Optimization Strategy for Maximizing Production of Cyclohexanol

摘要

The main issue objective of this work is to implement an optimization strategy through a two-layer structure where the search for optimal operational variables is made through of the algorithms optimization -Successive quadratic programming -SQP. The considered process is based on the hydrogenation of phenol for production of cyclo-hexanol in the presence of a nickel catalyst. The objective function to be considered for the optimization is to maximize production of cyclo-hexanol, through a steady-state model while maintaining the conversion of phenol at the exit of the reactor under environmental constraints. Factorial design and response surface analysis in a simulation study of a three-phase catalytic slurry reactor is used to identify the impact that each variable has on the system as well as the interaction among then. An improvement of 5.5 percent in cyclo-hexanol conversion was observed for the optimized variables (Q_H = 259 kg/h, Q_(NI); = 53 kg/h).The resulted model for the response surface was used as a first objective function for the SQP optimization. The optimization results can be then used as set-point values to the advanced controller.