Computerized system for chemical production scheduling

摘要

A scheduling system for chemical processing provides an electronic computer that models the process as a set of tasks with known production ranges. A desired output from the process is back projected through the process to determine production quantities of each task of the process within the production ranges. These values are used to constrain a mixed integer programming evaluation of the schedule which may be used to control operation of the equipment.

主权项

1. A system for scheduling manufacturing production in a multistep process having a set of tasks that may receive upstream input materials to produce downstream output materials, the system comprising:
an electronic memory storing:
(a) a model of the multistep process, the model defining an interconnection of the tasks according to a downstream material flow from a front end to a back end and defining, for each task, predetermined achievable ranges of production of material by the task based on corresponding physical implementations of the tasks; and(b) a desired amount of output materials from the multistep process; an electronic computer communicating with the electronic memory to access the model and executing a stored program to:
(i) determine minimum productions μi for each task based on the physical implementations of the tasks;(ii) determine the attainable production {tilde over (μ)}i for each task based on the physical implementations of the tasks and a desired output; and(iii) use the attainable productions for each task to provide tightening constraints {circumflex over (μ)}i to a time-indexed MIP scheduling of the manufacturing production, the tightening constraints {circumflex over (μ)}i providing tighter MIP scheduling constraints than {tilde over (μ)}i and μi.