Optimal design of heat-integrated multipurpose batch facilities: a mixed-integer mathematical formulation

Abstract

This paper presents a mathematical formulation for the detailed design of multipurpose batch process facilities with heat integration. This appears as an extension of the design model proposed by Barbosa-Póvoa and Macchietto (Compt. Chem. Eng. 18 (11/12) (1994) 1013.) where no heat-integration aspects were addressed at the design level. Economic savings in utility requirements are studied while considering the possibility of having direct plant heat integration with associated costs of the involved auxiliary equipment. The heat-transfer equipment structures are designed simultaneously with the plant processing and storing equipment as well as the associated connectivity. Also, the model developed provides the best heat-integration policy based on a pre-defined objective. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear problem where, binary variables are introduced to characterise operational and topological choices, and continuous ones define the equipment capacities as well as the amounts of material within the overall process. The applicability of the proposed model is shown via the solution of some illustrative examples.