Scheduling of energy flows for parallel batch processes using max-plus systems

A common approach to increase reliability and efficiency of manufacturing systems is optimal scheduling. In this paper, we consider scheduling problems for a specific type of systems where batch processes are running in parallel. The goal is to schedule the interaction between the parallel processes, in the form of energy flows, to minimize a desired objective. We make use of a max-plus approach in the formulation of the scheduling problem and use this formulation in the optimization subsequently. This framework has been used to formulate and optimize a case study for the production of calcium silicate stones.