The accelerated use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) in Chemical and Process Engineering has drawn the attention of scientific and industrial communities, mainly due to the Big Data boom related to the analysis and interpretation of large data volumes required by Industry 4.0. ANNs are well-known nonlinear regression algorithms in the Machine Learning field for classification and prediction and are based on the human brain behavior, which learns tasks from experience through interconnected neurons. This empirical method can widely replace traditional complex phenomenological models based on nonlinear conservation equations, leading to a smaller computational effort – a very peculiar feature for its use in process optimization and control. Thereby, this chapter aims to exhibit several ANN modeling applications to different Chemical and Process Engineering areas, such as thermodynamics, kinetics and catalysis, process analysis and optimization, process safety and control, among others. This review study shows the increasing use of ANNs in the area, helping to understand and to explore process data aspects for future research.
The Use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) in Food Process Engineering