Methods for Handling Withdrawal of Streams from a Linear Programming Model Developed from a Thermodynamically-Based Reference Tool

A method for withdrawing a stream from a linear programming model of a manufacturing facility, comprising:

• specifying one or more independent input variables and one or more key output variables within the linear programming model;
• identifying a stream within the model to be at least partially withdrawn;
• adding a stream to the model, wherein the added stream has identical thermodynamic conditions as the stream to be at least partially removed and wherein the added stream has one or more component rates;
• perturbing at least one of the component rates;
• solving the one or more key output variables in response to the perturbation of the component rates to create a derivative for the perturbed component rate;
• negating each derivative;
• specifying an amount of withdrawal for the identified stream;
• and
• determining resulting component rates of the stream to be at least partially withdrawn based on the specified amount of withdrawal and the negated derivatives to simulate an effect on the one or more key output variables.

A system for withdrawing a stream from a linear programming model, comprising:

• means for specifying one or more independent input variables and one or more key output variables within the linear programming model;
• means for identifying a stream within the model to be at least partially withdrawn;
• a means for adding a stream to the model, wherein the added stream has one or more component rates;
• means for perturbing at least one of the component rates;
• means for solving the one or more key output variables in response to the perturbation of the component rates to create a derivative for each perturbed component rate;
• means for negating each derivative;
• means for specifying an amount of withdrawal for the identified stream;
• means for determining resulting component rates of the stream to be at least partially withdrawn based on the specified amount of withdrawal;
• and
• means for determining effects on the one or more key output variables based on the component rates of the stream to be withdrawn and the negated derivatives.