OPTIMAL DESIGN OF COMPLEX LIQUID-LIQUID MULTISTAGE EXTRACTORS
EXTRACTOR is used for the optimal design of multicomponent liquid-liquid extraction processes using multistage countercurrent extractor systems. The method used determines the optimum number of equililibrium stages and flow rates to obtain a specified product separation and recovery, and accounts for the possibility of side feed streams and product extractions.
Given a set of raffinate feed streams with known composition and specified separation of solutes in the product streams. The problem then, consists in determining the optimal number of stages, the feed stream locations, the solvent flow rate extract and the possibility of placing intermediate solvent streams; side feed product streams given a specified set of countercurrent extraction stages. The objective is to minimize the total annualized cost of equipment and utilities.
EXTRACTOR is based on the paper "Disjunctive Programming Models for the Optimal Design of Complex Liquid-Liquid Multistage Extractors", AICHE J. 47, 2243-2252 (2001) by J. A. Reyes-Labarta and I. Grossmann (2000); and has been developed by Gabriela Garcia under the supervision of Ignacio E.Grossmann .