A sustainable smart lemongrass oil production system with energy-saving strategies and variable production rate

Abstract

Smart production systems reduce energy consumption, improve labor efficiency, and increase industrial productivity. Lemongrass and its essential oil are widely valued for their aromatic and therapeutic properties, making them integral to industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and biodiesel. A mathematical model is developed to systematically represent the lemongrass oil production network, minimizing total costs under operational constraints. To produce lemongrass oil, the proposed mathematical model integrates the smart production system with variable production rate, autonomation inspection techniques for contaminant detection in lemongrass oil, and purification of impure oil to ensure contaminant-free lemongrass oil. Energy-saving strategies are incorporated to optimize energy use during the production of lemongrass oil, addressing both economic and environmental sustainability. The model is solved using a fixed-point iteration technique for the minimum total costs of the lemongrass oil production network. Mathematical examples are discussed in the study, which show that harvesting costs of lemongrass are a major contributor to total costs and the importance of energy-efficient strategies in production processes. The findings provide valuable insights for industry stakeholders by addressing sensitivity analysis of relevant factors, key policy, optimizing production systems, and managerial implications for sustainable lemongrass oil production. The conclusions of the research can be valuable for policymakers to advance the lemongrass oil industry.