A survey on applications of optimization-based integrating process design and control for chemical processes

Process design and control are closely related to each other in chemical engineering activities. Traditionally, process design and control system design are carried out in sequence. However, the integration of process design and control (IPDC) can bring greater economic benefits and process dynamic performance than traditional sequential design methods. This is true, particularly for modern chemical processes, in which various process units become more interacting and compact owing to the widespread use of heat integration and recycled streams, and the resulted impacts between process design and control begin to significantly influence both the capital and operational costs. Recently, considerable studies about the IPDC for chemical processes have been reported in published literature. The purpose of the paper is to survey the applications of optimization-based integrating process design and control for chemical processes. Firstly, attention has been focused on the applications of IPDC to different process units, for example, chemical reactors and separation columns. Then, the survey is extended to the applications of IPDC to plant-wide chemical processes. Finally, the future research challenges in the application of IPDC to chemical processes have been briefly discussed.