David Alejandro Liñán Romero

I earned a BASc and an MASc in chemical engineering from Universidad de Los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia) in 2020. During my MASc I studied unconventional strategies to handle discrete decisions in Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP). The optimal design of a Reactive Distillation (RD) column was used as the main case study. The key outcome of the research during my MASc was the development of a reformulation and an algorithm that allowed to optimize the discrete decisions of the RD system, e.g., number of stages, more efficiently than traditional MINLP solvers. I also have applied research experience with an industrial partner in the food industry, developing simulation and optimization solutions for the conceptual design and operation of a production process of baked products. 

Professor Luis Ricardez-Sandoval co-supervised my MASc research, and I joined his group in Fall 2020 to pursue a PhD. Currently, I am developing and testing deterministic optimization algorithms that efficiently handle ordered discrete decisions in MINLP and Generalized Disjunctive Programming (GDP) problems. The chemical engineering applications of these algorithms include optimal design and control, and optimal scheduling and control.