QUESTION 6 You work for a company that is looking to optimise the layout for a new chemical engineering plant. You know
Posted: Mon May 16, 2022 1:24 pm
QUESTION 6
You work for a company that is looking to optimise the layout
for a new chemical engineering plant. You know that the plant
will be constrained to a maximum size of 100m by 100m, with the
layout to be defined in 1m steps. Using the method of genetic
algorithms, describe the following elements of the approach:
(a) how to represent a solution to the problem that can be
manipulated by the usual genetic algorithm operators, given that
the plant will be made up of one of 7 processing elements in total
in different positions in the plant, with material flowing through
the plant in a linear fashion (i.e. starting at one unit and then
moving to unit 2, and then unit 3, and so on up to unit 7).
The processing elements are listed as one each of compressor, pump,
filter, separation unit, heat exchanger, storage tank, and
distillation tower. Your answer should include a discussion
on any issues that should be taken into account when creating new
solutions to the problem.
(b) Given the information in the table below, which describes
how power consumption and flow rate varies depending on the order
of the processing elements, show how solutions can be compared
against each other. You may want to use pseudocode to outline
how this will be implemented. Note that the comparison of one
solution against another will look to maximise flow rate and
minimise energy usage. (The first line below can be read as
“If a compressor is followed by a pump then flow rate increases by
5% and energy usage increases by 10% over other units unless stated
otherwise”)
Main Element
Second element
Relationship
Change in flow
Change in energy
Compressor
Pump
Followed by
+ 5%
+ 10%
Filter
Pump
Followed by
+ 5%
- 5%
Separation unit
Compressor
Followed by
- 5%
+ 10%
Heat exchanger
Compressor
Preceded by
- 10%
+ 10%
Pump
Distillation tower
Preceded by
- 5%
- 5%
Storage tank
Distillation tower
Preceded by
+ 10%
- 10%
You work for a company that is looking to optimise the layout
for a new chemical engineering plant. You know that the plant
will be constrained to a maximum size of 100m by 100m, with the
layout to be defined in 1m steps. Using the method of genetic
algorithms, describe the following elements of the approach:
(a) how to represent a solution to the problem that can be
manipulated by the usual genetic algorithm operators, given that
the plant will be made up of one of 7 processing elements in total
in different positions in the plant, with material flowing through
the plant in a linear fashion (i.e. starting at one unit and then
moving to unit 2, and then unit 3, and so on up to unit 7).
The processing elements are listed as one each of compressor, pump,
filter, separation unit, heat exchanger, storage tank, and
distillation tower. Your answer should include a discussion
on any issues that should be taken into account when creating new
solutions to the problem.
(b) Given the information in the table below, which describes
how power consumption and flow rate varies depending on the order
of the processing elements, show how solutions can be compared
against each other. You may want to use pseudocode to outline
how this will be implemented. Note that the comparison of one
solution against another will look to maximise flow rate and
minimise energy usage. (The first line below can be read as
“If a compressor is followed by a pump then flow rate increases by
5% and energy usage increases by 10% over other units unless stated
otherwise”)
Main Element
Second element
Relationship
Change in flow
Change in energy
Compressor
Pump
Followed by
+ 5%
+ 10%
Filter
Pump
Followed by
+ 5%
- 5%
Separation unit
Compressor
Followed by
- 5%
+ 10%
Heat exchanger
Compressor
Preceded by
- 10%
+ 10%
Pump
Distillation tower
Preceded by
- 5%
- 5%
Storage tank
Distillation tower
Preceded by
+ 10%
- 10%