Multiperiod refinery optimization for mitigating the impact of process unit shutdowns

Process unit shutdowns, whether planned or unplanned, disrupt the normal operation of process plants. The negative impact of such disruptions can often be mitigated by the strategic use of material inventories, coupled with redistribution of material flows. In this paper, an optimization framework is proposed for a multiperiod refinery planning model in which a system of inventory tanks is used to mitigate the impact of process unit shutdowns. …