Approximation Algorithms for Process Systems Engineering

TL;DR

This paper surveys the application of approximation algorithms to complex, NP-hard problems in process systems engineering, highlighting current results, open questions, and future research directions for improved optimization solutions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of approximation algorithms applied to process systems engineering, identifying gaps and proposing new research avenues.

Findings

Survey of approximation algorithms for pooling, process scheduling, and heat exchanger network synthesis.

Identification of open questions and challenges in applying approximation algorithms to process engineering.

Discussion of applications including modeling, problem classification, and handling uncertainty.

Abstract

Designing and analyzing algorithms with provable performance guarantees enables efficient optimization problem solving in different application domains, e.g.\ communication networks, transportation, economics, and manufacturing. Despite the significant contributions of approximation algorithms in engineering, only limited and isolated works contribute from this perspective in process systems engineering. The current paper discusses three representative, NP-hard problems in process systems engineering: (i) pooling, (ii) process scheduling, and (iii) heat exchanger network synthesis. We survey relevant results and raise major open questions. Further, we present approximation algorithms applications which are relevant to process systems engineering: (i) better mathematical modeling, (ii) problem classification, (iii) designing solution methods, and (iv) dealing with uncertainty. This paper aims to motivate further research at the intersection of approximation algorithms and process systems engineering.