Speeding the design of bioseparations:: A heuristic approach to engineering design

A variety of economic and social pressures require lowering the costs of equipment and process development, and particular emphasis must be placed on speeding what is basically a heuristic activity. The early stages of conceptualization and screening of alternatives are the most critical, and it is precisely these which have largely been ignored in the public literature and academic curricula. Such early decisions must be made without detailed understanding, and they are essentially evolutionary activities (Lightfoot, E. N. Chem. Eng. Frog. 1998, Jan, 67-74). Evolution dynamics are notoriously unpredictable, and yet observation of biological evolution shows that they can be both surprisingly fast and efficient. Here methods are suggested for achieving high efficiency for equipment-and process development. A critical feature of evolutionary dynamics is the need to identify system anomalies, and these can only be discussed effectively through use of specific examples. Here examples will be taken from the general area of separations processes, with particular emphasis on biological separations.