, Thorsten T1 - Integrated Wind Farm Design: Optimizing Turbine Placement and Cable Routing with Wake Effects N2 - An accelerated deployment of renewable energy sources is crucial for a successful transformation of the current energy system, with wind energy playing a key role in this transition. This study addresses the integrated wind farm layout and cable routing problem, a challenging nonlinear optimization problem. We model this problem as an extended version of the Quota Steiner Tree Problem (QSTP), optimizing turbine placement and network connectivity simultaneously to meet specified expansion targets. Our proposed approach accounts for the wake effect - a region of reduced wind speed induced by each installed turbine - and enforces minimum spacing between turbines. We introduce an exact solution framework in terms of the novel Quota Steiner Tree Problem with interference (QSTPI). By leveraging an interference-based splitting strategy, we develop an advanced solver capable of tackling large-scale problem instances. The presented approach outperforms generic state-of-the-art mixed integer programming solvers on our dataset by up to two orders of magnitude. Moreover, we demonstrate that our integrated method significantly reduces the costs in contrast to a sequential approach. Thus, we provide a planning tool that enhances existing planning methodologies for supporting a faster and cost-efficient expansion of wind energy. T3 - ZIB-Report - 25-01 Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-99218 SN - 1438-0064 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Ljubić, Ivana ED - Pardalos, Panos M. ED - Prokopyev, Oleg A. T1 - Prize-Collecting Steiner Tree Problem and its Variants T2 - Encyclopedia of Optimization Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54621-2_869-1 PB - Springer International Publishing CY - Cham ER - TY - GEN A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Weinand, Jann Michael A1 - Syranidou, Chloi A1 - Rehfeldt, Daniel T1 - An efficient solver for multi-objective onshore wind farm siting and network integration N2 - Existing planning approaches for onshore wind farm siting and network integration often do not meet minimum cost solutions or social and environmental considerations. In this paper, we develop an approach for the multi-objective optimization of turbine locations and their network connection using a Quota Steiner tree problem. Applying a novel transformation on a known directed cut formulation, reduction techniques, and heuristics, we design an exact solver that makes large problem instances solvable and outperforms generic MIP solvers. Although our case studies in selected regions of Germany show large trade-offs between the objective criteria of cost and landscape impact, small burdens on one criterion can significantly improve the other criteria. In addition, we demonstrate that contrary to many approaches for exclusive turbine siting, network integration must be simultaneously optimized in order to avoid excessive costs or landscape impacts in the course of a wind farm project. Our novel problem formulation and the developed solver can assist planners in decision making and help optimize wind farms in large regions in the future. T3 - ZIB-Report - 23-10 Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-90590 SN - 1438-0064 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Le, Thi Thai A1 - Koch, Thorsten A1 - Zittel, Janina T1 - Optimal discrete pipe sizing for tree-shaped CO2 networks N2 - While energy-intensive industries like the steel industry plan to switch to renewable energy sources, other industries, such as the cement industry, have to rely on carbon capture storage and utilization technologies to reduce the inevitable carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of their production processes. In this context, we investigate the problem of finding optimal pipeline diameters from a discrete set of diameters for a tree-shaped network transporting captured CO2 from multiple sources to a single sink. The general problem of optimizing arc capacities in potential-based fluid networks is a challenging mixed-integer nonlinear program. Additionally, the behaviour of CO2 is highly sensitive and nonlinear regarding temperature and pressure changes. We propose an iterative algorithm splitting the problem into two parts: a) the pipe-sizing problem under a fixed supply scenario and temperature distribution and b) the thermophysical modelling including mixing effects, the Joule-Thomson effect, and heat exchange with the surrounding environment. We show the effectiveness of our approach by applying our algorithm to a real-world network planning problem for a CO2 network in Western Germany. T3 - ZIB-Report - 22-15 KW - CO2 Transport KW - Network Design KW - Pipeline Sizing Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-87574 SN - 1438-0064 ER - TY - THES A1 - Pedersen, Jaap T1 - Multiperiod Optimal Power Flow Problem In Distribution System Planning N2 - Growing demand, distributed generation, such as renewable energy sources (RES), and the increasing role of storage systems to mitigate the volatility of RES on a medium voltage level, push existing distribution grids to their limits. Therefore, necessary network expansion needs to be evaluated to guarantee a safe and reliable electricity supply in the future taking these challenges into account. This problem is formulated as an optimal power flow (OPF) problem which combines network expansion, volatile generation and storage systems, minimizing network expansion and generation costs. As storage systems introduce a temporal coupling into the system, a multiperiod OPF problem is needed and analysed in this thesis. To reduce complexity, the network expansion problem is represented in a continuous nonlinear programming formulation by using fundamental properties of electrical engeneering. This formulation is validated succesfully against a common mixed integer programming approach on a 30 and 57 bus network with respect to solution and computing time. As the OPF problem is, in general, a nonconvex, nonlinear problem and, thus, hard to solve, convex relaxations of the power flow equations have gained increasing interest. Sufficient conditions are represented which guarantee exactness of a second-order cone (SOC) relaxation of an operational OPF in radial networks. In this thesis, these conditions are enhanced for the network expansion planning problem. Additionally, nonconvexities introduced by the choice of network expansion variables are relaxed by using McCormick envelopes. These relaxations are then applied on the multiperiod OPF and compared to the original problem on a 30 and a 57 bus network. In particular, the computational time is decreased by an order up to 10^2 by the SOC relaxation while it provides either an exact solution or a sufficient lower bound on the original problem. Finally, a sensitivity study is performed on weights of network expansion costs showing strong dependency of both the solution of performed expansion and solution time on the chosen weights. KW - multiperiod optimal power flow, distribution network planning, battery storage Y1 - 2020 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Lindner, Niels A1 - Rehfeldt, Daniel A1 - Koch, Thorsten T1 - Comparing Branching Rules for the Quota Steiner Tree Problem with Interference T2 - Operations Research Proceedings 2025 N2 - Branching decisions play a crucial role in branch-and-bound algorithms for solving combinatorial optimization problems. In this paper, we investigate several branching rules applied to the Quota Steiner Tree Problem with Interference (QSTPI). The Quota Steiner Tree Problem (QSTP) generalizes the classical Steiner Tree Problem (STP) in graphs by seeking a minimum-cost tree that connects a subset of profit-associated vertices whose cumulative profit meets or exceeds a given quota. The QSTPI introduces interference among vertices: Selecting certain vertices simultaneously reduces their individual contributions to the overall profit. This problem arises, for example, in positioning and connecting wind turbines, where turbines possibly shadow other turbines, reducing their energy yield. Unlike classical STP variants, large QSTPI instances require significantly more branching to compute provably optimal solutions. In contrast to branching on variables, we utilize the combinatorial structure of the QSTPI by branching on the graph's vertices. We adapt classical and problem-specific branching rules and present a comprehensive computational study comparing the effectiveness of these branching strategies. Y1 - 2026 ER -