Integrated Modeling of Transfer Learning and Intelligent Heuristic Optimization for Steam Cracking Process.

The construction and expansion of steam cracking plants and feedstock diversification have resulted in a significant demand for the numerical simulation and optimization of models to achieve molecular refining and intelligent manufacturing. However, the existing models cannot be widely applied in industrial practice because of the high computational expense, time-consumption, and data size requirements. In this paper, a high-performance optimization process, which integrates transfer learning and a heuristic algorithm, is proposed for the optimization of furnaces for various feedstocks. An effective transfer learning structure, based on motif feature of the reaction network, is designed and subsequent product distribution prediction program is compiled. Then a hybrid genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization method is applied for the coil outlet temperature (COT) curve optimization using the derived prediction model, and the results are obtained for different pricing policies of products. The results are determined based on the weight coefficients of prices for different products, and could be further explained by the yield distribution pattern and reaction mechanism.
Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest.