David Frank

Pipeline Project
I understand I have been tasked with determining the most cost-efficient route to
run a pipe. After spending countless hours working on the calculations and enduring harsh
scrutiny from a calculus instructor, I have determined the costs of various scenarios. The
following report details my conclusions and the processes used in their determination.

The long route around the private land is 61 miles, which would cost $28,975,000.

475000( 9+14+38)=28975000
Going through the mountain will require 43 miles of pipe in total, costing $20,425,000. On top of
the $500,000 for the study, the delay will cost a total of $690,000. Combined with the cost of
drilling, running the pipe this way will cost $26,215,000. However, this assumes that the project
is allowed to continue.

475000(29+ 14)+4600000+500000+6 (115000)=26215000

The other way would be to cross the private land to the southern edge. At this point, the total
cost depends on not only the total length of the pipe but also the additional fees for crossing
private land; each mile costs a total of $825,000.
Running the pipe the minimum distance across the private land will maximize the BLM distance
and thus the total length. The cost of this route totals to $25,325,000.

14 825,000+ 29 475,000= 25325000

The shortest way covers exclusively the private land. The total is $26,567,049.61.

142 +292 =c 2
196+841=c 2

c=2 1037
c 32.2

2 1037

825,000 = 26567049.61

Leaving the well at an intermediate angle may allow an optimal balance between the distance
and right-of-way costs. The distance across private land at any given angle West can be
determined by imagining it to be the hypotenuse of a triangle with the other sides being the
distances straight South and West. For any angle, the former will always be 14, and this is the
adjacent. Determining a hypotenuse from an adjacent and angle can be done by multiplying the
former by the secant of the latter.
The remaining distance West can be calculated by subtracting the length opposite to the angle,
itself calculated by substituting the other two sides into the Pythagorean Theorem, from the
maximum of 29.
Multiplying each distance by its respective cost, then adding the results, gives us the cost
function.

Going directly across the private land is notably the most expensive path.

( 14 sec ( x ) )

2
(142 )=17.12

29

14 sec ( 35.153 ) =19.14

The cheapest is seen to be when the angle West is 35.153, at $23,218,516. The distance across
private land is 19.14 miles, and that of BLM land is 17.12.

A possible application of calculus in my area of interest is calculating how long it takes for a
certain temperature to be achieved.
When I was melting glass, I heated it a bit past the melting point of aluminum, then up to
2010F, then I pushed it up to 2250F. As the temperature increased, the rate of increase
decreased, and the rate of decrease when I stopped heating or opened the kiln increased. The
goal was to dissolve uranium(IV) oxide in the glass, and the rate of dissolution increases with
temperature. Another application of calculus would be calculating what atoms are in the glass
due to the decay of the uranium atoms and their subsequent daughters.