Global Optimization for the Synthesis of Integrated Water Systems with Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm*

The problem of optimal synthesis of an integrated water system is addressed in this study, where water using processes and water treatment operations are combined into a single network such that the total cost of fresh water and wastewater treatment is globally minimized. A superstructure that incorporates all feasible design alternatives for wastewater treatment, reuse and recycle, is synthesized with a non-linear programming model. An evolutionary approach—an improved particle swarm optimization is proposed for optimizing such systems. Two simple examples are presented to illustrate the global optimization of integrated water networks using the proposed algorithm.