Environmental integrated production planning for the ammonia synthesis

Abstract The efficient operation of existing plants in the process industries requires an adjustment of the technical parameters with respect to changing economic or environmental constraints. In this work a model is presented that enlarges the well known linear optimisation models for joint production planning problems, that are typical for the process industries, by integrating byproducts and residues as well as emission taxes. With respect to the technical implications of a real world process the model is based on thermodynamic equilibria calculations and therefore formulated as a nonlinear optimisation model. The model is implemented with the help of the process simulation system ASPEN PLUS and applied as an example to a real world ammonia synthesis plant.