United States Department of Transportation
i
Impact of Intermodal Facilities to the Design of Supply Chains for Biorefineries
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2009-08-15
[PDF-485.77 KB]
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OCLC Number:729252982
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Edition:Final report
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NTL Classification:NTL-ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT-Alternative Fuels;NTL-FREIGHT-Intermodalism;
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Abstract:This paper analyzes the impact that an intermodal facility has on location and transportation decisions for biofuel production plants. Location decisions impact the management of the in-bound and out-bound logistics of a plant. We model this supply chain design and management problem as a mixed integer program. Input data for this model are location of intermodal facilities and available transportation modes; cost and cargo capacity for each transportation mode; geographical distribution of biomass feedstock, and production yields; and biomass processing, and inventory costs. Outputs from this model are the number, location and capacity of biofuel production plants. For each plant, the transportation mode used, timing of shipments, shipments size, inventory size, and production schedule that minimize the delivery cost of biofuel are determined. The state of Mississippi is considered as the testing grounds for our model. Experimental results indicate that the best location for a (corn-to-ethanol) biorefinery in Mississippi is Warren County, where an in-land port is located. Results indicate that, even when the biomass available in Mississippi is enough to operate this facility, it is economical to ship corn from the Midwest using barge.
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