Simultaneous minimization of minimum resource and storage requirements in batch process

Abstract

Abstract Increase in the cost of process water and stringent environmental norms result in the requirement for water reducing technologies in process industries. Batch processes have been widely used in process industry (such as pharmaceuticals, fine and specialty chemicals, etc.) as batch processing is appropriate to produce a specialized low amount of production and is flexible to adjust according to the dynamism of the market. In recent years, significant research efforts are made to minimize resources such as energy and water in batch processes. Optimizing the storage requirement is an essential aspect while considering capital investment and space availability. This paper focuses on minimizing freshwater and storage requirement simultaneously. In this paper, a mathematical formulation is proposed to solve the proposed bi-objectives problem. The primary objective of this work is to generate a Pareto optimal front for these two objectives via using a ϵ-constraint method. The proposed linear programming formulation includes demand satisfaction, source availability and quality constraints. The trade-off between storage and resource requirements is captured through a Pareto optimal front. This Pareto optimal front facilitates decision-makers to select an appropriate operating point as per suitability.