Optimization Approach to Identify Fair Solutions in the Synthesis of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen Symbiosis Networks

The concern about the proper use of mass and heat resources in the industry has led to adopt different alternatives for the operation and performance of the process systems. Schemes such as eco-industrial parks (EIPs) and sustainable cities have the purpose of enhancing the usage of the available resources through an exchange network where different resources are allocated among several industrial processes. Recently, the carbon–hydrogen–oxygen symbiosis networks (CHOSYNs) have been proposed as a special case of EIP, where the multiplant integration allows the exchange of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen compounds among hydrocarbon processing plants. Previous CHOSYN designs have been focused on determining the most suitable allocation of resources to satisfy the material requirements for each industrial plant and obtain the best economic result for the total integrated system. Notwithstanding, this result usually provides unfair solutions, where the biggest industries have the main economic advantages, leaving aside the profitability of the smallest industries. This paper evaluates distinct allocation schemes in the synthesis of CHOSYNs through an optimization approach to identify fair solutions to allocate the available resources. A mathematical formulation is presented for three different justice schemes to design the material exchange network: social welfare, Rawlsian justice, and Nash schemes. The addressed case study has been previously analyzed through the optimization of the total annual profit, which allows comparing the utilities of all of the plants when the allocation schemes are included.