Coal bank scheduling using a mathematical programming model

Coals are extracted from mines and upgraded on the surface for customers. The upgraded coals must be aged at least four weeks in a bank before being supplied to customers. Different sizes of banks are required for different lengths of time at different points in time. Bigger banks increase the floor space capacity and reduce handling costs. The proper location of banks reduces the total space requirement and bank movement after building. In this paper, we address the bank size and location problem and solve it by using a mathematical programming approach.