An Integrated Simulation-based Process Control and Operation Planning (IS-PCOP) System for Marine Oily Wastewater Management

Abstract

An ideal combination of process control and operation planning can reduce system cost and maximize economic and environmental benefits. This research proposed an integrated simulation-based process control and operation planning (IS-PCOP) system by using neural networks, genetic algorithm, multistage principle, and Monte Carlo simulation. It could well link process control and operation planning by simultaneously adopting different time-scales in computation. The hourly process control strategy forwarded the results to the operation planning module where long-term arrangements could be further evaluated. The use of ANN modeling also played a key role in predicting the nonlinear behavior of complex processes. In addition, Monte Carlo simulation yielded a better insight on uncertainties, which may arise from a number of different sources. A case study on marine wastewater management was carried out to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach. Six different treatment standards (i.e., 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 μg L?1) were examined over a 20-day period and the 20 μg L?1 standard appeared to be the most economic option with a mean net cost of $18 per day. As compared to the traditional operation planning without process control, the integrated approach achieved more economically competitive results. By addressing the uncertainties and expressing the results in probability distributions, the decision makers would have more confidence in making decisions on both short- and long-term operations. It was concluded that the combination of process control and operation planning could help meet the economic objectives and ensure timely completion of the tasks.

Keywords: system planning, process control, marine wastewater treatment, uncertainties