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Processes
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Process Design and Sustainable Development
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Process Design and Sustainable Development

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2022) | Viewed by 50159

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Peter Glavič

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Interests: process systems engineering; environmental engineering; sustainable development in chemical and process industries; process design; retrofit and optimization; energy integration; water and waste reduction; recycling; cleaner production; indicators of sustainable development; sustainable university;sustainable consumption; Standardization; member of the Slovenian agency for standardization; chairing the technical committee for quantities, units, technical drawings; dealing (sending remarks, translating, etc.) with ISO and IEC standards
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Process design deals with the most important long-term engineering decisions in chemical and process industries. It determines process economics, environmental impact, workers' wellbeing, etc. In short, it covers all the three pillars of sustainable development. The United Nations resolution (2015) Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development defined 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); one of the most important ones is the Goal No. 12: “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.” It includes 11 out of the 169 targets to be achieved in the next decade. Three of them are of utmost importance to industrial development:

  • By 2030, achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
  • By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil.
  • By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

SDG 12 includes consumption of raw materials, energy, water and other resources used in process industries and their value chains. It is embracing circular economy, resource efficiency, zero waste and design for environment (eco-design). The European Green Deal (2019) calls for climate-neutral continent by 2050 by investing in innovation, research, and education to redesign economy, update pollution strategy and industrial policy. A New Circular Economy Action Plan focusing on sustainable resource use, especially in resource-intensive sectors, will be proposed. The virus crisis is going to intensify research, development, design and investments in pharmaceutical and biochemical process industries. Industry 4.0 brings artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, big data, automation, robotics and process intensification.

All these changes require a rapid adaptation of process design for sustainable development, which is the topic we are covering in this Special Issue.

 Topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Chemical process design for sustainable development
  • Design for environment (Eco-design)
  • Design for process intensification
  • Process design for circular economy and resource efficiency
  • Process design for zero waste
  • Process design for Industry 4.0

Prof. Dr. Peter Glavič
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • process design
  • sustainable development
  • eco-design
  • resource efficiency
  • circular economy
  • zero waste
  • responsible consumption
  • sustainable production
  • industry 4.0

Published Papers (17 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review, Other

6 pages, 403 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue on “Process Design and Sustainable Development”
by Peter Glavič
Processes 2023, 11(1), 117; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr11010117 - 31 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1055
Abstract
Thirty years ago, at the United Nations’ (UN) Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 178 countries adopted Agenda 21, a global partnership for sustainable development to improve human lives and protect the environment [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review, Other

29 pages, 13249 KiB  
Article
Building a Digital Twin Simulator Checking the Effectiveness of TEG-ICE Integration in Reducing Fuel Consumption Using Spatiotemporal Thermal Filming Handled by Neural Network Technique
by Ahmed M. Abed, Laila F. Seddek and Samia Elattar
Processes 2022, 10(12), 2701; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10122701 - 14 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1515
Abstract
Scholars seek to recycle wasted energy to produce electricity by integrating thermoelectric generators (TEGs) with internal combustion engines (ICE), which rely on the electrical conductivity, β, of the thermal conductor strips. The TEG legs are alloyed from iron, aluminum and copper in [...] Read more.
Scholars seek to recycle wasted energy to produce electricity by integrating thermoelectric generators (TEGs) with internal combustion engines (ICE), which rely on the electrical conductivity, β, of the thermal conductor strips. The TEG legs are alloyed from iron, aluminum and copper in a strip shape with specific characteristics that guarantee maximum thermo-electric transformation, which has fluctuated between a uniform, Gaussian, and exponential distribution according to the structure of the alloy. The ICE exhaust and intake gates were chosen as the TEG sides. The digital simulator twin model checks the integration efficiency through two sequential stages, beginning with recording the causes of thermal conductivity failure via filming and extracting their data by neural network procedures in the feed of the second stage, which reveal that the cracks are a major obstacle in reducing the TEG-generated power. Therefore, the interest of the second stage is predicting the cracks’ positions, Pi,j, and their intensity, QP, based on the ant colony algorithm which recruits imaging data (STTF-NN-ACO) to install the thermal conductors far away from the cracks’ positions. The proposed metaheuristic (STTF-NN-ACO) verification shows superiority in the prediction over [Mat-ACO] by 8.2% and boosts the TEGs’ efficiency by 32.21%. Moreover, increasing the total generated power by 12.15% and working hours of TEG by 20.39%, reflects reduced fuel consumption by up to 19.63%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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23 pages, 916 KiB  
Article
Toward Net-Zero: The Barrier Analysis of Electric Vehicle Adoption and Transition Using ANP and DEMATEL
by Tsai-Chi Kuo, Yung-Shuen Shen, Napasorn Sriwattana and Ruey-Huei Yeh
Processes 2022, 10(11), 2334; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10112334 - 09 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1929
Abstract
Global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. One of the solutions for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is the adoption and transition from conventional vehicles to electrical vehicles (EVs). Previously, most research on EVs have been from [...] Read more.
Global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. One of the solutions for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is the adoption and transition from conventional vehicles to electrical vehicles (EVs). Previously, most research on EVs have been from a consumer adoption perspective, few of them are from industry transition and consumer adoption perspectives simultaneously. This also highlights the importance of SDG 12 (responsible for consumption and production). Additionally, the analyses were mostly obtained using one methodology and demonstrated only by weighting without relationships among factors. To consider the problem of adoption and transition, a systematic method should be developed. Therefore, this study intends to identify, prioritize, and display the relationship between EV adoption barriers from an automotive industry perspective using an analytic network process (ANP) and the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method. The research results show two contributions: First, the identified and prioritized barriers that automakers encounter in EV transition also explored the interrelationships among these barriers. Second, a model comparison of two multicriteria decision-making approaches was conducted to prioritize and identify the interlinkages among EV uptake barriers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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20 pages, 4288 KiB  
Article
Zero-Waste Watermelon Production through Nontraditional Rind Flour: Multiobjective Optimization of the Fabrication Process
by Juan Pablo Capossio, María Paula Fabani, María Celia Román, Xin Zhang, Jan Baeyens, Rosa Rodriguez and Germán Mazza
Processes 2022, 10(10), 1984; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10101984 - 01 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2740
Abstract
Watermelon is a fruit produced around the world. Unfortunately, about half of it—the rind—is usually discarded as waste. To transform such waste into a useful product like flour, a thermal treatment is needed. The drying temperature for the rind that produces flour with [...] Read more.
Watermelon is a fruit produced around the world. Unfortunately, about half of it—the rind—is usually discarded as waste. To transform such waste into a useful product like flour, a thermal treatment is needed. The drying temperature for the rind that produces flour with the best characteristics is most important. A multiobjective optimization (MOO) procedure was applied to define the optimum drying temperature for the rind flour fabrication to be used in bakery products. A neural network model of the fabrication process was developed with the drying temperature as input and five process indicators as outputs. The group of process indicators comprised acidity, pH, water-holding capacity (WHC), oil-holding capacity (OHC), and batch time. Those indicators represent conflicting objectives that are to be balanced by the MOO procedure using the weighted distance method. The MOO process showed that the temperature interval from 67.3 °C to 73.1 °C holds the compromise solutions for the conflicting indicators based on the stakeholder’s preferences. Optimum indicator were 0.12–0.19 g malic acid/100 g dwb (acidity), 5.7–5.8 (pH), 8.93–9.08 g H2O/g dwb (WHC), 1.46–1.56 g oil/g dwb (OHC), and 128–139 min (drying time). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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12 pages, 1128 KiB  
Article
Project Management Maturity and Business Excellence in the Context of Industry 4.0
by Angela Fajsi, Slobodan Morača, Marko Milosavljević and Nenad Medić
Processes 2022, 10(6), 1155; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10061155 - 09 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2884
Abstract
Even though Industry 4.0 is primarily focused on the implementation of advanced digital technologies, this is not the only aspect that should be considered. One of the aspects that calls for attention is the ability to create a sustainable and agile industrial environment. [...] Read more.
Even though Industry 4.0 is primarily focused on the implementation of advanced digital technologies, this is not the only aspect that should be considered. One of the aspects that calls for attention is the ability to create a sustainable and agile industrial environment. In this sense, the role of project management is crucial for achieving business excellence in a new industrial paradigm. The main goal of this paper was to determine the impact of different levels of project management maturity on business excellence in the context of Industry 4.0. The research in the paper was made using a sample of 124 organizations, differing in industry type and size, and recognized through the business excellence awards or recognitions given by European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). Using the Project Management Maturity Model (ProMMM), a significant connection was found between project management maturity and business excellence. Considering technology advances, these relationships were further examined in the context of Industry 4.0. Empirically based conclusions were drawn, which contribute to the literature on project management and business excellence in the context of Industry 4.0. Practitioners can implement them for more effective project management with the intention of bringing excellence into the organization’s operations and results. Additionally, they can be useful to help organizations better cope with changing technology trends. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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19 pages, 2235 KiB  
Article
Application Research of Soft Computing Based on Machine Learning Production Scheduling
by Melinda Timea Fülöp, Miklós Gubán, Ákos Gubán and Mihály Avornicului
Processes 2022, 10(3), 520; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10030520 - 05 Mar 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 1845
Abstract
An efficient and flexible production system can contribute to production solutions. These advantages of flexibility and efficiency are a benefit for small series productions or for individual articles. The aim of this research was to produce a genetic production system schedule similar to [...] Read more.
An efficient and flexible production system can contribute to production solutions. These advantages of flexibility and efficiency are a benefit for small series productions or for individual articles. The aim of this research was to produce a genetic production system schedule similar to the sustainable production scheduling problem of a discrete product assembly plant, with more heterogeneous production lines, and controlled by one-time orders. First, we present a detailed mathematical model of the system under investigation. Then, we present the IT for a solution based on a soft calculation method. In connection with this model, a computer application was created that analyzed various versions of the model with several practical problems. The applicability of the method was analyzed with software specifically developed for this algorithm and was demonstrated on a practical example. The model handles the different products within an order, as well as their different versions. These were also considered in the solution. The solution of this model is applicable in practice, and offers solutions to better optimize production and reduce the costs of production and logistics. The developed software can not only be used for flexible production lines, but also for other problems in the supply chain that can be employed more widely (such as the problem of delivery scheduling) to which the elements of this model can be applied. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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18 pages, 1749 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Solar Drying of Brewer’s Spent Grains: A Comparison with Conventional Electric Convective Drying
by Juan Pablo Capossio, María Paula Fabani, Andrés Reyes-Urrutia, Rodrigo Torres-Sciancalepore, Yimin Deng, Jan Baeyens, Rosa Rodriguez and Germán Mazza
Processes 2022, 10(2), 339; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10020339 - 10 Feb 2022
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 2807
Abstract
Spent grains from microbreweries are mostly formed by malting barley (or malt) and are suitable for a further valorization process. Transforming spent grains from waste to raw materials, for instance, in the production of nontraditional flour, requires a previous drying process. A natural [...] Read more.
Spent grains from microbreweries are mostly formed by malting barley (or malt) and are suitable for a further valorization process. Transforming spent grains from waste to raw materials, for instance, in the production of nontraditional flour, requires a previous drying process. A natural convection solar dryer (NCSD) was evaluated as an alternative to a conventional electric convective dryer (CECD) for the dehydration process of local microbrewers’ spent grains. Two types of brewer’s spent grains (BSG; Golden ale and Red ale) were dried with both systems, and sustainability indices, specific energy consumption (eC), and CO2 emissions were calculated and used to assess the environmental advantages and disadvantages of the NCSD. Then, suitable models (empirical, neural networks, and computational fluid dynamics) were used to simulate both types of drying processes under different conditions. The drying times were 30–85 min (depending on the drying temperature, 363.15 K and 333.15 K) and 345–430 min (depending on the starting daytime hour at which the drying process began) for the CECD and the NCSD, respectively. However, eC and CO2 emissions for the CECD were 1.68–1.88 · 10−3 (kW h)/kg and 294.80–410.73 kg/(kW h) for the different drying temperatures. Using the NCSD, both indicators were null, considering this aspect as an environmental benefit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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19 pages, 13452 KiB  
Article
Numerical Study of Electrostatic Desalting Process Based on Droplet Collision Time
by Marco A. Ramirez-Argaez, Diego Abreú-López, Jesús Gracia-Fadrique and Abhishek Dutta
Processes 2021, 9(7), 1226; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9071226 - 15 Jul 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2988
Abstract
The desalting process of an electrostatic desalting unit was studied using the collision time of two droplets in a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion based on force balance. Initially, the model was solved numerically to perform a process analysis and to indicate the effect of [...] Read more.
The desalting process of an electrostatic desalting unit was studied using the collision time of two droplets in a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion based on force balance. Initially, the model was solved numerically to perform a process analysis and to indicate the effect of the main process parameters, such as electric field strength, water content, temperature (through oil viscosity) and droplet size on the collision time or frequency of collision between a pair of droplets. In decreasing order of importance on the reduction of collision time and consequently on the efficiency of desalting separation, the following variables can be classified such as moisture content, electrostatic field strength, oil viscosity and droplet size. After this analysis, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of a biphasic water–oil flow was developed in steady state using a Eulerian multiphase framework, in which collision frequency and probability of coalescence of droplets were assumed. This study provides some insights into the heterogeneity of a desalination plant which highlights aspects of design performance. This study further emphasizes the importance of two variables as moisture content and intensity of electrostatic field for dehydrated desalination by comparing the simulation with the electrostatic field against the same simulation without its presence. The overall objective of this study is therefore to show the necessity of including complex phenomena such as the frequency of collisions and coalescence in a CFD model for better understanding and optimization of the desalting process from both process safety and improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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16 pages, 1056 KiB  
Article
A Study of Linkage Effects and Environmental Impacts on Information and Communications Technology Industry between South Korea and USA: 2006–2015
by Junhwan Mun, Eungyeong Yun and Hangsok Choi
Processes 2021, 9(6), 1043; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9061043 - 15 Jun 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2399
Abstract
This study examined the relationship among carbon dioxide emissions and linkage effects using Input–Output (IO) data of the information and communications technology (ICT) industry between South Korea and the USA. As we wanted to find out if the ICT industry, which the world [...] Read more.
This study examined the relationship among carbon dioxide emissions and linkage effects using Input–Output (IO) data of the information and communications technology (ICT) industry between South Korea and the USA. As we wanted to find out if the ICT industry, which the world is passionate about, is a sustainable industry. The linkage effects are analyzed to determine the impact of ICT industry on the national economy, and CO2 emissions of the industry are analyzed to determine how much influence it has on air pollution. In addition, we classify ICT industry by ICT service and manufacturing industries as the key industries in Korea and the US. Data were collected from OECD ranging from 2006 to 2015 in order to quantitatively estimate backward linkage, forward linkage effect, and carbon dioxide emissions. The results indicated that ICT manufacturing industry in Korea has high backward and forward linkage effects. CO2 emissions from ICT service is more than from ICT manufacturing in both Korea and the US. We wanted to find out if the ICT industry, which the world is passionate about, is a sustainable industry. As a contribution, ICT manufacturing and service industries in Korea and the United States are directly compared, and CO2 emissions over 10 years are analyzed in a time series. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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17 pages, 541 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Development in EU Countries in the Framework of the Europe 2020 Strategy
by Elena Širá, Rastislav Kotulič, Ivana Kravčáková Vozárová and Monika Daňová
Processes 2021, 9(3), 443; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9030443 - 28 Feb 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2208
Abstract
The Europe 2020 Strategy was proposed with a long-term vision to ensure prosperity, development, and competitiveness for the member countries. This strategy is divided into three main areas named “growth”. One of these is sustainable growth. This is an area of sustainability, where [...] Read more.
The Europe 2020 Strategy was proposed with a long-term vision to ensure prosperity, development, and competitiveness for the member countries. This strategy is divided into three main areas named “growth”. One of these is sustainable growth. This is an area of sustainability, where the partial targets are referred to as the “20-20-20 approach”, and includes a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, an increase in energy efficiency, and the sharing of renewable energy sources. However, questions arise, including: How do member states meet these targets? Which countries are leaders in this area? According to these stated questions, the aim of this article is to assess how EU countries are meeting the set targets for sustainable growth resulting from the Europe 2020 strategy and to identify the countries with the best results in this area. We looked for answers to these questions in the analysis of sustainable indicators, which were transformed into a synthetic measure for comparability of the resulting values. Finally, we identified the Baltic states, Nordic countries (European Union members), Romania, and Croatia as the best countries in fulfilling the sustainable growth aims. As sustainable development and resource efficiency are crucial areas for the future, it is important to consider these issues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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18 pages, 4448 KiB  
Article
Optimal Cleaning Cycle Scheduling under Uncertain Conditions: A Flexibility Analysis on Heat Exchanger Fouling
by Alessandro Di Pretoro, Francesco D’Iglio and Flavio Manenti
Processes 2021, 9(1), 93; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9010093 - 04 Jan 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2292
Abstract
Fouling is a substantial economic, energy, and safety issue for all the process industry applications, heat transfer units in particular. Although this phenomenon can be mitigated, it cannot be avoided and proper cleaning cycle scheduling is the best way to deal with it. [...] Read more.
Fouling is a substantial economic, energy, and safety issue for all the process industry applications, heat transfer units in particular. Although this phenomenon can be mitigated, it cannot be avoided and proper cleaning cycle scheduling is the best way to deal with it. After thorough literature research about the most reliable fouling model description, cleaning procedures have been optimized by minimizing the Time Average Losses (TAL) under nominal operating conditions according to the well-established procedure. For this purpose, different cleaning actions, namely chemical and mechanical, have been accounted for. However, this procedure is strictly related to nominal operating conditions therefore perturbations, when present, could considerably compromise the process profitability due to unexpected shutdown or extraordinary maintenance operations. After a preliminary sensitivity analysis, the uncertain variables and the corresponding disturbance likelihood were estimated. Hence, cleaning cycles were rescheduled on the basis of a stochastic flexibility index for different probability distributions to show how the uncertainty characterization affects the optimal time and economic losses. A decisional algorithm was finally conceived in order to assess the best number of chemical cleaning cycles included in a cleaning supercycle. In conclusion, this study highlights how optimal scheduling is affected by external perturbations and provides an important tool to the decision-maker in order to make a more conscious design choice based on a robust multi-criteria optimization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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17 pages, 4239 KiB  
Article
Research on Optimization of Coal Slime Fluidized Bed Boiler Desulfurization Cooperative Operation
by Yangjian Xiao, Yudong Xia, Aipeng Jiang, Xiaofang Lv, Yamei Lin and Hanyu Zhang
Processes 2021, 9(1), 75; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9010075 - 31 Dec 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2078
Abstract
The semi-dry desulfurization of slime fluidized bed boilers (FBB) has been widely used due to its advantages of low cost and high desulfurization efficiency. In this paper, the cooperative optimization of a two-stage desulfurization processes in the slime fluidized bed boiler was studied, [...] Read more.
The semi-dry desulfurization of slime fluidized bed boilers (FBB) has been widely used due to its advantages of low cost and high desulfurization efficiency. In this paper, the cooperative optimization of a two-stage desulfurization processes in the slime fluidized bed boiler was studied, and a model-based optimization strategy was proposed to minimize the operational cost of the desulfurization system. Firstly, a mathematical model for the FBB with a two-stage desulfurization process was established. The influences of coal slime elements on combustion flue gas and the factors that may affect the thermal efficiency of the boiler were then analyzed. Then, on the basis of the developed model, a number of parameters affecting the SO2 concentration at the outlet of the slime fluidized bed boiler were simulated and deeply analyzed. In addition, the effects of the sulfur content of coal slime, excess air coefficient, and calcium to sulfur ratio were also discussed. Finally, according to the current SO2 emission standard, the optimization operation problems under different sulfur contents were studied with the goal of minimizing the total desulfurization cost. The results showed that under the same sulfur content, the optimized operation was able to significantly reduce the total desulfurization cost by 9%, consequently improving the thermal efficiency of the boiler, ensuring the stable and up-to-standard emission of flue gas SO2, and thus achieving sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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20 pages, 1466 KiB  
Article
Responsible Design for Sustainable Innovation: Towards an Extended Design Process
by Ricardo J. Hernandez and Julian Goñi
Processes 2020, 8(12), 1574; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr8121574 - 29 Nov 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3755
Abstract
Design as a discipline has changed a lot during the last 50 years. The boundaries have been expanded partially to address the complexity of the problems we are facing nowadays. Areas like sustainable design, inclusive design, codesign, and social design among many more [...] Read more.
Design as a discipline has changed a lot during the last 50 years. The boundaries have been expanded partially to address the complexity of the problems we are facing nowadays. Areas like sustainable design, inclusive design, codesign, and social design among many more have emerged in response to the failures of the production and consumption system in place. In this context, social, environmental, and cultural trends have affected the way artefacts are designed, but the design process itself remains almost unchanged. In some sense, more criteria beyond economic concerns are now taken into consideration when social and environmental objectives are pursued in the design process, but the process to reach those objectives responds to the same stages and logic as in traditional approaches motivated only by economic aims. We propose in this paper an alternative way to understand and represent the design process, especially oriented to develop innovations that are aligned with the social, environmental, and cultural demands the world is facing now and it will face in the future. A new extended design process that is responsible for the consequences produced by the artefacts designed beyond the delivery of the solutions is proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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22 pages, 3252 KiB  
Article
Thermal Assessment of a Micro Fibrous Fischer Tropsch Fixed Bed Reactor Using Computational Fluid Dynamics
by Aya E. Abusrafa, Mohamed S. Challiwala, Benjamin A. Wilhite and Nimir O. Elbashir
Processes 2020, 8(10), 1213; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr8101213 - 27 Sep 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3011
Abstract
A two-dimensional (2D) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) scale-up model of the Fischer Tropsch reactor was developed to thermally compare the Microfibrous-Entrapped-Cobalt-Catalyst (MFECC) and the conventional Packed Bed Reactor (PBR). The model implements an advanced predictive detailed kinetic model to study the effect of [...] Read more.
A two-dimensional (2D) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) scale-up model of the Fischer Tropsch reactor was developed to thermally compare the Microfibrous-Entrapped-Cobalt-Catalyst (MFECC) and the conventional Packed Bed Reactor (PBR). The model implements an advanced predictive detailed kinetic model to study the effect of a thermal runaway on C5+ hydrocarbon product selectivity. Results demonstrate the superior capability of the MFECC bed in mitigating hotspot formation due to its ultra-high thermal conductivity. Furthermore, a process intensification study for radial scale-up of the reactor bed from 15 mm internal diameter (ID) to 102 mm ID demonstrated that large tube diameters in PBR lead to temperature runaway >200 K corresponding to >90% CO conversion at 100% methane selectivity, which is highly undesirable. While the MFECC bed hotspot temperature corresponded to <10 K at >30% CO conversion, attributing to significantly high thermal conductivity of the MFECC bed. Moreover, a noticeable improvement in C5+ hydrocarbon selectivity >70% was observed in the MFECC bed in contrast to a significantly low number for the PBR (<5%). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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20 pages, 6468 KiB  
Article
Continuous Improvement Process in the Development of a Low-Cost Rotational Rheometer
by Francisco J. Hernández-Rangel, María Z. Saavedra-Leos, Josefa Morales-Morales, Horacio Bautista-Santos, Vladimir A. Reyes-Herrera, José M. Rodríguez-Lelis and Pedro Cruz-Alcantar
Processes 2020, 8(8), 935; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr8080935 - 03 Aug 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3209
Abstract
The rheological characterization of fluids using a rheometer is an essential task in food processing, materials, healthcare or even industrial engineering; in some cases, the high cost of a rheometer and the issues related to the possibility of developing both electrorheological and magnetorheological [...] Read more.
The rheological characterization of fluids using a rheometer is an essential task in food processing, materials, healthcare or even industrial engineering; in some cases, the high cost of a rheometer and the issues related to the possibility of developing both electrorheological and magnetorheological tests in the same instrument have to be overcome. With that in mind, this study designed and constructed a low-cost rotational rheometer with the capacity to adapt to electro- and magneto-rheological tests. The design team used the method of continuous improvement through Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and risk analysis tools such as Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA). These analyses were prepared in order to meet the customer’s needs and engineering requirements. In addition to the above, a manufacturing control based on process sheets was used, leading to the construction of a functional rheometer with a cost of USD $1500. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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Review

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24 pages, 1434 KiB  
Review
Updated Principles of Sustainable Engineering
by Peter Glavič
Processes 2022, 10(5), 870; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10050870 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6533
Abstract
A change in human development patterns is needed, including mankind’s environmental, economic, and social behavior. Engineering methods and practices have a substantial impact on the way to sustainable development. An overview of the guiding principles of sustainability, sustainable design, green engineering, and sustainable [...] Read more.
A change in human development patterns is needed, including mankind’s environmental, economic, and social behavior. Engineering methods and practices have a substantial impact on the way to sustainable development. An overview of the guiding principles of sustainability, sustainable design, green engineering, and sustainable engineering is presented first. Sustainable engineering principles need to be updated to include the present state of the art in human knowledge. Therefore, the updated principles of sustainable development are presented, including traditional and more recent items: a holistic approach, sustainability hierarchies, sustainable consumption, resource scarcity, equalities within and between generations, all stakeholders’ engagement, and internalizing externalities. Environmental, social, and economic impacts that respect humans’ true needs and well-being are of importance to the future. The updated 12 principles include the tridimensional system’s approach, precautionary and preventive approaches, and corporate reporting liability. The environmental principles comprise a circular economy with waste minimization, efficient use of resources, increased share of renewables, and sustainable production. The social pillar includes different views of equality, the engagement of stakeholders, social responsibilities, and decent work. Economic principles embrace human capital, creativity, and innovation in the development of products, processes and services, cost-benefit analysis using the Life Cycle Assessment, and the polluters must pay principle. The principles will require further development by engaging individual engineers, educators, and their associations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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21 pages, 335 KiB  
Perspective
Process Design and Sustainable Development—A European Perspective
by Peter Glavič, Zorka Novak Pintarič and Miloš Bogataj
Processes 2021, 9(1), 148; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9010148 - 13 Jan 2021
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4758
Abstract
This paper describes the state of the art and future opportunities for process design and sustainable development. In the Introduction, the main global megatrends and the European Union’s response to two of them, the European Green Deal, are presented. The organization of professionals [...] Read more.
This paper describes the state of the art and future opportunities for process design and sustainable development. In the Introduction, the main global megatrends and the European Union’s response to two of them, the European Green Deal, are presented. The organization of professionals in the field, their conferences, and their publications support the two topics. A brief analysis of the published documents in the two most popular databases shows that the environmental dimension predominates, followed by the economic one, while the social pillar of sustainable development is undervalued. The main design tools for sustainability are described. As an important practical case, the European chemical and process industries are analyzed, and their achievements in sustainable development are highlighted; in particular, their strategies are presented in more detail. The conclusions cover the most urgent future development areas of (i) process industries and carbon capture with utilization or storage; (ii) process analysis, simulation, synthesis, and optimization tools, and (iii) zero waste, circular economy, and resource efficiency. While these developments are essential, more profound changes will be needed in the coming decades, such as shifting away from growth with changes in habits, lifestyles, and business models. Lifelong education for sustainable development will play a very important role in the growth of democracy and happiness instead of consumerism and neoliberalism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Design and Sustainable Development)
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