Optimal system wide design for bioprocesses

Abstract

The advantages of automated process synthesis and design via optimisation have long been recognised in the chemical industries. Applying synthesis procedures to design and optimise whole processes leads to the generation of better solutions than sequential approaches. While the biotechnology sector also stands to gain from the same benefits little work on synthesis algorithms for bioprocesses exists. In this paper we describe a bioprocess synthesis algorithm which is based on an implicit enumeration algorithm and has previously been used for chemical process synthesis. The algorithm uses physical properties data to screen candidate units at each stage of the synthesis procedure thereby reducing the search space without eliminating valuable solutions. The utility of the algorithm is demonstrated by synthesising a flowsheet for the manufacture and purification of penicillin, a well established bioprocess. Results show that the synthesis algorithm is able to generate a set of system wide optimal flowsheets. In addition many of the alternatives identified by the synthesis algorithm concur with industrial knowledge as reported by Swartz (1985).