Optimal Routing of Multi-Modal Wide Energy and Infrastructure Corridors
Date
2021-12-17
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Abstract
A multi-modal corridor is intended to accommodate multiple modes of energy and transportation infrastructure within the same right-of-way. The existing literature on corridor routing often focuses on one mode with no consideration to the width of a corridor. In particular, most of the existing routing methods assume that least-cost-paths are purely linear with zero widths. This is not a realistic assumption if multiple infrastructure modes are to co-exist within the same right-of-way. Even newer routing methods that consider the width of paths, can not take multi-modality of or mode arrangement within a corridor into account. Integrating multi-criteria analysis and GIS techniques is a well-known method for finding least-cost-paths. In this thesis, using the well-known multi-criteria analysis and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques, a multi-modal wide corridor routing method is proposed. In this method, a multi-directed graph is defined in which the weight of each of the edges is calculated using different layers of cost data based on the direction of that edge and the desired width of the corridor and the arrangement of its modes. In addition, an important factor in routing a corridor is consideration for future plans. In this thesis, the importance of considering the locations of renewable energy sites nearby a corridor in its routing process is investigated. Moreover, a method is proposed for aligning a multi-modal corridor and its powerline branches to renewable energy sites with the minimum cost. The numerical results show the effectiveness of the proposed method compared to other applicable methods in routing of both multi-modal and single-modal, wide corridors. Furthermore, through a numerical experiment, it is shown how the proposed method can help find opportunities for cost reduction by considering the locations of renewable energy sites in the corridor routing process.
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Keywords
Optimal Routing, Canadian Northern Corridor, Multi-Modal Wide Corridor, Least-Cost-Path, Infrastructure Corridor, Shortest Path, Renewable Energy
Citation
Salamati, M. (2021). Optimal Routing of Multi-Modal Wide Energy and Infrastructure Corridors (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.