Water and energy minimization in industrial processes through mathematical programming: A literature review

Water and energy are significant resources for industrial processes. While energy is the main source for the heating and cooling of water to be used in manufacturing processes, water is used to produce energy and as a cleaning agent in the production process, a pollution diluent or as part of the final product. This situation indicates that water and energy are intertwined in industrial processes and they should be considered simultaneously. Mathematical programming methods and pinch analysis are used for water and energy minimization in industrial processes. This paper depends on a comprehensive literature search of the databases of Google Scholar and the Web of Science for publications relating to water and energy minimization, heat integrated water network, and mathematical programming. This study presents a detailed overview on mathematical programming methods used in the literature regarding water network synthesis problems, their proposed approaches, and the improvements achieved through mathematical programming in sectoral case studies published from 2014 to 2019. In addition, heat integrated water network problems are examined according to isothermal and nonisothermal mixing. Several research gaps are also noted, with regards to the assumptions of the mathematical models, the sectoral applications of water network synthesis problems and sensitivity analysis of case studies. The paper ends with a critical analysis outlining the current situation and the need for future research for the integration of water and heat losses into the existing mathematical models. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Water and energy are closely interconnected in industrial processes and should be considered simultaneously. Mathematical programming methods and pinch analysis are used for water and energy minimization.