A Multiobjective Optimization Approach for the Simultaneous Single Line Scheduling and Control of CSTRs

A new multiobjective optimization formulation dealing with simultaneous scheduling and control issues in single line processing systems is proposed. Objective functions featuring economic profit and dynamic performance are considered because normally they are in conflict. Because integer, continuous variables and process dynamic behavior are involved, the bicriterion optimization problem is cast in terms of a mixed-integer dynamic optimization (MIDO) problem. The Pareto front of each problem is computed using the ε-constraint method for handling multiobjective problems. The results indicate that improved optimal solutions can be obtained by using multiobjective optimization techniques instead of just simple merging of all the target objective functions into a single objective. The proposed multiobjective approach for handling scheduling and control problems is illustrated using three CSTR examples of varying nonlinear behavior.