Optimization of the Value Chain for Agro-Industrial Waste in Orange Juice, Soy, and Coffee Production Systems

• Grant number: 24/17847-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: January 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Moisés Teles dos Santos
• Grantee: Marília Gabriela Lopes Cavenaghi
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/02809-0 - Waste valorization and technological innovation in the agro-industrial and chitin supply chains by computational models, AP.PNGP.PI

Abstract

Brazil has a longstanding tradition and significant participation in various agro-industrial sectors, particularly in the production of orange juice, soybeans, and coffee. Over the past ten years, the country's share in the global food market has increased significantly, especially through exports of meat, soybeans, corn, cotton, and forest products. Brazil is expected to become the largest grain exporter in the world within the next five years. The production chains in these sectors generate waste with potential for conversion into value-added products, energy, and biofuels, within the context of integrated biorefineries. Despite the favorable conditions and the importance of agribusiness in Brazil, the mathematical modeling, computational simulation, and optimization of waste valorization systems in agro-food chains are still incipient when compared to scientific literature from other countries. This doctoral project aims to address scientific and technological challenges that hinder the establishment of an efficient waste valorization chain, such as: (i) modeling and optimization of the entire waste valorization chain, from waste collection, transportation, storage, and conversion, to meeting the demand for generated products, according to OBSC (optimal biorefinery supply chain) methodologies; (ii) obtaining technical parameters related to waste conversion processes subject to uncertainties; (iii) obtaining environmental parameters related to waste conversion processes subject to uncertainties; (iv) obtaining economic parameters related to waste conversion processes subject to uncertainties. The specific objectives of this doctoral research are related to the following general objectives of the project: (6) development of superstructures and modeling of the OBSC optimization problem - optimal biorefinery supply chain, (7) modeling and solving the base optimization problem for the orange-coffee-soy system, (8) modeling and solving the optimization problem with uncertainties in the orange-coffee-soy system, and (9) recommending the best routes according to scenarios and tolerated risk in the orange-coffee-soy system. The work previously developed by the Research Supervisor's group for forest residues will be extended and adapted to the agro-industrial supply chain, particularly the optimization techniques described by Theozzo and Teles dos Santos (2021). Due to the nature of the residues, which are subject to seasonality and location, stochastic scenario generation models will be used to handle these uncertainties. The project will also consider uncertainties and regional specificities in Brazil related to tax indicators that impact the financial performance of processing routes. The computational tools to be used include Matlab (programming), GAMS (optimization), and Python for developing custom calculation modules. This work will be integrated with simulation models developed by other members of the research group.