Research Interests

Professor Biegler's research projects are in the areas of design research and systems analysis. His research centers around the development and application of concepts in optimization theory, operations research, and numerical methods for process design, analysis, and control. Topics in this area include: 

Advanced algorithms for flowsheet simulation, optimization, and sensitivity analysis.
These include the development of methods using iterated linear programming and decomposition for nonlinear programming.

Development of large-scale nonlinear programming methods for optimization of systems of differential and algebraic equations.
Projects include analysis of stability and accuracy for approximate ODE solutions, algorithms for optimal control problems, process control, and methods for large-scale nonlinear programming.

Optimization methods for data-handling problems.
These include parameter estimation and data reconciliation problems for steady and dynamic problems.

Synthesis of reactor-based flowsheets through quantitative targets.
This approach combines optimization formulations with attainable region and pinch concepts.

Representative Publications

Waechter, A. and Biegler, Lorenz T. "Failure of global convergence for a class of interior point methods for nonlinear programming," Mathematical Programming, 88, 3, pp. 565-574 (2000). 

Rooney, W. C., and Biegler, L.T. "Nonlinear Confidence Regions for Design Under Uncertainty," AIChE J., 47, 8, p. 1794 (2001). 

Arora, N. and Biegler, L.T. "Redescending estimators for data reconciliation and parameter estimation," Computers and Chemical Engineering, 25, p. 1585 (2001). 

Lang, Y-D and Biegler, L.T. "A Distributed Stream Method for Tray Optimization," AIChE J., 48(3), pp. 582-595 (2002). 

Biegler, L. T., Cervantes A. and Waechter, A. "Advances in Simultaneous Strategies for Dynamic Process Optimization," Chemical Engineering Science, 57, pp. 575-593 (2002). 

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