Flexibility Analysis in Flowsheet Simulation of Solids Processes

This paper proposes a method for the flexibility analysis in flowsheet simulation of solid processes. It provides the evaluation of a process with varying independent variables in terms of acceptance regarding the process demands. The existence of control variables for the operation of the process is considered as well as processes without this potential. The result is a plain information about the capability of the process to handle varying independent influencing variables. The method gives an approximation of the largest inscribed block-shaped volume within the solution space, spanned by the vector of the independent variables. So that for each variable, a range is given for which an allowed operating point can be achieved. The method is applied to a soil-washing process as an important example in the field of solids processes.