Optimization of Process Flowsheets Through Metaheuristic Techniques

This textbook presents a general multi-objective optimization framework for optimizing chemical processes by implementing a link between process simulators and metaheuristic techniques. The proposed approach is general and shows how to implement links between different process simulators such as Aspen Plus®, HYSIS®, Super Pro Designer® linked to a variety of metaheuristic techniques implemented in Matlab®, Excel®, C++, and others, eliminating the numerical complications through the optimization process. Furthermore, the proposed framework allows the use of thermodynamic, design and constitutive equations implemented in the process simulator to implement any process.

Aimed at graduate and undergraduate students, it presents introductory chapters for process simulators and metaheuristic optimization techniques and provides several worked exercises as well as proposed exercises. In addition, accompanying tutorial videos clearly explaining the implemented methodologies are available online. Also, some Matlab® routines are included as electronic supporting material.

- Prof. Dr. Jose Maria Ponce-Ortega got his Ph.D. and Master degrees in Chemical Engineering at the Institute of Technology of Celaya, Mexico, in 2009 and 2003, respectively. He stayed as a postdoctoral researcher at Texas A&M University and also as visiting scholar in Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Ponce-Ortega is currently full professor at the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo, Mexico, and he is member of the National Research System of Mexico. The main research interests of Dr. Ponce-Ortega are optimization of chemical processes, sustainable design, energy, mass, water and property integration and supply chain optimization. Dr. Ponce-Ortega has published more than 180 papers, 1 book and 46 book chapters.

- Luis German Hernandez-Perez got his Master and Bachelor degrees in Chemical Engineering at Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo, Mexico. His current research project as a Ph.D. student involves the use of metaheuristic techniques linked with process simulators for optimization chemical processes.