Grantee Research Project Results
1998 Progress Report: Development and Testing of Pollution Prevention Design Aids for Process Analysis and Decision Making
EPA Grant Number: R825370C065Subproject: this is subproject number 065 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R825370
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: The Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research, Inc., Environmental Research and Technology Transfer Program
Center Director: Schumacher, Dorin
Title: Development and Testing of Pollution Prevention Design Aids for Process Analysis and Decision Making
Investigators: Barna, Bruce A. , Rogers, Tony N.
Institution: Michigan Technological University
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: January 1, 1997 through January 1, 1999
Project Period Covered by this Report: January 1, 1997 through January 1, 1998
RFA: Exploratory Environmental Research Centers (1992) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Center for Clean Industrial and Treatment Technologies (CenCITT) , Targeted Research
Objective:
This project is to create the evaluation and analysis module which will serve as the engine for design comparison in the CPAS Focus Area. The current title for this module is the Design Options Ranking Tool (DORT).
Progress Summary:
The DORT module is a necessary component of CPAS. DORT implements
the "compare" phase of the three-tiered approach to information delivery
and P2 analysis implemented by CPAS:
- Find Candidate Technologies, Processes or Retrofits
Simulate and Size Equipment
Compare and Rank Candidate Options
DORT is envisioned as the analysis and comparison engine within CPAS that will help the designer to rank the multiple design alternatives using the various performance measures generated by CPAS. Ultimately these performance measures will include economics, environmental impact, and safety.
The DORT module is intended to be a prototype of the information flow and algorithms necessary to develop a pollution-conscious process design and retrofit capability. This is intended to occur through software module linkages to other CPAS design aids and existing commercial process simulator programs.
Through the use of case studies, we intend to demonstrate the use of the DORT module as the analysis engine for a variety of cost and non-cost measures which are being developed under CPAS or elsewhere. For example, the CPAS Environmental Fate and Risk Assessment Tool (EFRAT) and Safety Tool (Dow Indices Tools) are index generators that can be used to rank processes with respect to environmental fate and safety.
These process attributes can then be combined with cost or other performance measures to provide an overall rank of process options based on user-supplied index weightings. Ideally this information will be provided to the designer incrementally as the conceptual process design is being developed.
The present approach is to conduct a systematic evaluation of the necessary components of a general P2 assessment algorithm and the information flow between the pieces. A paradigm process (case study) will illustrate the application of the tools and techniques. A P2 assessment methodology will be developed which illustrates the logical ordering of the calculation steps necessary to process the information being passed between components and identifies what needed information and data are not being provided by process simulators or other sources.
The component parts of the DORT project are:
- 1. Economic Evaluation Aid
2. Costing Database
3. Graphical Interface
4. Stochastic Model
5. Advanced Hierarchical Procedure (AHP) Decision Making Aid
As stated in previous status reports, "items 1, 2, and 3, above, are generally complete as the centerpiece of a Masters thesis (Toth, 1995)". They required significant professional programmer time during the current report cycle to convert them to a commercially viable software product. We are pleased to report that this effort is now substantially complete. The software prototype has been completely redesigned for user friendliness with a front end that more closely corresponds to other CPAS software.
The first case study, an analysis of cogeneration options, was reported in a previous status report as complete and documented in a Masters thesis (Herlevich, 1997). The second case study, a solvent recovery design problem, was undertaken to better illustrate P2 options and more fully understand the necessary information flow. All of the goals of this case study have been successfully completed including items 4 and 5 above. The results are documented in four recent Masters theses (Figueroa, 1998; Sangwichien, 1998; Dechapanya, 1998; and Hiew, 1998). In addition the results have been disseminated through presentations at national meetings and publications.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 8 publications for this subprojectSupplemental Keywords:
RFA, Scientific Discipline, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Sustainable Industry/Business, cleaner production/pollution prevention, computing technology, Economics and Business, pollution prevention, Environmental Engineering, industrial process design, in-process changes, in-process waste minimization, industrial design for environment, cleaner production, environmentally conscious manufacturing, green design, pollution prevention design tool, decision making, Environmental Technologies Design Options Tool (EDOT), physico-chemical properties, clean technology, Design Option Ranking Tool (DORT), Clean Process Advisory System (CPAS), computer science, CPAS, industrial process, industry pollution prevention research, process modification, information technology, innovative technology, outreach and education, industrial innovations, environmentally conscious design, green technologyRelevant Websites:
process design assistance software, P2 design tools, CPAS.Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractMain Center Abstract and Reports:
R825370 The Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research, Inc., Environmental Research and Technology Transfer Program Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R825370C032 Means for Producing an Entirely New Generation of Lignin-Based Plastics
R825370C042 Environmentally Conscious Design for Construction
R825370C046 Clean Process Advisory System (CPAS) Core Activities
R825370C048 Investigation of the Partial Oxidation of Methane to Methanol in a Simulated Countercurrent Moving Bed Reactor
R825370C054 Predictive Tool for Ultrafiltration Performance
R825370C055 Heuristic Reactor Design for Clean Synthesis and Processing - Separative Reactors
R825370C056 Characterization of Selective Solid Acid Catalysts Towards the Rational Design of Catalytic Reactions
R825370C057 Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing: Prediction of Processing Waste Streams for Discrete Products
R825370C064 The Physical Properties Management System (PPMS): A P2 Engineering Aid to Support Process Design and Analysis
R825370C065 Development and Testing of Pollution Prevention Design Aids for Process Analysis and Decision Making
R825370C066 Design Tools for Chemical Process Safety: Accident Probability
R825370C067 Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing: Design for Disassembly (DFD) in De-Manufacturing of Products
R825370C068 An Economic Comparison of Wet and Dry Machining
R825370C069 In-Line Copper Recovery Technology
R825370C070 Selective Catalytic Hydrogenation of Lactic Acid
R825370C071 Biosynthesis of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Polymers from Industrial Wastewater
R825370C072 Tin Zeolites for Partial Oxidation Catalysis
R825370C073 Development of a High Performance Photocatalytic Reactor System for the Production of Methanol from Methane in the Gas Phase
R825370C074 Recovery of Waste Polymer Generated by Lost Foam Technology in the Metal Casting Industry
R825370C075 Industrial Implementation of the P2 Framework
R825370C076 Establishing Automated Linkages Between Existing P2-Related Software Design Tools
R825370C077 Integrated Applications of the Clean Process Advisory System to P2-Conscious Process Analysis and Improvement
R825370C078 Development of Environmental Indices for Green Chemical Production and Use
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.
Project Research Results
Main Center: R825370
155 publications for this center
36 journal articles for this center