Process Modeling and Optimization Strategies Integrating Support Vector Regression and Differential Evolution: A Study of Industrial Ethylene Oxide Reactor

Abstract

This paper presents artificial intelligence-based process modeling and optimization strategies, namely, support vector regression – differential evolution (SVR-DE) for modeling and optimization of catalytic industrial ethylene oxide (EO) reactor. In the SVR-DE approach, a support vector regression model is constructed for correlating process data comprising values of operating and performance variables. Next, model inputs describing process operating variables are optimized using Differential Evolution (DE) with a view to maximize the process performance. DE possesses certain unique advantages over the commonly used gradient-based deterministic optimization algorithms. The SVR-DE is a new strategy for chemical process modeling and optimization. The major advantage of the strategy is that modeling and optimization can be conducted exclusively from the historic process data wherein the detailed knowledge of process phenomenology (reaction mechanism, kinetics, etc.) is not required. Using SVR-DE strategy, a number of sets of optimized operating conditions leading to maximized EO production and catalyst selectivity were obtained. The optimized solutions, when verified in an actual plant, resulted in a significant improvement in the EO production rate and catalyst selectivity.