Production Scheduler is a state-of-the-art scheduler and schedule optimization solution for the continuous process industries that can be applied to oil refining, smelting, and other processes. The solution allows users to effectively react to timing of raw material arrivals; insert and account for maintenance events; determine which tanks and process units should be used; and optimize production schedule parameters to meet logistics, quantity and quality constraints. 

Production Scheduler provides significant improvements in the quality of the schedule solution over traditional systems by extensively using Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) capabilities. This allows the solution to find the best feasible schedule based on logistics and quality—making Production Scheduler a best-in-class scheduling tool.

Production Scheduler supports improved target setting of the key
planning proxy constraints

Production Scheduler for Refining is designed specifically to meet the complex demands faced by today’s refiners. Taking refiners to the next level of scheduling innovation, Production Scheduler for Refining addresses the need for a refinery-wide scheduling and schedule optimization solution. Using advanced proprietary scheduling and optimization technologies, the solution is designed to handle the full range of scheduling and blending activities, including:

• Crude marine and pipeline scheduling
• Refinery crude scheduling
• Crude blend optimization
• Process unit scheduling
• Blend scheduling and optimization
• Product distribution to terminals

Advanced scheduling technologies deliver improved scheduling and effective production targets for greater profitability—enabling refiners to gain a competitive edge.

Based on unique, proprietary scheduling optimization technology, Production Scheduler optimizes the handling and blending of crude oils—smoothing out the front-end operations of the refinery. It specifically determines the assignment of crude oil receipts into storage tanks, the blending of crude oil from those tanks into unit charge tanks, and the charging of crude oil to the crude distillation units.  It also provides the capability to predict crude unit product yields and properties, and exploits the available tank age to drive yields and properties closer to plant business goals.

Production Scheduler supports a variety of process unit representations, including set volume fraction yield and properties for each produced stream with the yields dependent on operating mode and time periods.  Linear Base + Delta models are supported as well as external models that take feed properties and operating variables as input and return yields, properties and constraints. Integration of process and crude scheduling facilitates understand of the effects of crude or processing changes on the materials available for blending.

Rounding out Production Scheduler for Refining is BLEND, Honeywell’s integrated application for petroleum product blending. BLEND uses linear programming technology to produce the best blending recipes for intermediate component blending to meet the final product demand on time and without quality giveaway.