An alternative method for chemical process synthesis using a block‐based superstructure representation is proposed. The block‐based superstructure is a collection of blocks arranged in a two‐dimensional grid. The assignment of different equipment on blocks and the determination of their connectivity are performed using a mixed‐integer nonlinear formulation for automated flowsheet generation and optimization‐based process synthesis. Based on the special structure of the block representation, an efficient strategy is proposed to generate and successively refine feasible and optimized process flowsheets. Our approach is demonstrated using two process synthesis case studies adapted from the literature and one new process synthesis problem for methanol production from biogas © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 3082–3100, 2018

中文翻译：

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使用自动生成和优化流程的块上层结构进行过程综合

提出了一种使用基于块的上层结构表示的化学过程合成的替代方法。基于块的上层结构是排列在二维网格中的块的集合。使用混合整数非线性公式进行块上不同设备的分配及其连通性的确定，以自动生成流程图和基于优化的过程综合。基于块表示的特殊结构，提出了一种有效的策略来生成并逐步完善可行和优化的工艺流程图。我们的方法通过两个根据文献改编的过程合成案例研究和一个针对沼气生产甲醇的新过程合成问题进行了证明©2018美国化学工程师学会AIChE J，64：3082–3100，2018