| dc.description.abstract | A hierarchical procedure is developed to determine maximum overall yield of a process
and optimize process changes to achieve such a yield. First, a targeting procedure is
developed to identify an upper bound of the overall yield ahead of detailed design.
Several mass integration strategies are proposed to attain maximum yield. These
strategies include rerouting of raw materials, optimization of reaction yield, rerouting of
product from undesirable outlets to desirable outlets, and recycling of unreacted raw
materials. Path equations are tailored to provide the appropriate level of detail for
modeling process performance as a function of the optimization variables pertaining to
design and operating variables. Interval analysis is used as an inclusion technique that
provides rigorous bounds regardless of the process nonlinearities and without
enumeration. Then, a new approach for identification of cost-effective implementation of
maximum attainable targets for yield is presented. In this approach, a mathematical
program was developed to identify the maximum feasible yield using a combination of
iterative additions of constraints and problem reformulation. Next, cost objectives were
employed to identify a cost-effective solution with the details of design and operating
variables. Constraint convexification was used to improve the quality of the solution towards globability. A trade-off procedure between the saving and expenses for yield
maximization problem is presented. The proposed procedure is systematic, rigorous, and
computationally efficient. A case study was solved to demonstrate the applicability and
usefulness of the developed procedure. | en |
