Keywords
environmental performance, sensitivity analysis, uncertainty, reliability
Start Date
1-7-2012 12:00 AM
Abstract
Environmental Performance Evaluation (EPE) methods provide an objectivenumerical measurement for understanding the environmental impact of industrial activities.Currently available methods have the following drawbacks: first, most of them donot provide a single measure, this results in multiple incomplete and inaccurate measuresthat are not compatibly interpretable. Second, they only consider a limited numberof environmental impacts for subsequent evaluation. Third, they ignore the uncertaintiesinvolved in the industrial process; e.g. random data or incomplete data collection. In thispaper, a new method is used to compare three different designs of formaldehyde productionprocess. These designs share a few common elements. This paper investigatesthrough sensitivity analysis how changes in the calculated Environmental PerformanceParameter (EPP) can be attributed to differences in the design and/or operational parametersof the equipment. The results of this study reveal the influence of employingdifferent designs or unit operations on the calculated EPP. A process manager can usethese results to determine the differing costs associated with alternate modifications toachieve best value. Moreover, this approach can show whether the different sources ofuncertainty in the input of an EPE contribute to those in the output (EPP), such as possiblehuman errors or lack of information about process and environment interactions.
Industrial Environmental Performance Evaluation - Comparison and Sensitivity Analysis
Environmental Performance Evaluation (EPE) methods provide an objectivenumerical measurement for understanding the environmental impact of industrial activities.Currently available methods have the following drawbacks: first, most of them donot provide a single measure, this results in multiple incomplete and inaccurate measuresthat are not compatibly interpretable. Second, they only consider a limited numberof environmental impacts for subsequent evaluation. Third, they ignore the uncertaintiesinvolved in the industrial process; e.g. random data or incomplete data collection. In thispaper, a new method is used to compare three different designs of formaldehyde productionprocess. These designs share a few common elements. This paper investigatesthrough sensitivity analysis how changes in the calculated Environmental PerformanceParameter (EPP) can be attributed to differences in the design and/or operational parametersof the equipment. The results of this study reveal the influence of employingdifferent designs or unit operations on the calculated EPP. A process manager can usethese results to determine the differing costs associated with alternate modifications toachieve best value. Moreover, this approach can show whether the different sources ofuncertainty in the input of an EPE contribute to those in the output (EPP), such as possiblehuman errors or lack of information about process and environment interactions.
