Improved heuristic algorithm for selection of tear streams and precedence ordering in process flowsheeting computations

• Main Authors: Kristian M. Lien, Terje Hertzberg
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Norwegian Society of Automatic Control 1990-01-01
• Series: Modeling, Identification and Control
• Subjects: Tearing; decomposition; precedence ordering
• Online Access: http://www.mic-journal.no/PDF/1990/MIC-1990-1-2.pdf

This paper presents a new algorithm based on the heuristic tearing algorithm by Gundersen and Hertzberg (1983). The basic idea in both the original and the proposed algorithm is sequential tearing of strong components which have been identified by an algorithm proposed by Targan (1972). The new algorithm has two alternative options for selection of tear streams, and alternative precedence orderings may be generated for the selected set of tear streams. The algorithm has been tested on several problems. It has identified minimal (optimal) tear sets for all of them, including the four problems presented in Gundersen and Hertzberg (1983) where the original algorithm could not find a minimal tear set. A Lisp implementation of the algorithm is described, and example problems arc presented.