Projects / Programmes
Procesna sistemska tehnika (Slovene)
January 1, 1999
- December 31, 2003
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.02.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Chemical engineering |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T350 |
Technological sciences |
Chemical technology and engineering |
| T120 |
Technological sciences |
Systems engineering, computer technology |
Researchers (15)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The main topic of our research is to develop and apply systematic design methods for continuous and batch chemical processes that comprise energy consumable unit operations such as chemical reactions and separations. Among them we study methods for simultaneous mass and energy integration, and develop techniques for computer aided process optimization. The objective is to decrease both the consumption of different utilities (steam, fuels, refrigeration), water and raw material, and the production of wastes in process sources in chemical and petrochemical processes. Our research is devoted to the development of strategies, techniques and computer tools for an integrated synthesis of overall processes and their subsystems (reaction network, separation network, utility system) based on mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP). The MINLP approach enables both discrete (selection of process units, their connectivity, ranges of operation) and continuous optimization (temp., flows, pressure, etc.) simultaneously. One of the objectives is to extend the superstructure approach to perform optimal selection of reaction paths within the conventional process synthesis, which would enable innovative reconstruction of existing plants. The major objective of the work is to develop an integrated framework (together with CAPEC-DTU, Denmark; CMU Pittsburgh, USA, etc.) for computer aided process synthesis, design and analysis of economically efficient, safe, flexible and environmentally benign processes that will comprise: a) identification of chemical species (e.g. molecular modeling) and thermodynamic prescreening of process alternatives, b) MINLP optimization of process flowsheet, c) sequential rigorous analysis of process scheme by steady state and dynamic simulation. To accomplish this goal the activities are proposed integrally at three levels: 1) improvement of efficiency (global optimization) and robustness of NLP, MILP and MINLP techniques, 2) development of an integrated methodology for MINLP synthesis of new and innovative reconstruction of existing plants at different levels of complexity from a simple NLP plant optimization to the simultaneous MINLP optimization of heat integrated and flexible plants, 3) development of a user-friendly computer tool (e.g. Mixed-Integer Process Synthesizer MIPSYN, MINLP based tool for a preliminary process design).
Most important scientific results
Final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report
