On the Incorporation of Safety and Environmental Considerations in the Computer-Aided Design of Novel Process Synthesis

Abstract

A variety of advanced mathematical programming or heuristic techniques are available for process synthesis and optimisation. Usually, however, safety and environmental considerations are not included in the optimisation functions used for process synthesis. The question of the performance of ptocess plants with regard to their environmental impact and safety characteristics is handled usually after plant design, synthesis and optimisation has been completed. This situation is constantly challenged by increasingly stricter environmental regulations and ever increasing public concern for the safety and health impacts of industrial processes. The goal of this work is to provide the scientific and engineering community with a comprehensive conceptual tool that would permit the economically efficient incorporation of safety and environmental concerns in the industries of tomorrow. It also aspires to show how minimised environmental impact considerations may be treated as production targets rather than liabilities or design constraints for process industries. To this goal, a multi-step methodology is delineated, the corresponding computer-oriented mathematical techniques are described, and an example of the application of this tool to the optimisation of novel chemical processes with regard to safety and environmental impact is given.