Syhthesise [sic] a sustainable sago industry

Various sago biomass (i.e., sago barks, fibres and wastewater) that potentially converted into value-added products are generated during sago starch extraction process (SSEP). In current industrial practices, such biomass are disposed to the environment and caused severe environmental issues. Therefore, in order to minimise the environmental impacts and to improve economic performance of sago industry, sago biomass is vital to be recovered. On the other hand, a sustainable sago value chain, which involved activities plantation, harvesting, sago starch extraction process (SSEP), and transportations, is synthesised in this thesis via Fuzzy Multi-Footprint Optimisation (FMFO) approach. This proposed approach considered carbon, water, and workplace footprints as well as economic performance of sago value chain. In order to trade-off the conflicts among the optimisation objectives, the concept of fuzzy optimisation is adopted in this approach. Then, recovery of sago biomass in SSEP is focused. In order to prioritise sago biomass for recovery in sago industry, Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA)-based prioritisation approach is developed in this thesis. This MFCA-based approach introduced hidden cost (HC) and carry-forward cost (CFC) to determine cost associated with waste streams. Based on the associated cost, waste streams can be prioritised for recovery. Then, this MFCA-based prioritisation approach is further extended as extended MFCA (eMFCA)-based approach to simultaneous synthesise total resource conservation network (RCN) with industrial processes. In this thesis, total water network and SSEP is synthesised simultaneously via eMFCA-based approach. Furthermore, techno-economic and environmental performance of conversion of sago barks and fibres into combined heat and power (CHP) and bioethanol is evaluated. In addition, sensitivity analysis on payback period is conducted in different scenarios due to variation of feedstock cost, enzyme cost, and labour cost. In order to further improve sustainability of sago industry, a conceptual integrated sago-based biorefinery (SBB) is envisaged. Maali’s method is adopted in this thesis to allocate the benefits of each party participating in integrated SBB. Lastly, conclusions and future works are included in the end of this thesis

Healthcare waste management in Istanbul: improving decision making

Turkey's accession to European Union requires compliance with the EU legislation. Healthcare waste is one waste stream which will be affected by this accession. Currently, in Turkey, especially in large provinces (such as Istanbul) there is an increasing pressure on the government authorities to develop a sustainable approach to healthcare waste management and integrate strategies aiming at pursuing sustainable society. In this respect, the purpose of this research was to develop a framework to support selection and planning of the future healthcare waste treatment systems in Istanbul. In this study, an Istanbul-scale system dynamics model was developed to estimate future healthcare waste generation to 2040 and it was identified whether any of the assumptions made, because of the data gaps, have any significant influence on the outcomes of the model. The study found that more precise data are required on treatment types (acute or chronic), patient episodes (inpatient and outpatient figures in an age spectrum) and waste generation profiles (e.g. anatomic, genotoxic, sharps, etc.) of healthcare institutions. The model also determined a high potential in decreasing healthcare waste amounts (up to. 10,000tpa) through implementing effective segregation along with a significant proportion of the healthcare waste (77%) which being incinerated could, in principle, be treated through alternative technologies. The data generated by the model was used in the context of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) by identifying various criteria, measuring them and ranking their relative importance from the point of key stakeholders via a questionnaire within four future scenarios. It was found that autoclave/hydroclave technology option for the treatment of healthcare waste suitable for alternative treatment (HCW SAT) and then their disposal through landfilling with energy recovery has potential to be an optimum option and these alternative treatment methods along with an efficient healthcare waste segregation scheme should be given more attention by the authorities in Istanbul. The methodology used in this project has been developed based on the primary aim of the project which is to enable the decision makers in Istanbul to gain an improved perception of the decision problem

Syhthesise [sic] a sustainable sago industry

Various sago biomass (i.e., sago barks, fibres and wastewater) that potentially converted into value-added products are generated during sago starch extraction process (SSEP). In current industrial practices, such biomass are disposed to the environment and caused severe environmental issues. Therefore, in order to minimise the environmental impacts and to improve economic performance of sago industry, sago biomass is vital to be recovered. On the other hand, a sustainable sago value chain, which involved activities plantation, harvesting, sago starch extraction process (SSEP), and transportations, is synthesised in this thesis via Fuzzy Multi-Footprint Optimisation (FMFO) approach. This proposed approach considered carbon, water, and workplace footprints as well as economic performance of sago value chain. In order to trade-off the conflicts among the optimisation objectives, the concept of fuzzy optimisation is adopted in this approach. Then, recovery of sago biomass in SSEP is focused. In order to prioritise sago biomass for recovery in sago industry, Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA)-based prioritisation approach is developed in this thesis. This MFCA-based approach introduced hidden cost (HC) and carry-forward cost (CFC) to determine cost associated with waste streams. Based on the associated cost, waste streams can be prioritised for recovery. Then, this MFCA-based prioritisation approach is further extended as extended MFCA (eMFCA)-based approach to simultaneous synthesise total resource conservation network (RCN) with industrial processes. In this thesis, total water network and SSEP is synthesised simultaneously via eMFCA-based approach. Furthermore, techno-economic and environmental performance of conversion of sago barks and fibres into combined heat and power (CHP) and bioethanol is evaluated. In addition, sensitivity analysis on payback period is conducted in different scenarios due to variation of feedstock cost, enzyme cost, and labour cost. In order to further improve sustainability of sago industry, a conceptual integrated sago-based biorefinery (SBB) is envisaged. Maali’s method is adopted in this thesis to allocate the benefits of each party participating in integrated SBB. Lastly, conclusions and future works are included in the end of this thesis

An investigation into the environmental sustainability of the South African ornamental horticultural industry

The ornamental horticultural industry makes use of natural resources to grow plants and produce allied products to sell to consumers, landscapers, retail garden centres, hardware stores, supermarkets, and government, but at what cost to the environment? The aim of this work was to determine the current environmental awareness of growers and garden centre retailers within the ornamental horticultural industry in South Africa. Followed by an investigation into the current business practices that promote sustainable natural resource use and management as well as the obstacles and challenges that the industry faces with implementing legislation and recommendations of best practices. The study was conducted over an 18-month period and 41 growers and retail garden centres in eight of the provinces in South Africa (Appendix 10) participated in research. In each case, the study participant was asked to complete the questionnaire and where possible, a site visit was conducted and / or a semi-structured interview as well as participatory observations followed to give a comprehensive overview of the sustainability practices of the businesses. These results were then compared to international best practices and similar research conducted globally by the ornamental horticultural industry. A review of international best practices in the ornamental horticultural industry showed six environmental resources namely soil, water, fertilizers, pesticides, energy, and waste. This was seen to be common to most studies involved in the production, growth, maintenance and sales of plants and allied products. This information was used to compile a best management practice manual for South African ornamental horticulture with guidelines and practical examples for conserving and managing natural resource usage and reducing the environmental impacts of the industry. Much research has been done on the exploitation and degradation of resources due to urbanisation, industrial activities, and agricultural practices. The resources are essential to the ornamental horticultural industry but if exploited or misused, can have detrimental effects on the environmental productivity of the industry and ultimately the “Sustainable Development Goals” prescribed by the United Nations. The linking of the relevant sustainable development goals to the 9 key factors of the green economy strategized by the South African government will enable the ornamental horticultural industry to play a greater part in the green and circular economy by providing nature-based solutions to environmental problems that it is facing such as climate change and pollution.Environmental SciencesD. Phil. (Environmental Management

An automatic selection of optimal recurrent neural network architecture for processes dynamics modelling purposes

A problem related to the development of algorithms designed to find the structure of artificial neural network used for behavioural (black-box) modelling of selected dynamic processes has been addressed in this paper. The research has included four original proposals of algorithms dedicated to neural network architecture search. Algorithms have been based on well-known optimisation techniques such as evolutionary algorithms and gradient descent methods. In the presented research an artificial neural network of recurrent type has been used, whose architecture has been selected in an optimised way based on the above-mentioned algorithms. The optimality has been understood as achieving a trade-off between the size of the neural network and its accuracy in capturing the response of the mathematical model under which it has been learnt. During the optimisation, original specialised evolutionary operators have been proposed. The research involved an extended validation study based on data generated from a mathematical model of the fast processes occurring in a pressurised water nuclear reactor.Comment: 32 pages, 17 figures, code availabl

Development of a methodology for integral energy analysis of industrial processes and plants.

243 p.La presente tesis contextualiza el consumo de energía del sector industrial cuyos procesos presentan alta variabilidad y dinamismos. Estos procesos no han sido evaluados tan extensivamente como los continuos y, sin embargo, presentan altos márgenes de eficiencia energética y potenciales de ahorro. Después de un exhaustivo análisis del estado del arte sobre modelado de procesos, se confirma una ausencia de metodologías orientadas a este tipo de procesos (normalmente con alta componente térmica). Basado en las metodologías analizadas y los estudios de mejora de la eficiencia energética de procesos, se plantea una metodología integral (multi escala -operativa, táctica y estratégica- multi nivel -dispositivo, proceso, planta, entorno-) para la identificación, cuantificación y evaluación de medidas de mejora de la eficiencia energética. La metodología propuesta analiza el proceso desde el punto de vista energético y operativo y crea modelos de simulación. Todos los fenómenos y eventos que afectan al proceso en cuestión son identificados modelados (transcripción de ecuaciones física que rigen el fenómeno o parametrización). La metodología se implementa en un caso de estudio con datos reales y se validan los modelos. De este modo, varios cursos de acción son identificados y analizados en profundidad. Las medidas identificadas son modeladas y evaluadas (energética-económica y ecológicamente). Como consecuencia, se obtiene ahorros energéticos de hasta el 50% con PayBacks inferiores a 24 meses. Finalmente, las capacidades de la metodología, las conclusiones y sus resultados son discutidos y comparados

Active and Knowledge-based Process Safety Incident Retrieval System

The sustainability and continued development of the chemical industry is to a large extent dependent on learning from past incidents. The failure to learn from past mistakes is rather not deliberate but due to unawareness of the situation. Incident databases are excellent resources to learn from past mistakes; however, in order to be effective, incident databases need to be functional in disseminating the lessons learned to users. Therefore, this research is dedicated to improving user accessibility of incident databases. The objective of this research is twofold. The first objective is improving accessibility of the database system by allowing the option of word search as well as folder search for the users. This will satisfy research needs of users who are aware of the hazards at hand and need to access the relevant information. The second objective is to activate the database via integration of the database with an operational software. This will benefit research needs of users who are unaware of the existing hazards. Literature review and text mining of Major Accident Reporting System (MARS) database short reports are employed to develop an initial taxonomy, which is then refined and modified by expert review. The incident reports in MARS database is classified to the right folders in the taxonomy and implemented in a database system based on Microsoft Excel, where the users can retrieve information using folder search as well as word search option via a user friendly interface. A program coded in JAVA is prepared for integrating the incident database with a Management of Change (MOC) software prototype. A collection of keywords on hazardous substances and equipment is prepared. If the keywords exist in the MOC interface, they will be highlighted, and with the click of a button, will return up to ten relevant incident reports. Using an active and knowledge-based system, people can learn from incidents and near-misses and will be more active to reduce the frequency of recurring incidents