Determination of storage tanks location for optimal short-term scheduling in multipurpose/multiproduct batch-continuous plants under uncertainties

A multipurpose/multiproduct plant has to deal with many combinations of tasks sequences and operation rates that lead to accumulation problems. These problems can be handled using storage tanks, but usually their location within the flowsheet is predetermined and not subject to optimization, missing the opportunity to better satisfy the customers. In this work we will determinate the optimal location of storage tanks for the short-term scheduling under uncertainty. A hybrid simulation-based optimization (SBO) strategy was developed and implemented to solve the problems combining stochastic and deterministic solution algorithms.