Batch Process Optimal Design by a Mixed-Integer Evolutionary Algorithm

The optimal design of the multiproduct batch processes is one of the most important decision-making problems in the manufacturing industry. This decision-making problem can be formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem. In this paper, we propose a mixed-integer evolutionary algorithm to deal with such an MINLP problem. The computational results demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm in solving the optimal design problem of the multiproduct batch processes.