Optimal Design and Layout of Industrial Facilities:  An Application to Multipurpose Batch Plants

A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) formulation for the optimal design and layout of generic industrial facilities was proposed in part I of this work (see preceding paper). The applicability of the model is explored in this paper, through a study of the simultaneous design and layout of a batch multipurpose plants. Using as a basis the design model proposed by Barbosa-Póvoa and Macchietto (Comput. Chem. Eng. 1994, 18, 1013−1042), detailed design and layout aspects are studied in a single-level model. The resulting model determines simultaneously the optimal plant topology and layout over a two-dimensional space. In addition, the optimal plant operating conditions, such as schedule and resources consumption and production, are also obtained. Again, the problem is formulated as a mixed integer linear problem (MILP) in which binary variables are introduced to characterize operational and topological choices. The applicability of the proposed model is demonstrated through the solution of a set of representative examples.