Abstract
This paper presents a method for robust optimal design of chemical processes under parameter uncertainty. The robust optimal design problem is considered as a multiobjective optimization problem in which the expected cost, the economic robustness and the technical robustness are the three objectives. The number of economic robust alternatives could be obtained from the robust design model with its solution algorithms. A decision-making method is proposed to reduce the number of design alternatives and to decide the best-preferred design based on the technical robustness. Two approaches are proposed, which are different from each other in considering the priority of technical robustness in comparison with other objectives. As an application design problem, the wastewater reuse network design of plating process is addressed under uncertain waste input compositions to the cleaning and rinsing system. The application to the wastewater reuse network of plating process illustrates the efficacy of the proposed method for designing robust processes in both economic and technical aspects.
