Chapter 2: Differential Evolution: Method, Developments and Chemical Engineering Applications

This chapter^† describes differential evolution (DE), its parameters and their values. Then, proposed modifications to various components of DE algorithm until the year 2009 are summarized; these modifications have improved DE capabilities for tackling a variety of optimization problems. Finally, chemical engineering applications of DE reported until the year 2009 are reviewed. In particular, DE has found many applications for parameter estimation and modeling in addition to process design and operation. Further developments and applications of DE since the year 2009 are outlined in Chapter 1. Given these developments and applications, DE is attractive and useful both as a simple general optimizer and as a sophisticated tool to solve complex chemical engineering applications.