Optimum Water Network Design for Multipurpose Batch Plants with an Electrodialysis Central Regeneration Unit

This paper presents a mathematical formulation for the simultaneous optimization of the production schedule and utility consumption of a multipurpose batch plant. The amount of wastewater generated is minimized through the exploration of direct, indirect, and regeneration reuse opportunities within the plant. Water regeneration is achieved through partial purification of highly contaminated wastewater using electrodialysis (ED). A design model for the ED process is included in the formulation in order to minimize the amount energy consumed by the regenerator simultaneously with the amount of water used by batch operations. The resultant model was applied to a case study and proved to significantly decrease the freshwater usage by up to 41 %, hence increasing the overall plant profit.