Operations Research –

Optimisation of Production Systems

Course Type Compulsory after Selection
Semester VII
Field Energy & Construction Egnineering
Theory 2 hours/week
Practice Exercises 3 hours/week
Instructor Dr. Emilia Kondili

 

 

Aim of course

The aim of the Course is to provide the state of the art of operational research methods and tools in the optimal design and implementation of a wide range of sychronous problems. The usefulness of OR applies on the modellization of many managerial and/or technological decisions requiring an optimal decision (max or min) ed by contemporary techno-socio-economic applications.

For this purpose the fundemental decision making tools (LP, MILNP, NLP) are analysed, employed and solved with appropriate software applications (i.e. office SOLVER).

The outlline of the Course that follows provides an overall idea of the topics analysed:

 

BASIC CONCEPTS

  • Theoretical and practical issues in decision-making
  • The science and the art of modeling
  • From the real problem to the mathematical mode
  • Types of models

LINEAR PROGRAMMING

  • Introduction in linear programming (LP)
  • Identification of linear programming problems
  • The basic steps in developing LP models
  • Various examples and Exercises of LP problems
  • The solution of LP problems. The Simplex method, the graphical method and the use of LP software
  • LP examples from the field of Mechanical Engineering
  • Sensitivity analysis in LP
  • Case studies

INTEGER and MIXED INTEGER LINEAR PROGRAMMING

  • The necessity of using integer variables
  • The difficulty in solving Integer Programming problems
  • The role of binary variables in solving decision – making problems
  • Mixed integer linear programming, modeling and solution methods-
  • Case studies
  • Computational applications (EXCEL, LINDO)
  • General revision in mathematical programming

NETWORKS

  • The significance and the practical implications of Network Analysis
  • The Shortest Path Problem
  • The Spanning Tree Problem
  • The Maximal Flow Problem

 

ENERGY UTILISATION

  • The energy use in industry
  • Energy intensive industries
  • The concept of energy efficiency
  • The concept of optimisation
  • Case study: cement industry
  • The energy audit; Energy Management Systems
  • Pinch Method and Field of Applications

 

SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

  • Other important aspects and problems of Operations Research
  • Case Studies
  • General revision, Assignments Presentation