A Novel Close-loop Strategy for Integrating Process Operations of Fluidized Catalytic Cracking Unit with Production Planning Optimization

Abstract Production planning models generated by common modeling systems do not involve constraints for process operations, and a solution optimized by these models is called a quasi-optimal plan. The quasi-optimal plan cannot be executed in practice some time for no corresponding operating conditions. In order to determine a practically feasible optimal plan and corresponding operating conditions of fluidized catalytic cracking unit (FCCU), a novel close-loop integrated strategy, including determination of a quasi-optimal plan, search of operating conditions of FCCU and revision of the production planning model, was proposed in this article. In the strategy, a generalized genetic algorithm (GA) coupled with a sequential process simulator of FCCU was applied to search operating conditions implementing the quasi-optimal plan of FCCU and output the optimal individual in the GA search as a final genetic individual. When no corresponding operating conditions were found, the final genetic individual based correction (FGIC) method was presented to revise the production planning model, and then a new quasi-optimal production plan was determined. The above steps were repeated until a practically feasible optimal plan and corresponding operating conditions of FCCU were obtained. The close-loop integrated strategy was validated by two cases, and it was indicated that the strategy was efficient in determining a practically executed optimal plan and corresponding operating conditions of FCCU.