Life Cycle Based Sustainability Assessment And Decision Making For Industrial Systems

Increasing concern with the environmental impact resulted from human activities has led to a rising interest in sustainable development that will not only meet the needs of current development but also protect the natural environment without compromising the needs of future generations. This leads to the necessity of a systems approach to decision-making in which economic, environmental and social factors are integrated together to ensure the triple bottom lines of sustainability. Although current studies provide a variety of different methodologies to address sustainability assessment and decision-making, the increasing size and complexity of industrial systems results in the necessity to develop more comprehensive systems approaches to ensure the sustainable development over a long time period for industrial systems. What\u27s more, current research may conduct results based on one or only a few stages of the manufacturing process without considering all the stages of a product’s life. Therefore, the results could be bias and sometimes not feasible for the whole life-cycle. In the meanwhile, life cycle analysis (LCA) which has been widely adopted in a variety of industries does provide an effective approach to evaluate the environmental impact. The lack of life-cycle based economic and social sustainability assessment results in the difficult to conduct more comprehensive sustainability assessment. To address these challenges, three fundamental frameworks are developed in this dissertation, that is, life cycle based sustainability assessment (LCBSA) framework, life cycle based decision-making (LCBDM) framework, and fuzzy dynamic programming (FDP) based long-term multistage sustainable development framework. LCBSA can offer a profound insight of status quo of the sustainability performance over the whole life cycle. LCSA is then applied to assess the industrial system of automotive coating manufacturing process from raw material extraction, material manufacturing, product manufacturing to the recycle and disposal stage. The following LCBDM framework could then prioritize the sustainability improvement urgency and achieve comprehensive sustainable development by employing a two-phase decision-making methodology. In addition, FDP based long-term multistage sustainable development framework offers a comprehensive way to ascertain the achievement of long time sustainable development goal of complex and dynamic industrial systems by combining decision-making and sustainability assessment together

Evaluation of a Performance Index for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants using MCDM – TOPSIS

Deciding which are the best performing wastewater treatment plants can be complicated, as their operations comprise different parameters which are either dependent or non-dependent on each other, and are important when deciding the type of treatment. The relative importance of these parameters in terms of weight indicates the priority assigned by decision-makers to the criteria when ranking the alternatives. These weights are calculated by statistical relativity and Saaty’s nine point scale. The sensitivity of both of these approaches is analyzed. The performance of six municipal wastewater treatment plants is evaluated using the Multi-criteria Decision Making (MCDM) Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Efficiency is monitored on the basis of nine wastewater characteristics and compared with the limits established by the Central Pollution Control Board of India. The analysis uses both qualitative and quantitative approaches, which result in differential rankings; accordingly, plants with maximum organic loading removal efficiency were found to be most efficient when weights were applied as per Saaty’s scale. The study proposes a field base approach with regard to the suitability of the weight allocation method for respective utilization of the fuzzy approach in environmental monitoring systems

IDENTIFYING THE BEST DECENTRALIZED RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM FOR RURAL ELECTRIFICATION IN NEPAL

Access to electricity is generally recognized as an important factor for economic and social development. Moreover, the world energy consumption depends on the use of limited resources like fossil fuels that induce adverse impact on the environment and society. As an alternative, renewable energies turn into crucial alternative energy ensuring sustainable energy needs and taking care of society, economy and the environment. In order to combat such issues, the United Nations has declared universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy for by 2030. In many cases, different types of renewable energy systems are being developed to serve energy need without considering the best alternative. Thus, this paper tries to prioritize the installed Decentralized Renewable Energy (DRE) systems for rural electrification in Nepal by analyzing nineteen sustainability indicators related to four sustainability dimensions - technical, social, economic and environmental. An Analytical Hierarchy Process-Online Software (AHP-OS) model is used for ranking various DRE systems. Suitable goals, criteria, sub-criteria, and alternatives are developed after reviewing pertinent literature and consultation of the experts. The results reveal that micro-hydropower is the best electrification option followed by the solar home system, solar mini-grid, and wind-solar hybrid for decentralized electrification in Nepal. Biomass is found to be the least prioritized alternative in Nepal. The outcome of the research can help the policy-makers and decision-makers in shaping energy policies, plans, and programs, and foster sustainable energy development in the country. Similarly, the relevant stakeholders will be benefited by improving their products and services in the future

Municipal solid waste management system: decision support through systems analysis

Thesis submitted to the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental EngineeringThe present study intends to show the development of systems analysis model applied to solid waste management system, applied into AMARSUL, a solid waste management system responsible for the management of municipal solid waste produced in Setúbal peninsula, Portugal. The model developed intended to promote sustainable decision making, covering the four columns: technical, environmental, economic and social aspects. To develop the model an intensive literature review have been conducted. To simplify the discussion, the spectrum of these systems engineering models and system assessment tools was divided into two broadly-based domains associated with fourteen categories although some of them may be intertwined with each other. The first domain comprises systems engineering models including cost-benefit analysis, forecasting analysis, simulation analysis, optimization analysis, and integrated modeling system whereas the second domain introduces system assessment tools including management information systems, scenario development, material flow analysis, life cycle assessment (LCA), risk assessment, environmental impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment, socio-economic assessment, and sustainable assessment. The literature performed have indicated that sustainable assessment models have been one of the most applied into solid waste management, being methods like LCA and optimization modeling (including multicriteria decision making(MCDM)) also important systems analysis methods. These were the methods (LCA and MCDM) applied to compose the system analysis model for solid waste. The life cycle assessment have been conducted based on ISO 14040 family of norms; for multicriteria decision making there is no procedure neither guidelines, being applied analytic hierarchy process (AHP) based Fuzzy Interval technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). Multicriteria decision making have included several data from life cycle assessment to construct environmental, social and technical attributes, plus economic criteria obtained from collected data from stakeholders involved in the study. The results have shown that solutions including anaerobic digestion in mechanical biological treatment plant plus anaerobic digestion of biodegradable municipal waste from source separation, with energetic recovery of refuse derived fuel (RDF) and promoting pays-as-you-throw instrument to promote recycling targets compliance would be the best solutions to implement in AMARSUL system. The direct burning of high calorific fraction instead of RDF has not been advantageous considering all criteria, however, during LCA, the results were the reversal. Also it refers that aerobic mechanical biological treatment should be closed.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - SFRH/BD/27402/200

Performance measurement of green supply chain management : a literature review and gaps for further research

Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) has been receiving increased attention because of the urgent need of organizations to address sustainability issues as a condition for their competitiveness, and the issue of how performance should be measured becomes crucial. This paper performs a literature review on an academic basis in order to identify the main subjects and sustainable dimensions of research studies involving the performance measurement of GSCM and the gaps for further research. Sixty three percent of the analyzed papers are associated with framework, mathematical modelling, empirical research and application, and the principal gaps to be explored are the metrics, measures and integration of the GSCM with existing quality methods. Almost all of these subjects are discussed in an economic and environmental dimension, remaining the social dimension a relevant gap to be explored. Based on this scenario, this paper intends to make a contribution to the academia and professionals of the area14

A multi-criteria sustainability assessment for biodiesel and liquefied natural gas as alternative fuels in transport systems

The incorporation of clean-fuel technologies has become essential for the sustainability of the transportation sector. Natural gas technology, especially the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG), has become a possible alternative to diesel oil in freight transport because of its acceptable autonomy and low fuel prices. For the introduction of this alternative fuel, freight companies need tools that allow them to perform an integrated assessment of relevant aspects related to environment, economy and social responsibility. This paper introduces a multi-criteria based methodology that integrates the key factors involved in the transport system: vehicles, infrastructure and fuels, and consideration of the three pillars of sustainability, as well as the reliability of technology, legislation and market issues. In particular, a case study for the impact assessment of LNG in comparison to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and diesel oil as regular long-haul freight transport fuels in Spain was developed. The information for the comparison process was obtained from peer-reviewed articles and reports from international and Spanish institutions, while the primary data was obtained through semi-structured in-depth interviews to the different stakeholders. A weighted sustainability index for each alternative was developed to integrate the data obtained through the analytic hierarchy process. The results indicate that LNG trucks would be an attractive option compared to diesel oil and HVO, provided that decision-makers give significant weight to social and environmental criteria, and that the government guarantees a legislative security to maintain the low taxes on natural gas. Integration of stakeholders allows making the most appropriate decision according to the objectives of the company. The application of the proposed methodology shows consistent results, which should ensure the success of a long-term alternative in the dynamic market for transportation fuels

Applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process to Oil Sands Environmental Compliance Risk Management

Oil companies in Alberta, Canada, invested $32 billion on new oil sands projects in 2013. Despite the size of this investment, there is a demonstrable deficiency in the uniformity and understanding of environmental legislation requirements that manifest into increased project compliance risks. This descriptive study developed 2 prioritized lists of environmental regulatory compliance risks and mitigation strategies and used multi-criteria decision theory for its theoretical framework. Information from compiled lists of environmental compliance risks and mitigation strategies was used to generate a specialized pairwise survey, which was piloted by 5 subject matter experts (SMEs). The survey was validated by a sample of 16 SMEs, after which the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to rank a total of 33 compliance risks and 12 mitigation strategy criteria. A key finding was that the AHP is a suitable tool for ranking of compliance risks and mitigation strategies. Several working hypotheses were also tested regarding how SMEs prioritized 1 compliance risk or mitigation strategy compared to another. The AHP showed that regulatory compliance, company reputation, environmental compliance, and economics ranked the highest and that a multi criteria mitigation strategy for environmental compliance ranked the highest. The study results will inform Alberta oil sands industry leaders about the ranking and utility of specific compliance risks and mitigations strategies, enabling them to focus on actions that will generate legislative and public trust. Oil sands leaders implementing a risk management program using the risks and mitigation strategies identified in this study will contribute to environmental conservation, economic growth, and positive social change

Sustainability as a Multi-criteria Concept

Sustainability is a fairly old concept, born in the 18th century in the field of forestry, within a mono-functionality perspective. The concept has considerably evolved in the last few years towards a multi-functionality context, with applications reported in practically all areas of economic interest. On the other hand, modern sustainability is a complex problem, for two reasons: a) The multiplicity of functions of a very different nature involved in the process and b) The manner in which different segments of the society or stakeholders perceive the relative importance of these functions. For the above reasons, a realistic approach for dealing with the sustainability issue requires taking into consideration multiple criteria of different nature (economic, environmental and social), and in many cases within a participatory decision making framework. This book presents a collection of papers, dealing with different theoretical and applied issues of sustainability, with the help of a modern multi-criteria decision-making theory, with a single as well as several stakeholders involved in the decision-making process. Hopefully, this material will encourage academics and practitioners to alter their research in this hot and vital topic. After all, the sustainable management of the environment and its embedded resources is one of the most important, if not the major challenge of the 21st century

Higher order fuzzy logic in controlling selective catalytic reduction systems

This paper presents research on applications of fuzzy logic and higher-order fuzzy logic systems to control filters reducing air pollution [1]. The filters use Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) method and, as for now, this process is controlled manually by a human expert. The goal of the research is to control an SCR system responsible for emission of nitrogen oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to the air, using SCR with ammonia (NH3). There are two higher-order fuzzy logic systems presented, applying interval-valued fuzzy sets and type-2 fuzzy sets, respectively. Fuzzy sets and higher order fuzzy sets describe linguistically levels of nitrogen oxides as the input, and settings of ammonia valve in the air filter as the output. The obtained results are consistent with data provided by experts. Besides, we show that the type-2 fuzzy logic controllers allows us to obtain results much closer to desired parameters of the ammonia valve, than traditional FLS