A Rigorous Targeting to Minimize Resource Requirement in Batch Processes

Mathematically rigorous methodologies to target the minimum resource requirement for a batch process are proposed in this paper. The proposed methodologies guarantee the minimum resource requirement for single as well as cyclic batch operations. The methodologies are applicable to both semicontinuous and truly batch processes. Based on the rigorous mathematical arguments, it has been proved that, for a single batch operation, targeting through sequential transfer of waste from one time interval to the next time interval always leads to the overall minimum resource requirement. On the other hand, for a cyclic batch process all the time intervals may be collapsed as a single interval and the minimum resource requirement can be targeted directly. The proposed methodology is applicable to any fixed flow rate and fixed scheduled batch process involving a single quality. The applicability of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated through illustrative examples