Conceptual Design and Optimisation of Chemical Processes under Uncertainty by Two-Stage Programming

This contribution presents the application of a memetic algorithm for two-stage stochastic optimisation to early stage process design problems where there is significant parameter uncertainty. The two-stage approach is based on the decomposition of design parameters and operational degrees of freedom. The method is implemented in a tool that supports the hierarchical modelling and optimisation of superstructures using an evolutionary algorithm coupled with the nonlinear solver IPOPT.