Honors Theses

Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Chemical Engineering

First Advisor

Adam Smith

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

Chemical process optimization is a daunting task. The purpose of this work is to summarize and organize successful approaches which may be employed by the chemical process engineer when confronted with optimization problems. In general, optimization is making any process better; common goals are to increase the efficiency or maximize the economic potential of a process. The improvements made to a process during optimization are generally measured in terms of an objective function. Since the purpose of any industrial chemical process is to be profitable, objective functions most often have units of dollars. The objective function is dependent upon changes in decision variables, those variables over which the engineer has control. The two most common approaches to optimization of a chemical process, although generally employed simultaneously, are topological and parametric. The topological approach is concerned with the physical layout of the plant. Parametric optimization involves manipulating process variables, such as the temperatures and pressures of certain unit operations. The goals of each approach are the same: maximize the profitability of a process within the given constraints. All process optimization problems start from a base case. The base case can be a simple flow-sheet, a detailed design, or most commonly, a process that is already in operation and needs improvement. The information presented in this work is not intended for the professional in the field, but rather, for a general audience seeking to organize their thoughts regarding chemical process optimization and to provide a basis from which to confront process optimization problems.

Accessibility Status

Searchable text

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.