Optimisation and scheduling

To provide an in-depth understanding of the principles underlying various techniques of optimisation and scheduling, real-time or otherwise, and to develop a grasp of the issues involved in applying them in the process industry. 

• To appreciate the distinction between and essential characteristics of steady state optimisers and dynamic optimising controllers. 
• To develop a quantitative understanding of the principles of optimisation and scheduling. 
• To become familiar with a range of optimisation and scheduling techniques, such as the use of LP, QP and GA methods. 
• To appreciate how optimisers and schedulers handle objectives, physical and operational constraints. 
• To develop a feel for the realisation of optimisers and schedulers, both real-time and off-line, in an industrial context. 
• To appreciate the functionality of proprietary industrial optimisers and schedulers. 

This module is of one week's full-time intensive study consisting of a variety of lectures, informal tutorials for problem solving, structured computer-based laboratory work and demonstrations. The time allocation for practical work provides for Excel and/or Matlab based demonstrations and exercises designed to reinforce the taught materials.