An optimization model for air pollution control decision making

There are several different control techniques that can be applied to control air pollution emissions. In this paper, a mixed integer linear program that determines the best selection strategy is illustrated. The objective of the program is to minimize the total control cost consisting of operating and investment costs. Various constraints are imposed on the model including a prescribed pollution reduction level and maximum budget available for investment. The model gives the optimum set of control options along with their optimum set-up times. The use of the model in pollution control decision making is illustrated using a representative case study.