Process flowsheet superstructures: Structural multiplicity and redundancy: Part I: Basic GDP and MINLP representations

Structural multiplicity has a significant effect on the solution of an MINLP model for process synthesis problems. The optimization model may also have built-in redundancy that cannot always be directly derived from the multiplicity of the superstructure. A basic GDP representation (BGR) involving logical relations is defined, and can be constructed by applying a standard natural representation of the process. Basic MINLP representation (BMR) is defined by transforming the logical relations to algebraic ones. MINLP representation (MR) is defined through a fixed form of BMR. Equivalency and representativeness of MR-s in general form can be a