Simulation‐based optimisation of wastewater flow and composition for on‐site treatment in the food and beverage industry utilising reference nets in combination with genetic algorithms

Abstract This study introduces the concept of computer modelling and simulation of complex bioprocesses and systems using an approach that combines the reference net formalism with machine learning and optimisation techniques. Reference nets are an extension of high level Petri Nets, which can be used as a central visualisation and modelling tool. The net‐in‐net paradigm used by reference nets makes it possible to model complex processes, such as those found in the food and beverage industry. A plugin/interface system based on the java programming language allows implementation of advanced mathematical modelling techniques at specific points in entire system simulations. Separate optimisation tools can also run and modify existing reference net models for fast solutions to efficiency problems. We present an example system that simulates a specific section of a beer brewery using the reference net formalism, which is optimised using a genetic algorithm. We show in detail how the different software packages can be combined for a simulation based optimisation approach. The optimisation technique specifically addresses the wastewater pollution load in regard to its chemical oxygen demand. A beer brewery was chosen as an example for this study due to the constantly increasing requirements to lower energy and water consumption in this industry. One possibility to lower the energy and water demands is to effectively treat wastewater produced by the brewery, which can introduce cost savings by providing recycled water and biogas. Most approaches to wastewater treatment are end‐of‐pipe solutions that do not consider the brewery as a whole. A brewery contains many processes that can be running concurrently and interacting with one another (e.g. brewing, clean‐in‐place and bottling) with each process producing varying amounts of wastewater with different pollution loads. Optimisation of the scheduling of the different processes with respect to the wastewater production will allow for more effective wastewater treatment, and therefore cost and energy savings. (© 2014 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)