Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Combinatorial process and plant design for agile manufacture

  • Original paper
  • Published:
Research in Engineering Design Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The concept of combinatorial process, equipment and plant design is introduced and developed for the specific examples of fluid separations and crystallisation. It is shown that traditional methods of process design may miss options that are identified using the combinatorial approach. New options may lead to novel types of processes and equipment. Application of this methodology is suggested in terms of scanning the multi-dimensional space describing the process, equipment and plant attributes. The new approach is particularly appropriate for the design of agile plants for families of products and where decisions have to be made as how best to re-configure an existing facility to manufacture a new product.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Biegler LT, Grossmann IE, Westerberg AW (1997) Systematic methods of chemical process design. Prentice Hall PTR, Upper Saddle River

    Google Scholar 

  • Burgess TF, Hwarng HB, Shaw NE, de Mattos C (2002) Enhancing value stream agility: the case of the UK speciality chemical industry. Eur Manage J 20:197–210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark G, Rossiter D, Chung PWH (2000) Intelligent modelling interface for dynamic process simulators. Trans. IChemE Part A 78:823–839

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Douglas JM (1988) Conceptual design of chemical processes. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Edgar TF (2000) Process information: achieving a unified view. Chem Eng Prog 96:51–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Engstrom JR, Weinberg WH (2000) Combinatorial materials science: paradigm shift in materials discovery and optimisation. AIChE J 46:2–5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Epperly TGW, Ierapetritou MG, Pistikopoulos EN (1997) On the global and efficient solution of stochastic batch plant design problems. Comput Chem Eng 21:1411–1431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Floudas CA (1995) Nonlinear and mixed-integer optimization. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Gordom EM, Kerwin GF (1998) Combinatorial chemistry and molecular diversity in drug discovery. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Groenendijk AJ, Dimian AC, Iedema PD (2000) Systems approach for evaluating dynamics and plantwide control of complex plants. AIChE J 46:133–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hendershot DC (2000) Process minimization: making plants safer. Chem Eng Prog 96:35–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Katzschmann E, Imhausen and Co. (1956) Ger. Patent 949,564

  • Kelkar VV, Ng MKa (2000) Screening multiphase reactors for nonisothermal multiple reactions. AIChE J 46:389–406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kenig EY, Schneider R, Gorak A (2001) Reactive absorption: optimal process design via optimal modelling. Chem Eng Sci 56:343–350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim K-J, Diwekar UM (2002) Efficient combinatorial optimization under uncertainty. 2. Application to stochastic solvent selection. Ind Eng Chem Res 41:1285–1296

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linnhoff B, Townsend DW, Boland D, Hewitt GF, Thomas BEA, Guy AR, Marsland RH (1985) User guide on process integration for the efficient use of energy. The Institution of Chemical Engineers, Rugby

    Google Scholar 

  • Maranas CD (1996) Optimal computer-aided molecular design: a polymer design case study. Ind Eng Chem Res 35:3408–3414

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mecklenburgh JC (ed) (1985) Process plant layout. George Godwin, London

  • Mullin JW (1993) Crystallization. Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Neumann AM (2001) Characterising industrial crystallisers of different scale and type. PhD Thesis, University of Delft

  • Ovchinnikov VI, Nazimok VF, Simonova TA (1982) Production of terephthalic acid and its dimethyl ester. Himia, Moscow (in Russian)

  • Pekny JF (2002) Algorithm architectures to support large-scale process systems engineering applications involving combinatorics, uncertainty and risk management. Comput Chem Eng 26:239–267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pisano GP (1997) The development factory: unlocking the potential of process innovation. Harvard Business School, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Rose JC, Wells GL, Yeats BH (1978) A guide to project procedure. The Institution of Chemical Engineers, Rugby

  • Rothwell T (2000) Process design in the real world. The Chemical Engineer, 14th December

  • Rudd DF, Watson CC (1968) Strategy of process engineering. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudd DF, Powers GJ, Siirola JJ (1973) Process synthesis. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer E, Stepanski M, Fiedler K (2002) Improved DMT process. Hydrocarbon Eng November: 64–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Shah N, Pantelides CC (1996) Design of multipurpose batch plants with uncertain production requirements. Ind. Eng. Chem Res 31:1325–1337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw NE, Burgess TF, Hwarng HB, de Mattos C (2001) Revitalising new process development in the UK fine chemicals industry. Int J Oper Prod Manage 21:1133–1151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sinnott RK (1993) Coulson and Richardson’s chemical engineering. Chemical engineering design, vol 6. Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford

  • Smith R (1995) Chemical process design. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Stankiewicz AI, Moulijn JA (2000) Process intensification: transforming chemical engineering. Chem Eng Prog 96:22–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Subrahmanyan S, Bassett MH, Pekny JF, Reklaitis GV (1995) Issues in solving large scale planning, design and scheduling problems in batch chemical plants. Comput Chem Eng 19:S577–S582

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Subrahmanyan S, Pekny JF, Reklaitis GV (1996) Decomposition approaches to batch plant design and planning. Ind Eng Chem Res 35:1866–1876

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuchlenski A, Beckmann A, Reusch D, Dussel R, Weidlich U, Janowsky R (2001) Reactive distillation—industrial application, process design and scale-up. Chem Eng Sci 56:387–394

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verwater-Lukszo Z, Otten G (1994) A novel model-based approach to optimization and control design of batch processes. J Proc Cont 4:291–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vilbrandt FC, Dryden CE (1959) Chemical engineering plant design. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Vora N, Daoutidis P (2001) Dynamics and control of an ethyl acetate reactive distillation column. Ind Eng Chem Res 40:833–849

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wells W (1999) Combinatorial chemistry, access excellence, see http://www.accessexcellence.org/AB/BA/combichem

  • Wilson SR, Czarnik AW (1997) Combinatorial chemistry: synthesis and application. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Zentner MG, Pekny JF, Reklaitis GV, Gupta JND (1994) Practical considerations in using model-based optimization for the scheduling and planning of batch/semicontinuous processes. J Proc Cont 4:259–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Leeds Institute of Particle Science and Engineering, School of Process, Environmental and Materials Engineering, The University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    A. Borissova, M. Fairweather & G. E. Goltz

Authors
  1. A. Borissova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Fairweather
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. E. Goltz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Fairweather.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Borissova, A., Fairweather, M. & Goltz, G.E. Combinatorial process and plant design for agile manufacture. Res Eng Design 17, 1–12 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00163-006-0013-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00163-006-0013-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation