A method is proposed for plantwide process design and optimization that solves the column sequencing and stacking problems while also accounting for the tradeoff between reactor system design and separation system design. The plantwide process is represented by two flowsheets in a process simulator. One flowsheet represents the reactor network and the other flowsheet contains a single distillation column which is used to optimize each column in every sequence. When reactor design variables are specified, the reactor effluent flowrate and composition can be determined by simulating the reactor network flowsheet. Since the outlet from the reactor network is the feed to the separation system, the optimal separation system for this feed can then be designed. Finally, by looping over reactor design variables, a nearly-optimal plantwide process design can be determined. This permits plantwide optimization accounting for tradeoffs between the reactor section and separation section of a process while using rigorous modeling of both parts of the flowsheet. The rigorous models can still be constructed rapidly using commercial process simulation software. The method is illustrated with two case studies: the butane alkylation process and the cumene process.

提出了一种用于全厂范围的过程设计和优化的方法，该方法解决了色谱柱排序和堆垛问题，同时还考虑了反应器系统设计与分离系统设计之间的权衡。工厂范围内的过程由过程模拟器中的两个流程图表示。一个流程图表示反应器网络，另一个流程图包含一个蒸馏塔，该蒸馏塔用于优化每个序列中的每个塔。如果指定了反应堆设计变量，则可以通过模拟反应堆网络流程图来确定反应堆流出物的流量和组成。由于反应器网络的出口是分离系统的进料，因此可以设计该进料的最佳分离系统。最后，通过遍历反应堆设计变量，可以确定几乎最佳的全厂工艺设计。这允许在工厂范围内进行优化，以考虑到流程的反应器部分和分离部分之间的折衷，同时对流程图的两个部分进行严格的建模。仍然可以使用商业过程仿真软件快速构建严格的模型。通过两个案例研究说明了该方法：丁烷烷基化工艺和枯烯工艺。