Process control structure selection based on economic analysis and optimisation

Progress in the application of mixed-integer nonlinear programming techniques to the selection of process control system structure as well as to the simultaneous selection of process and control system structures is discussed. In order to apply an approach based on optimisation, it is necessary to choose an objective function to be maximised, identify variables selection of whose values determines the key decisions to be made, as well as constraints limiting the set of allowed decisions. Finally, it is necessary to devise suitable algorithms to solve the problem formulated. Each of these aspects is briefly considered, before examples illustrating the approach are presented