Indian Journal of Industrial and Applied Mathematics

  • Year: 2020
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue: 1

Feasibility for Network Flows with Blending Constraints: Application to Lithium Mining

  • Author:
  • Paul Bosch1,, Andres Soto-Bubert2, Roberto Acevedo3
  • Total Page Count: 19
  • Published Online: Oct 31, 2020
  • Page Number: 12 to 30

1Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad del Desarrollo, Ave. Plaza, 680, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile

2Facultad de Ingeniería y Tecnologia, Universidad de San Sebastian, Ave. Bellavista, Recoleta, Santiago, Chile. andres.soto@uss.cl

3Facultad de Ingeniería y Tecnologia, Universidad de San Sebastian, Ave. Bellavista, Recoleta, Santiago, Chile. roberto.acevedo.llanos@gmail.com

Abstract

In this study we present a blending model of chemical solutions over a network of interconnected pipes and pumps. The main objective of the model is to achieve quality requirements on the network's output. The traditional way of modelling this problem considers flow and quality variables, under the new proposed model the focus is on feasibility, the problem is transformed into a non-convex network flow problem. The model has been numerically implemented and tested, the results confirm the adequacy of the modelling approach to provide solutions to the problem.

Subclass: 05C21; 49M37 90C35

Keywords

Blending model, Network flow problem, Feasibility solutions