| Article ID: | iaor1994481 |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Volume: | 21 |
| Issue: | 3 |
| Start Page Number: | 165 |
| End Page Number: | 174 |
| Publication Date: | Aug 1993 |
| Journal: | Engineering Optimization |
| Authors: | Duffuaa S.O., Budair M.O. |
| Keywords: | optimization, scheduling, engineering |
An optimization model is developed for determining optimal schedules for scale removal from heat exchange equipment. The schedules are obtained via minimizing the total cost per unit time over the life of the heat exchange equipment. The total cost consists of the cost of excess energy needed due to scale build up, the cost of shut-down and the cost of scale removal. A simple algorithm is proposed to obtain the schedules. This model is applied to a local desalination plant in Saudi Arabia. The obtained schedules result in up to 58.73% savings.