A Descriptor Approach to Economic Network Equilibrium of a Food Processing and Distribution Sector

Abstract

ALINET is a network model designed for the analysis of energy use in the food processing and distribution sector and for the evaluation of the potential effectiveness of energy conserving technologies. The basic structure of the model is that of a material flow network where nodes represent the specific state of the material at that stage and links represent the processes that the material is undergoing. The descriptor variable approach is used for determining the steady state flow of commodities through the system. Two iterative solution algorithms are considered for determining the steady state flow of commodities. The possibilities for using parallel algorithms for overcoming the numerical difficulties are also addressed. Finally, selected simulation results are presented to demonstrate the use of the methodology.