Model-based investment planning model for stepwise capacity expansions of chemical plants

摘要

In this contribution a novel investment planning model for the development of stepwise capacity expansion strategies for chemical plants is proposed. This method is implemented in a decision support tool that can be used during the early stage of plant engineering - a phase which is concerned with the conversion of a chemical process into a highly profitable plant. Based on a previous work by Oldenburg et al. [1], who proposed a method for a quick economic comparison of possible stepwise plant expansion scenarios versus building a full capacity plant, the approach presented in this paper is capable of identifying the optimal process-specific investment strategy on the level of unit operations. A mixed-integer linear programming model dedicated for stepwise capacity expansion strategies for chemical process plants forms the core of the tool.