Economic optimization of sustainable complex processes under uncertain cost parameters

Abstract

One of the major difficulties of the computer aided process optimization is that the cost parameters
determining the economic goal functions are not constant, but are uncertain variables themselves.
Accordingly, the minimal cost or maximal profit has to be calculated from widely varying specific
costs, prices, demand and supply. In the course of optimal process design, we have to choose the
possibly „best” solution from the alternative solutions of various structures and parameters. The
usual paradox situation is, that the technological data are better known than the economic
parameters. To solve this problem in the recently developed new solution all of the candidate
alternatives generated by the optimization tool, are tested with another algorithm which selects those
„good enough” solutions that are insensive for the uncertain economic data. The methodology will be
illustrated by the example of the economic optimization of sustainable recycling between agricultural
and food industrial processes.