Constraint Programming as an Approach for Structural Flowsheet Synthesis

The paper presents the initial stages of the development of an information technology of the structural synthesis of multi-stage technological schemes, which is based on a constraint satisfaction theory. In contrast to the well known approaches used in solution of structural synthesis problems, the methods and heuristics developed in the constraint satisfaction theory allow formal specifying and joint processing of heterogeneous constraints on combined elements under the target object formation. The technology is developed on the example of mineral processing. In so doing, use is made of the principle of stage-by-stage generation of the flowsheet, taking the efficiency criteria, both technological and economical, into account. The paper gives the characterization of the initial data representation and considers some examples of constraints induced by the specific nature of the subject domain itself.