Gamestorming for the Conceptual Design of Products and Processes in the context of engineering education

Creating an ideal environment to develop creativity and innovation in engineering education is a real challenge. One alternative approach can be based in the application of Gamestorming methodology that considers the use of games in the process of brainstorming. Presenting the problem in a game format eludes the conventional lecturing and frees the participants to think creatively to solve problems. In this contribution, the adaptation of the Gamestorming methodology was applied in different Bachelor and Master courses of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering in the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). The aim of this initiative was to develop students’ creativity and teamwork, where the class divided in working groups propose and assess alternatives in the Conceptual Design of Products and Processes. Specifically, two examples of the application of the methodology are provided: (i) a wood box for wine storage was remodeled according to a number of requisites: functionality, savings of energy consumption and reduction of environmental impact; (ii) the conceptual design of a treatment system for the removal of pollutants present in a gaseous stream to accomplish the targets of wide applicability and efficiency as well as reduced cost and environmental impact. A total of 129 students from 4 different academic years participated and the survey performed after completing the activity rated this methodology as a mechanism to foster their creativity in the progress of teamwork toward decision making processS

Assessing of the most appropriate biotechnological strategy on the recovery of antioxidants from beet wastes by applying the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology

The valorization of agro-industrial waste streams and residues for the production of antioxidant compounds is a good strategy for circular economy approaches. However, to demonstrate its suitability and operational feasibility, it is necessary to develop environmental assessments to ensure the effectiveness of the production strategy. In this sense, a large-scale simulation has been developed, obtaining ten different scenarios in which both leaves and steam residues are used as process inputs, and five different extraction techniques are applied, both conventional: Soxhlet and maceration, and emerging technologies: ultrasonic assisted extraction (UAE), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and pressurized liquid extraction, (PLE). Environmental results have shown that SFE and PLE technologies have the lowest environmental burdens, while UAE has the worst profile due to high energy demand. Electricity could be considered as the main hotspot with the highest impact, followed by steam requirements and the use of extraction solvent. To improve the environmental profile, sensitivity analyses were performed, considering the use of renewable resources for the production of the energy requirements and the selection of the extraction solvent. Although significant improvements were obtained when electricity and steam production is based on hydropower and waste incineration, the environmental profile did not improve when considering ethanol: water mixture or hexane for extraction. Future research should focus on reducing energy requirements and optimizing the solvent dosage for the extraction processThis research has been supported by the project Enhancing diversity in Mediterranean cereal farming systems (CerealMed) project funded by PRIMA Programme and FEDER/Ministry of Science and Innovation-Spanish National Research Agency (PCI2020-111978) and by a project granted by Xunta de Galicia (project ref. ED431 F 2016/001). The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC ED431C 2017/29) and to the Cross-disciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS Research Center, ED431E 2018/01)S

Process modelling and environmental assessment on the valorization of lignocellulosic waste to antimicrobials

The Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations established a roadmap on the way to a sustainable society based on a circular economy in which the residual fractions of process streams emerge as raw materials for the provision of material goods and services. In this context, the approach of biorefineries as the technological scheme for processing integrally renewable resources stands out. Among the different target products, "bioactive" compounds have aroused great interest given their high added value. This work evaluates the environmental profile associated with the valorization of residual lignocellulosic waste streams: olive pruning and eucalyptus residues for the biotechnological production of nisin, an antimicrobial compound produced by Lactoccocus lactis with application in the food preservation and biomedical sectors. Process modelling in combination with Life Cycle Analysis allowed addressing the conceptual design and the environmental assessment of a full-scale production process. As a main conclusion, the technological feasibility of the valorization of waste fractions as sources of fermentable sugars in the biotechnological process has been demonstrated. Moreover, the integral use of the raw materials can allow not only the production of nisin as an economic driver, but also of other biotechnological products such as lactic acid and energy for the self-supply of the process. The main novelty of this manuscript is based on rethinking the valorization of lignocellulosic waste beyond energy recovery to obtain bioproducts with high added value in the market with applicability in the food sector. Although energy recovery is the most widely implemented end-of-life option, the use of lignocellulosic waste as fermentable sugars has been shown to improve sustainability and circularity outcomesThis research has been financially supported by the European project iFermenter (Grant Agreement 79057). The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC ED431C 2017/29) and to the Cross-disciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS Research Center, ED431E 2018/01S

Evaluation of Starch as an Environmental-Friendly Bioresource for the Development of Wood Bioadhesives

The environment is a very complex and fragile system in which multiple factors of different nature play an important role. Pollution, together with resource consumption, is one of the main causes of the environmental problems currently affecting the planet. In the search for alternative production processes, the use of renewable resources seeks a way to satisfy the demands of resource consumption based on the premises of lower environment impact and less damage to human health. In the wood sector, the panel manufacturing process is based on the use of formaldehyde-based resins. However, their poor moisture resistance leads to hydrolysis of amino-methylene bonds, which induces formaldehyde emissions throughout the lifetime of the wood panel. This manuscript investigates the environmental profile associated with different wood bioadhesives based on starch functionalization as a renewable alternative to formaldehyde resins. Considering that this is a process under development, the conceptual design of the full-scale process will be addressed by process modeling and the environmental profile will be assessed using life cycle assessment methodology. A comparative study with synthetic resins will provide useful information for modify their development to become real alternatives in the wood-based panel industry. The results obtained show the enormous potential of starch bioadhesives, as their environmental impact values are lower compared to those based on petrochemicals. However, certain improvements in the energy process requirements and in the chemical agents used could be developed to provide even better resultsThis research has been financially supported by ERA-CoBIOTECH project (PCI2018-092866) Programación Conjunta Internacional 2018—WooBAdh project. The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC ED431C 2017/29) and to CRETUS Strategic Partnership (ED431E 2018/01).S

Environmental assessment of biorefinery processes for the valorization of lignocellulosic wastes into oligosaccharides

This is the accepted manuscript of the following article: [Gonzalez-Garcia, S., et al., Environmental assessment of biorefinery processes for the valorization of lignocellulosic wastes into oligosaccharides, Journal of Cleaner Production (2017)], which has been published in final form at [http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.02.164]The European Commission is adopting strategies in order to “closing the loop” of product life cycles in industrial production systems through better recycling and re-use under the perspective of circular economy. One of the most relevant goals in the application of this approach is to convert low-value side streams into more valuable products. In this sense, the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels and chemicals is a major challenge not only from the technological but also from the economic and environmental perspectives. In this study, the production of pectin-derived oligosaccharides (POS) from sugar beet pulp (SBP) was environmentally assessed by means of the Life Cycle Assessment methodology under a cradle-to-gate approach. Two different scenarios at pilot scale were considered: Scenario 1 based on conventional autohydrolysis at high temperature and Scenario 2 based on enzymatic hydrolysis. The outcomes of this environmental study are highly dependent on the production yield of the target compounds (POS) and the valorisation strategy considered. In fact, the POS yield of the autohydrolysis approach is around 20% higher than in the enzymatic one. According to the results, Scenario 1 reports the worst results when a functional unit based on the amount of valorised material (100 kg of oven-dried SBP) is considered. However, the profile entirely changes when a unit based on the economic revenue (1 €) is managed. Therefore, attention should be paid on the selection of the functional unit since decision making strategies should highly depend on it. Without waiting for the opportunity to conduct LCA of already-developed processes of the biorefinery system, the development of new alternatives must be carried out with sustainability in mind. Accordingly, the proposal of valorisation strategies for secondary streams should include the analysis of the environmental impacts associated to each alternative, even at the pilot plant stage.This research has been partially supported by a project granted by Xunta de Galicia (project ref. ED431F 2016/001), by the BBVA programme “2015 edition of the BBVA Foundation Grants for Researchers and Cultural Creators” (2015-PO027) and the EU project (STAR-ProBio). Dr. S. González-Garcia and Dr. B. Gullón would like to express her gratitude to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity for financial support (Grant references RYC-2014-14984 and FPDI-2013-17341, respectively). The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group GRC 2013-032, programme co-funded by FEDER as well as to CRETUS (AGRUP2015/02)S

Macroalgae biorefineries as a sustainable resource in the extraction of value-added compounds

Beyond the commercial exploitation of macroalgae as food and as a source of phycocolloids, this bioresource could represent a third-generation feedstock to obtain a wide range of bioactive compounds as well as biostimulants and bioenergy from biomass valorization. However, seaweed biorefineries are less advanced than those based on terrestrial biomass and validation of this concept must address not only technical feasibility but also environmental and economic sustainability. In this context, the valorization of macroalgae should be demonstrated as a cost-effective alternative, where it would be possible to produce several target products with reduced operational costs and environmental burdens compared to their counterparts. This review aims to address a comparative study including the most recent extraction options based on a sequence of cascading stages of both conventional and advanced techniques. The potential products from the valorization of macroalgae considered in this review correspond to pigments, lipids, proteins, polysaccharides, biostimulants and biogas. Each of these has been evaluated separately to identify which technologies have been used for their extraction/production, analyzing their main advantages and disadvantages, and giving an overview of which technological aspects are most relevant to ensure their potential in the market value chain. This review also provides valuable information on the current macroalgae valorization facilities being developed, in different TRLs, and with the identification of the market sectors of the products obtained. It is hoped that this critical review will be useful to evaluate the possibility of using macroalgae as feedstock in production systems within a biorefinery approachS

What is the best scale for implementing anaerobic digestion according to environmental and economic indicators?

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are the most commonly used environmental management systems to ensure that water pollution is properly managed. The costs associated with energy consumption and sludge management are two elements that penalize the operation of WWTPs. Anaerobic digestion (AD) unit showed to be a good alternative that allows the valorization of the organic load into bioenergy. However, not all WWTPs incorporate this technology in the sludge line that is associated with a minimum scale plant in order to ensure steady and profitable operation of the unit. With the decentralized context taking more strength one question arises: Is the AD technology viable in smaller plants? In this study four different sludge lines with different plant sizes were evaluated from an environmental and economic point of view. The sludge lines range between 25,000–1,000,0000 of equivalent inhabitants and the main difference between them is that small WWTP has no AD unit. According to the results, environmental impacts of the AD technology do not depend directly on the size of the plant. It is for this reason that not only medium and large plants bring environmental and economic benefits, but also smaller ones, as long as the necessary premise of biogas valorization into bioenergy is met. AD technology can be improved with the addition of agrowaste that can enhance the organic load in the anaerobic digestor and improve the yield of biogas production and the eco-efficiency, in such a way that the premises of technological, economic and environmental viability are fulfilledThis research was supported by the UE projects: Pioneer STP (PCIN-2015-22 (MINECO)/ID199 (WaterJPI) and Run4Life (GA n⁰ 730285-1). The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC ED431C 2017/29) and to the CRETUS Strategic Partnership (ED431E 2018/01)S

Process and environmental simulation in the validation of the biotechnological production of nisin from waste

Chemical and heat treatments are traditionally used to preserve the quality of food products. An alternative is based on the use of antimicrobials such as nisin to ensure food safety. Traditionally, nisin is produced by microbial fermentation in the exponential growth phase of Lactococcus lactis, which is a recognized starter culture in dairy products. However, its production process entails a high cost compared to its chemical-based counterparts, which reduces its competitiveness in the market. This study addresses the economic feasibility and environmental impacts of biotechnological co-production of nisin and lactic acid from three food-associated industrial waste streams: cheese whey (CW), sugar beet pulp (SBP) and corn stover (CS). To carry out the conceptual design of a process at an early stage of development, SuperPro Designer® is used as simulation tool for developing the process alternatives within an industrial approach. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology will be applied to identify the main environmental impacts associated with the production process. Based on the economic and environmental evaluation, SBP proved to be the best carbon source for the nisin production process, followed by CW. Regarding CS, this alternative should overcome the drawbacks associated with enzyme consumption and limited nisin production yieldThis research has been financially supported by the European project iFermenter (Grant Agreement 79057. Ifermenter is a project funded under the "Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme". The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC ED431C 2017/29) and to the Cross-disciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS Research Center, ED431E 2018/01)S

Integrated evaluation of wine lees valorization to produce value-added products

The integrated evaluation of the valorization of wine lees to produce value-added products was carried out in this study from a life-cycle perspective. The consumption of steam has been demonstrated as the main hot spot, reaching 85.7% of the impact on Fossil Depletion and 85.3% on Climate Change. Bearing in mind that four different value-added products are produced, a sensitivity analysis was carried out in order to ascertain the influence of the functional unit and the allocation method on the environmental outcomes. The performance of this system was compared to other processes that produce antioxidants from different raw materials. These processes were phycocyanin recovery from Spirulina platensis cyanobacterium, the production of the red antioxidant astaxanthin by microalgae and the valorization of the macroalgae Sargassum muticum. Wine lees valorization showed a better environmental profile throughout the entire life cycle, due to the fact that most of the operations performed are physical (solid/liquid separations, distillations, evaporations, etc.) and do not involve a large consumption of electricity or chemicals. However, there is still room for improvement, and future research should focus on optimizing the extraction of antioxidants from wine lees using two-stages aqueous systems, ultrasonic or microwave assisted extraction, in the pursuit of better performance and lower environmental impactThis research was supported by the European Project STAR-ProBio (Grant Agreement Number 727740). The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group GRC ED431C 2017/2019 and to the CRETUS Strategic Partnership (ED431E 2018/01). All these programmes are co-funded by FEDER (EU)S

Evaluating the environmental profiles of winter wheat rotation systems under different management strategies

Climate change poses a remarkable challenge to global food security, for which wheat is one of the main staple agricultural commodities. The cultivation of different varieties of winter wheat in Galicia (commercial and native) under rotation systems with potato, maize and oilseed rape was evaluated from an environmental point of view. The general approach of this study included the gathering of the inventory data of the different crops, the quantification of their environmental impacts and economic benefits, to identify the best land management system. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used as environmental tool. The environmental profiles of each rotation system were reported in terms of nine impact categories. Crop rotations were analysed both per hectare and per € of gross margin, so that the information can be relevant to land-management decisions. Preference ranks were established based on an environmental normalized score for both units. The results suggest that arable operations contribute decisively to the environmental profile of the rotations. The avoided mineral fertilization processes, the carbon storage in the soil when returning straw to the field, as well as the electricity production clearly influence the environmental impact of the rotations. Scenarios that include native wheat under organic management are always the environmentally preferred ones while the preferred alternate crop depends on the reference unit. Concerning the margin gross, scenarios including the native variety report the highest profits, being the potato the preferred alternate crop. Further assessment needs to be undertaken to identify differences in the results of different ways of conducting LCA, i.e. attributional vs consequential approachesThis research has been supported by the project Enhancing diversity in Mediterranean cereal farming systems (CerealMed) project funded by PRIMA Programme and FEDER/Ministry of Science and Innovation – Spanish National Research Agency (PCI2020-111978), by FEDER 2019/058A project in collaboration with Panaderia da Cunha and by a project granted by Xunta de Galicia (project ref. ED431F 2016/001). S.G.-G. and M.T.M. belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group GRC2013-032, co-funded by Xunta de Galicia and FEDER (EU). S.G-G. would like to express her gratitude to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grant references RYC-2014-14984) and the Spanish Ministry of Education and Professional Training (Grant reference CAS19/00037) for financial supportS