Modified Penalty Function and Parameterization for Solving Least-Cost Treatment of Wastewater

This paper proposes a methodology consisting of modified penalty functions and proper parameterization for solving the least-cost treatment of wastewater. Basically, the penalty functions methods are used to handle constraints and can cause very ill-conditioning. With the proper penalty parameters, the ill-conditioned is overcome, a smoother optimization can be obtained, and convergence can be further improved. Once the modified penalty approach is employed, constraints are properly accounted for, and techniques for unconstrained global optimization can be utilized.