Modeling Formulation and Solution Approach for a Continuous Process Problem

Production planning of continuous systems is less covered in the process industry literature relative to their batch counterparts. This work presents a modeling formulation and a corresponding solution approach for a real-world optimization problem, where bulk chemicals are produced via a completely continuous non-intermittent process. It also provides relevant analysis with respect to model properties and solution times as well as potential economic benefits of applying the proposed methodology in practice.