Process optimization is the discipline of adjusting a process so as to optimize (make the best or most effective use of) some specified set of parameters without violating some constraint. The most common goals are minimizing cost and maximizing throughput and/or efficiency. This is one of the major
quantitative tools in industrial
decision making.
When
optimizing
Mathematical optimization (alternatively spelled ''optimisation'') or mathematical programming is the selection of a best element, with regard to some criterion, from some set of available alternatives. It is generally divided into two subfi ...
a process, the goal is to maximize one or more of the process specifications, while keeping all others within their constraints. This can be done by using a
process mining
Process mining is a family of techniques relating the fields of data science and process management to support the analysis of operational processes based on event logs. The goal of process mining is to turn event data into insights and actions. P ...
tool, discovering the critical activities and bottlenecks, and acting only on them.
Areas
Fundamentally, there are three parameters that can be adjusted to affect optimal performance. They are:
* Equipment optimization
The first step is to verify that the existing equipment is being used to its fullest advantage by examining operating data to identify equipment bottlenecks.
* Operating procedures
Operating procedures may vary widely from person-to-person or from shift-to-shift. Automation of the plant can help significantly. But automation will be of no help if the operators take control and run the plant in manual.
* Control optimization
In a typical processing plant, such as a
chemical plant or
oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, lique ...
, there are hundreds or even thousands of control loops. Each control loop is responsible for controlling one part of the process, such as maintaining a temperature, level, or flow.
If the
control loop
A control loop is the fundamental building block of industrial control systems. It consists of all the physical components and control functions necessary to automatically adjust the value of a measured process variable (PV) to equal the value of ...
is not properly designed and tuned, the process runs below its optimum. The process will be more expensive to operate, and equipment will wear out prematurely. For each control loop to run optimally, identification of sensor, valve, and tuning problems is important. It has been well documented that over 35% of control loops typically have problems.
The process of continuously monitoring and optimizing the entire plant is sometimes called performance supervision.
See also
*
Calculation of glass properties, optimization of several properties
*
Deficit irrigation to optimize water productivity
*
Process simulation
Process simulation is used for the design, development, analysis, and optimization of technical processes such as: chemical plants, chemical processes, environmental systems, power stations, complex manufacturing operations, biological processes, ...
*
Taguchi methods
External links
Reference TEXTBOOKS on Taguchi MethodsTORSCHE Scheduling Toolbox for Matlabis a freely available toolbox of scheduling and graph algorithms.
HillStormer, a Tool for constrained Optimization by Nelder & Mead in Industry and Research.
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Business process management
Mathematical optimization in business