A unified algorithm for flowsheet optimization

Abstract: "A flexible algorithm for flowsheet optimization is developed on the FLOWTRAN process simulator. The optimization strategy combines the feasible and infeasible path approaches as well as the simpler black box approaches. While the most efficient optimazation strategy is often problem dependent, this paper presents guidelines that show which strategy is more efficient for a given problem. Also embedded with the algorithm is a new Broyden strategy for efficiently converging even complex flowsheets, without combining a new Jacobian. This allows for strategies 'in-between' the infeasible and feasible path procedures. A ratio test based on the Kuhn-Tucker convergence test automatically and adaptively adjusts the optimization strategy.The implementation on FLOWTRAN is discussed in detail and a number of examples are run to illustrate the flexibility of the implementation as well as demonstrate the effectiveness of the adaptive optimization strategy."