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SETTING UP THE LINEAR

PROGRAMMING PROBLEM
Suppose that a gas-processing plant receives a fixed
amount of raw gas each week. The raw gas is
processed into two grades of heating gas regular
and premium quality. These grades of gas are in high
demand (they are guaranteed to sell) and yield
different profits to the company. However, their
production involves both time and on-site storage
constraints. For example, only one of the grades can
be produced at a time, and the facility is open for
only 80 hr/week. Further, there is limited on-site
storage for each of the products.

SETTING UP THE LINEAR


PROGRAMMING PROBLEM
All these factors are listed in the table below:
Product
Resource
Raw gas

Regular
7 m/tonne

Premium
11 m/tonne

Resource
Availability
77 m/week

Production
10 hr/tonne 8 hr/tonne
80 hr/week
Question: How to develop a linear programming
time
formulation to maximize the profit for this operation.
Storage
9 tonnes
6 tonnes
Profit

$150/tonne

$175/tonne

SETTING UP THE LINEAR


PROGRAMMING PROBLEM
SOLUTION
The engineer operating this plant must decide how
much of each gas to produce to maximize profits. If
the amounts of regular and premium produced
weekly are designated as x1 and x2 (both are in the
unit of tonne), respectively, the total weekly profit
can be calculated as
Total profit = 150 x1 + 175 x2
Written as a linear programming objective function
Maximize Z = 150 x1 + 175 x2

SETTING UP THE LINEAR


PROGRAMMING PROBLEM
For the constraints, the total raw gas used can be
computed as
Total gas used = 7 x1 + 11 x2
This total cannot exceed the available supply of 77
m/week, so the constraint can be represented as
7 x1 + 11 x2 77.
The total time taken for the production of the
amounts of regular and premium must not exceed
80 hr/week, thus, the constraints is represented as
10 x1 + 8 x2 80.

SETTING UP THE LINEAR


PROGRAMMING PROBLEM
For the storage constraint, regular and premium
amounts cannot exceed 9 and 6 tonnes, respectively,
as
x1 9 and
x2 6,
and the products must have positive amount, as
x1 0 and
x2 0.

SETTING UP THE LINEAR


PROGRAMMING PROBLEM
These are summarized below:
Maximize Z = 150 x1 + 175 x2 (maximize profit)
subject to
7 x1 + 11 x2 77
(material constraint)
10 x1 + 8 x2 80
(time constraint)
x1 9
(regular storage constraint)
x2 6
(premium storage constraint)
x1 0 and
x2 0 (positivity constraint)

SETTING UP THE LINEAR


PROGRAMMING PROBLEM
In this two-dimensional (two unknowns, x1 and x2) problem,
the solution space is defined as a plane with x1 and x2.
Because they are linear, the constraints can be plotted on
this plane as straight lines. These constraint lines will
delineate a region, called the feasible solution space,
encompassing all possible combinations of x1 and x2 that
obey the constraints and hence represent feasible
solutions. x2
x1 9

x2 6
Feasible
solution
space
0

7 x1 + 11 x2 77
x1
10 x1 + 8 x2 80

SETTING UP THE LINEAR


PROGRAMMING PROBLEM

The objective function for a particular value of Z can


then be plotted as another straight line and
superimposed on this space. The value Z can then be
adjusted until it is at the maximum value while still
touching the feasible space. This value of Z represents
the optimal solution. The corresponding values of x1
and x2 where Z touches the feasible solution space
represent the optimal values for the activities.

SETTING UP THE LINEAR


PROGRAMMING PROBLEM

Because
the
line
still
the solution
our
Now,
since
we
are
interested
in maximizing
Z,space,
we can
As
shown
inA
the
figure,
thewithin
maximum
value
Z
To do
this,
value
of falls
Z must
be
chosen,
for of
example,
for
result
is still
feasible.
There
isthe
stillobjective
room
forfunction
increase
it
toto
say
Z=600,
and
isx2 x2
corresponds
approximately
1400.
At
point,
x1 and
Z=0, the
objective
function
becomes
0=this
150
x1 + 175
improvement.
Hence,
Z
can4.9
keep
until
a Thus
600=
150 to
x1 for
+
175
x2 ,derive
solving
for
xincreasing
the line
are
approximately
and
3.9,derive
respectively.
2 we
and equal
solving
x2 we
the
line
600
150the objective beyond the
further
increase
will
take
150
the graphical
solution
x

tells

x2 2 175
x1 175 x1us that if we produce these
feasible
region.
175 and premium, we will reap a
quantities
of regular
maximum profit of about $1400.
x2

x1 9

Z=14
00
Z=60
0

x2 6

x2 3.9

Z=
0

7 x1 + 11 x2 77
0

x1 4.9

x1
10 x1 + 8 x2 80

SETTING UP THE LINEAR


PROGRAMMING PROBLEM
We can verify our results by substituting it back to
the constraint equations:
7 x1 + 11 x2 = 7(4.9)+11(3.9) 77
10 x1 + 8 x2 = 10(4.9)+8(3.9) 80
x1 = 4.9 9
x2 = 3.9 6

CONCLUDING REMARKS
It is clear from the plot that producing at the optimal amount
of each product brings us right to the point where we just
meet the resource and time constraints. Such constraint are
said to be binding. As can be seen in the graphic, neither of
the storage constraints (x1 9 and x2 6 ) acts as a
limitation. Such constraints are called nonbinding.
x2

x1 9

x2 6
Feasible
solution
space
0

7 x1 + 11 x2 77
x1
10 x1 + 8 x2 80

CONCLUDING REMARKS
This leads us to the conclusion that we can increase
profits by either increasing our resource supply (raw
gas) or increasing our production time. Further, it
indicates that increasing the storage would have no
impact on profit.

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