Simulation and Optimisation

The subject “Simulation and Optimization”, of 4.5 ECTS, is included as a mandatory subject within the 4th Year of the Degree in Chemical Engineering, in order to provide students with the fundamentals and practical skills of mathematical modeling, simulation and optimization of chemical processes.
The objectives of this subject are structured in three clearly differentiated blocks:
1. Mathematical modeling of chemical equipment and processes.
2. Simulation of chemical processes in steady state using mathematical models or using a simulator.
3. Optimization of chemical process equipment by formulating optimization problems using linear and nonlinear optimization algorithms.

-Expository classes
Unit 1.- Principles of modeling (1 h)
Unit 2.- Introduction to process optimization (2 h)
Unit 3.- Optimization without constraints (3 h)
Unit 4.- Optimization with constraints. Linear and nonlinear programming (3 h)
Unit 5.- Network analysis (3 h)
Unit 6.- System structure. Simulation strategies (2 h)
Unit 7.- Modular strategy for the simulation of steady-state processes (3 h)
Unit 8.- Equation-oriented strategy for the simulation of steady-state processes (3 h)

-Seminar classes:
There will be 1 seminar associated with each Unit, with the exception of Unit 1.

-Practices in the Computer Room
A process simulator (Aspen HYSYS) will be used for the simulation and optimization of equipment and a chemical process.

Basic bibliography

HIMMELBLAU, D.M., BISCHOFF, K.B., Análisis y simulación de procesos. Editoral Reverté, 1976. ISBN: 84-291-7235-1 .Signature: 151.3
EDGAR, T.F., HIMMELBLAU, L.S., LASDON, L.S., Optimization of chemical processes. Ed. McGraw Hill, 2001. ISBN: 978-0070393592.

Complementary bibliography
PIKE, R.W., Optimization for engineering systems. Editorial Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1986. ISBN: 0-442-27581-1. Sinatura: 151.1-9
MAH, R.S.H., Chemical Process Structures and Information Flows. Editorial: Butterworth Publishers, 1990. ISBN: 0-409-90175-X. Sinatura 151-11
BIEGLER, L.T., GROSSMANN, A.W., WESTERBERG, A.W., Systematic methods of chemical process design. Ed. Prentice Hall, 1997. ISBN: 0-13-492422-3. Sinatura: 151 16
REKLAITIS, G.V., RAVINDRAN, A., RAGSDELL, K.M., Engineering Optimization, Ed. John Wiley and sons, 1983. ISBN: 0-471-05579-4. Sinatura: 151.1 6


A Virtual Classroom will be available to provide the appropriate documentation of the subject.

In this subject, the student will acquire or practice a series of basic, general and transversal competences, desirable in any university degree, and specific, typical of the particular degree. Within the table of competences that was designed for the degree, students must achieve the following competences:
BASIC AND GENERAL: CG3, CG4
TRANSVERSAL: CT1, CT4, CT6, CT8, CT13
SPECIFIC: CQ2, CQ4

This subject will be developed through different teaching and learning mechanisms, as indicated in the following sections:
- Lectures: Participatory lectures, which introduce and develop the basic concepts and problems related to the modeling, simulation and optimization of systems. The approximate time distribution and contents of each lecture are reflected in the “Contents” section.
- Interactive seminar classes: Problem seminars, with practical examples of the application of modeling and optimization of systems to chemical processes. There will be 7 seminars of 1 hour, each associated with Units between 2 and 8.
- Interactive laboratory sessions: Classes in the computer room, oriented to:
1. The application of systems simulation, using a chemical process simulator. Simulation of a chemical process with Aspen HYSYS. Optimization and sensitivity analysis (5 h)
2. The application of system optimization to the optimal design of chemical process equipment (5 h)
- Group tutorials: Problem solving, under the supervision of the teacher preferably in a spreadsheet (1 h)

Attendance at lectures, seminars and group tutorials is not mandatory, while practical sessions will be mandatory.

The virtual classroom of the subject on the USC Virtual Campus platform will be used as a teaching support tool. The student will also be able to attend individual tutorials with the professor to resolve doubts.

The competencies linked to the different types of training activities are:
-Lectures: CG3, CT1, CQ2
-Interactive seminar classes: CG4, CT1, CT6, CT13, CQ4
-Computer lab sessions: CG4, CT4, CT8, CT13, CQ4
-Group tutorials: CG4, CT6, CQ4

The student's overall grade will be based on the following assessment sections:
- Continuous assessment activities linked to lectures, seminars: two short tests and group tutoring: 15% of the overall grade. Non-mandatory assessable activities

- Computer lab (includes performance during the practices and a test at the end of the practices with the delivery of a simulation exercise): 20% of the overall grade. Mandatory assessable activity

- Final exam: 65% of the overall grade. Mandatory assessable activity and complementary to continuous assessment)

To pass the subject, a minimum overall grade of 5.0 will be required, as well as achieving at least 35% of the maximum possible grade in each of the assessment sections. In the event that the first requirement is met but not the second, the overall grade assigned to the student will be the result of considering only that section in which the established minimum was achieved.

The grades for the continuous assessment activities and computer lab will be communicated to the student before the exam. The partial grades achieved in these sections during the development of the face-to-face classes will be maintained for the second opportunity, in which the exam will again represent 65% of the overall grade.

Partial grades will not be saved between academic years.


In cases of fraudulent completion of exercises or tests, the provisions of the “Regulations for the evaluation of academic performance of two students and for the review of grades” will apply.

The skills assessed for each section are
Activities linked to exhibitions and seminars: CG3, CG4, CT1, CT6, CT13, CQ2, CQ4
Tutorials: CG3, CG4, CT1, CT6, CT13, CQ2, CQ4
Exam: CG3, CT1, CQ2, CQ2
Computer science classroom: CT4, CT8, CT13, CQ4

The subject has a workload of 4.5 ECTS, corresponding to 1 ECTS credit to 25 hours of total work, being the total theoretical number of 112.5 hours. Accordingly, the student's working hours should be distributed as follows:

TEACHING ACTIVITY Face-to-face hours Student self-work ECTS

Lectures 20 23
Seminars 7 10
Computer classroom 10 8
Group tutorial 1 4
Indiv. tutorial 1 2
Subtotal 39 47
Exam 4 22.5
Totales 43 69.5 4.5

Previous knowledge: Students who enroll in the subject must have previously completed the following subjects of the Degree in Chemical Engineering: Fluid Transport, Heat Transfer, Mass Transfer, Chemical Reactors, Process Engineering.

Previous skills: Use of software packages: Aspen HYSYS, MS-Excel, Matlab.

Language in which it is taught: Spanish