Lecture 2

01/31/2018

Seborg, Mellichamp, Edgar, Doyle: Process Dynamics and Control, 3rd Edition
Edgar, Himmelblau, Lasdon: Optimization of Chemical Processes, 2nd Edition

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 Blending Tank System
Terminology:
• Controlled variable (or “output variable”):
• Manipulated variable (or “input variable”):
• Disturbance variable (or “load variable”):
Definitions:
• Setpoint:

• Sensor:

• Actuator:

• Controller:

• Supervisory controller:
• Regulatory controller:

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 Blending Tank System
Terminology:
• Controlled variable (or “output variable”): x
• Manipulated variable (or “input variable”): w2
• Disturbance variable (or “load variable”): x1

Definitions:
• Setpoint: Desired value of the process variable
• Sensor: Device for measurement of the process variable
• Actuator: System that changes level of manipulated variable
• Controller: A device which monitors and physically alters the operating conditions
• Supervisory controller: controller that ensures that the setpoints determined are met
• Regulatory controller: supervisory controller determines the operation of this lower
level controller
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Optimization-Introduction
Assume that the bare surface of a vessel is at 700°F
with an ambient temperature of 70°F.
The surface heat loss is 4000 Btu/(h)(ft2).
• Cost of lost energy is $$/ (Btu/(h)(ft2))
Adding 1 in. of calcium silicate insulation, the loss
will drop to 250 Btu/(h)(ft2).
• Cost of insulation is $$/in

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Optimization-Introduction

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 Optimization Examples
Petroleum refineries
• Oil refinery needs to make choice of buying crude from different sources with different
composition and prices.
• It can make different products like diesel, gasoline, aviation fuel in different quantities
• Profit is maximized between the sale of manufactured products and purchase of crude oil
Manufacturing firms
• The sales of a firm often fluctuate, therefore a company has various options.
• It can either build up an inventory of the manufactured products to carry it through the period
of peak sales, or to pay overtime rates to achieve higher production during periods of high
demand.
• Optimization takes into account the various cost and loss factors and arrive at the most
profitable production plan.
Food-processing industry
• Determine the optimal shipping plan for the distribution of a particular product from different
manufacturing plants to various warehouses.
Telecommunications
• The optimal routing of messages in a communication network
• The routing of aircraft and ships can be determined by optimization
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Optimization other examples
• Determining the best sites for plant location.
• Routing tankers for the distribution of crude and
refined products.
• Sizing and layout of a pipeline.
• Designing equipment and an entire plant.
• Scheduling maintenance and equipment replacement.
• Operating equipment, such as tubular reactors,
columns, and absorbers.
• Allocating resources or services among several
processes.
• Planning and scheduling construction.

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 Example
A chemical plant needs to process to types of crude A and B.
• At least 3 tons of crude must be processed.
• Crude A costs $20/ton to process whereas crude B cost
$30/ton to process. Processing cost must be kept to less than
$800 per day.
• Processed crude A yields 0.4 ton of gasoline per ton of crude
and crude B gives 0.5 ton of gasoline per ton of crude.
• The amount of crude B processed cannot be greater than
twice the crude A processed.

How many tons of crude of each type must be processed to

maximize the amount of gasoline produced?
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Introduction to Optimization
Terminology:
Process Variables:
Decision Variables:
Objective Function:
Constraints:
Equality:
Inequality:

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Introduction to Optimization
Terminology:
Process Variables: Input/ output variables
Decision Variables: Process variables that optimization
algorithm chooses for optimum operation
Objective Function: Mathematical description of the
optimization goal. For e.g. profit maximization
Constraints: Any restrictions or limits of the process
variables
Equality:
Inequality:

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 Steps in optimization
• Identify Process Variables
• Important input, output variables are identified
• Specify Objective function
• Determine criteria for optimization and write objective function in terms of
the process variables
• Common to use economic model
• Develop process model and constraints
• Process model should be formulated based on physics and chemistry of the
process or empirical relationships
• Equality and inequality constraints should be identified
• Simplify the model and objective function
• Simplify the model or break into manageable parts if necessary
• For instance nonlinear objective function and/or constraints can be
linearized
• Compute the optimum
• Choose optimization technique and calculate set of optimum points
• Perform sensitivity analysis
• Check the answers, and examine the sensitivity of the result to changes in
the coefficients in the problem and the assumptions.
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 Example
A chemical plant needs to process to types of crude A and B.
• At least 3 tons of crude must be processed.
• Crude A costs $20/ton to process whereas crude B cost
$30/ton to process. Processing cost must be kept to less than
$800 per day.
• Processed crude A yields 0.4 ton of gasoline per ton of crude
and crude B gives 0.5 ton of gasoline per ton of crude.
• The amount of crude B processed cannot be greater than
twice the crude A processed.
How many tons of crude of each type must be processed to
maximize the amount of gasoline produced
𝐴𝐴: Amount of crude A processed (tons/day)
𝐵𝐵: Amount of crude B processed (tons/day)

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The direction of the objective
function for this problem is to
92%

A. 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
B. 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

8%

A. B.

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The objective function for this
problem is
95%

A. 20𝐴𝐴 + 30𝐵𝐵
B. 0.4𝐴𝐴 + 0.5𝐵𝐵
C. 𝐴𝐴 + 𝐵𝐵
D. 2𝐴𝐴 − 𝐵𝐵

3% 0% 2%

A. B. C. D.

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The constraints for this problem are
Select all that apply
33%

27%
A. 20𝐴𝐴 + 30𝐵𝐵 ≤ 800
20%
B. 0.4𝐴𝐴 + 0.5𝐵𝐵 = 0
C. 𝐴𝐴 + 𝐵𝐵 ≤ 3
D. 𝐵𝐵 − 2𝐴𝐴 ≤ 0 11%

E. 𝐴𝐴 + 𝐵𝐵 ≥ 3
4% 4%
F. 2𝐴𝐴 + 𝐵𝐵 ≤ 3 2%

G. 0.4𝐴𝐴 + 0.5𝐵𝐵 > 0

A. B. C. D. E. F. G.

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 Example
A section of chemical plant makes two specialty products from raw
materials A and B in two separate processes. A and B are in limited
supply and need not be totally consumed.
Process 1: A + B  E
Process 2: A +2B  F
The processing cost includes cost of utilities and supplies. Labor and
other costs are $200/day for process 1 and 350$/day for process 2.
These costs occur even if there is no production of E and F.
Formulate: Objective function(Total Profit per day)
Raw Material Max Available (lb/day) Cost (¢/lb)
A 40,000 15
B 30,000 20
Process Product Reactant Processing Selling price Max
requirement Cost Production
lb react/lb prod lb/day
1 E 2/3 A , 1/3 B 15 ¢/lb E 40 ¢/lb E 30,000
2
1/31/2018 F 1/2 A, 1/2 B ENCH 442 5 ¢/lb F 33 ¢/lb F 30,000
16
Example
𝑥𝑥𝐴𝐴 : lb/day A consumed
𝑥𝑥𝐵𝐵 : lb/day B consumed
𝑥𝑥𝐸𝐸 : lb/day E produced
𝑥𝑥𝐹𝐹 : lb/day F produced

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