Systematic Innovation in Process Engineering: Linking TRIZ and Process Intensification

Abstract

The research work analyses the relationship of 155 Process Intensification (PI) technologies to the components of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ). It outlines TRIZ inventive principles frequently used in PI, and identifies opportunities for enhancing systematic innovation in process engineering by applying complementary TRIZ and PI. The study also proposes 70 additional inventive TRIZ sub-principles for the problems frequently encountered in process engineering, resulting in the advanced set of 160 inventive operators, assigned to the 40 TRIZ inventive principles. Finally, we analyse and discuss inventive principles used in 150 patent documents published in the last decade in the field of solid handling in the ceramic and pharmaceutical industries.