Machine Learning Optimization of Chemical Processes

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Processes and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 1348

Special Issue Editor

College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
Interests: artificial intelligence; machine learning; computer assisted synthesis planning; chemical reaction optimization; continuous flow synthesis (flow chemistry); automated chemical synthesis
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The integration of machine learning techniques into chemical process optimization represents a transformative approach in the field of chemical engineering. As industries strive for efficiency, sustainability, and innovation, the application of machine learning offers unprecedented opportunities to enhance process design, control, and optimization.

This Special Issue on "Machine Learning Optimization of Chemical Processes" aims to gather cutting-edge research that explores the intersection of machine learning and chemical engineering. We invite submissions that demonstrate the application of machine learning algorithms to optimize chemical processes, improve process safety, and enhance product quality.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Machine learning models for process optimization;
  • Predictive maintenance and fault detection;
  • Data-driven process control strategies;
  • Process simulation and modeling using AI;
  • Sustainable process design through machine learning;
  • Real-time process monitoring and analytics;
  • Case studies on industrial applications of machine learning.

Dr. An Su
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • process optimization
  • process control
  • machine learning
  • models
  • fault detection

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 754 KiB  
Article
Transfer Learning for Thickener Control
by Samuel Arce Munoz and John D. Hedengren
Processes 2025, 13(1), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13010223 - 14 Jan 2025
Viewed by 588
Abstract
Thickener control is a key area of focus in the minerals processing industry, particularly due to its crucial role in water recovery, which is essential for sustainable resource management. The highly nonlinear nature of thickener dynamics presents significant challenges in modeling and optimization, [...] Read more.
Thickener control is a key area of focus in the minerals processing industry, particularly due to its crucial role in water recovery, which is essential for sustainable resource management. The highly nonlinear nature of thickener dynamics presents significant challenges in modeling and optimization, making it a strong candidate for advanced surrogate modeling techniques. However, traditional data-driven approaches often require extensive datasets, which are frequently unavailable, especially in new plants or unexplored operational domains. Developing data-driven models without enough data representative of the dynamics of the system could result in incorrect predictions and consequently, unstable response of the controller. This paper proposes the application of a methodology that leverages transfer learning to address these data limitations to enhance surrogate modeling and model predictive control (MPC) of thickeners. The performance of three approaches—a base model, a transfer learning model, and a physics-informed neural network (PINN)—are compared to demonstrate the effectiveness of transfer learning in improving control strategies under limited data conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Learning Optimization of Chemical Processes)
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