OPTIMAL DESIGN OF AN ABSORBER-STRIPPER SYSTEM - APPLICATION OF COMPLEX METHOD

The absorber-stripper system, which has a complicated structure with recycle of absorbent as well as recovery of heat, has been successfully optimized by the Complex method developed by Box. The system contains five independent design variables which have to be decided so as to minimize some objective function, like production cost, under various constraints. Like other optimal seeking methods, the Complex method requires several trials by varying initial conditions for checking that the result is the global minimum, rather than a local one, but this does not lessen its applicability to the optimal design of process systems. © 1969, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.