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CHAPTER 12

Simulation, Control, and

Optimization of Water Systems

in Industrial Plants

Jijnasa Panigrahi , Sharad C. Sharma

Helium Consulting Private Limited, Pune, India
Corresponding Author: jijnasa.panigrahi@heliumconsulting.com

12.1 INTRODUCTION

Water is a necessary resource to sustain life on this planet. We are blessed to
have 70% of our planet covered with this resource. However, at the same
time, we are not so fortunate because only 3% of this is available as fresh
water for human activity, in the household, agriculture, and industry.
In the process industries, we use water as fresh water, recycled water, as a
solvent extraction agent, for washing operations, for steam generation, and for
other process uses. This results in large quantities of wastewater, which is also
contaminated and therefore difficult to dispose of without causing environ-
mental damage. Thus, it is necessary to look at ways to both reduce consump-
tion of fresh water and minimize discharge—with the ultimate aim of zero
discharge—while minimizing the capital and operating costs of doing so. This
can be done through a better understanding of the ways in which water is used
throughout an industrial complex and finding innovative ways to reduce,
reuse, recycle, and treat the water to improve water efficiency.
Hence in light of the above, it is imperative that:
• Water in the process industry is recycled.
• Various industries try to achieve zero discharge policies.
• Engineering initiatives to find water savings potential within existing setups
are exploited.
• Advanced systems and software techniques available today are deployed to
achieve water savings in the areas listed above.
There are different methods for water reuse, recycling, and regeneration in
the industrial sector. However, we shall focus on advanced system and soft-
ware techniques that serve as an important tool in solving the above issues.
This chapter will discuss two software techniques, mathematical modeling

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