Multi-criteria decision-making in whole process design

PhD ThesisIn recent years, the chemical and pharmaceutical industries have faced increased development times and costs with fewer novel chemicals being discovered. This has resulted in many companies focusing on innovative research and development as they consider this key to business success. In particular, a number of leading industrial organisations have adopted the principles of Whole Process Design (WPD). WPD considers the optimisation of the entire product development process, from raw materials to end product, rather than focusing on each individual unit operation. The complexity involved in the implementation of WPD requires rationalised decision-making, often with limited or uncertain information. This thesis assesses the most widely applied methods in Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) in conjunction with the results of two interviews and two questionnaires that identified the industrial requirements for decision-making during WPD. From the findings of this work, a novel decision-making methodology was proposed, the outcome of which allows a decision-maker to visually interpret their decision results with associated levels of uncertainty. To validate the proposed methodology, a software framework was developed that incorporates two other decision-making approaches, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and ELimination Et Choix Traduisant la REalité trois (ELECTRE III). The framework was then applied to a number of industrial case studies to validate the application of the proposed methodology.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Chemistry Innovatio

A Co-evolutionary Algorithm-based Enhanced Grey Wolf Optimizer for the Routing of Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless networks are frequently installed in arduous environments, heightening the importance of their consistent operation. To achieve this, effective strategies must be implemented to extend the lifespan of nodes. Energy-conserving routing protocols have emerged as the most prevalent methodology, as they strive to elongate the network\u27s lifetime while guaranteeing reliable data routing with minimal latency. In this paper, a plethora of studies have been done with the purpose of improving network routing, such as the integration of clustering techniques, heterogeneity, and swarm intelligence-inspired approaches. A comparative investigation was conducted on a variety of swarm-based protocols, including a new coevolutionary binary grey wolf optimizer (Co-BGWO), a BGWO, a binary whale optimization, and a binary Salp swarm algorithm. The objective was to optimize cluster heads (CHs) positions and their number during the initial stage of both two-level and three-level heterogeneous networks. The study concluded that these newly developed protocols are more reliable, stable, and energy-efficient than the standard SEP and EDEEC heterogeneous protocols. Specifically, in 150 m2 area of interest, the Co-BGWO and BGWO protocols of two levels were found the most efficient, with over than 33% increase in remaining energy percentage compared to SEP, and over 24% more than EDEEC in three-level networks

Adaptation of WASH Services Delivery to Climate Change and Other Sources of Risk and Uncertainty

This report urges WASH sector practitioners to take more seriously the threat of climate change and the consequences it could have on their work. By considering climate change within a risk and uncertainty framework, the field can use the multitude of approaches laid out here to adequately protect itself against a range of direct and indirect impacts. Eleven methods and tools for this specific type of risk management are described, including practical advice on how to implement them successfully

Diverse perceptions of smart spaces

This is the era of smart technology and of ‘smart’ as a meme, so we have run three workshops to examine the ‘smart’ meme and the exploitation of smart environments. The literature relating to smart spaces focuses primarily on technologies and their capabilities. Our three workshops demonstrated that we require a stronger user focus if we are advantageously to exploit spaces ascribed as smart: we examined the concept of smartness from a variety of perspectives, in collaboration with a broad range of contributors. We have prepared this monograph mainly to report on the third workshop, held at Bournemouth University in April 2012, but do also consider the lessons learned from all three. We conclude with a roadmap for a fourth (and final) workshop, which is intended to emphasise the overarching importance of the humans using the spac

Evolutionary Dynamic Multi-Objective Optimisation : A survey

Peer reviewedPostprin