Thermodynamics-Based Process Sustainability Evaluation

Urban and industrial symbiosis for circular economy: Total EcoSite Integration

The paper presents an extension of Pinch Analysis and namely, Total Site Process Integration. It benefits from up to date developments and introduction of Total EcoSite Integration for urban and industrial symbiosis. An important development is Pinch Analysis for Solid Waste Integration which is a crucial step for the symbiosis in a circular economy. As the potential EcoSites are usually extensive and cover various units, a methodology based on clusters has been used. The solution has been supported by graphical tools using the analogy with already implemented extensions of Pinch Analysis. The results of a demonstration case study revealed the potential of the novel approach. The identified integrated design increased the energy recovered from the solid waste by 11.39 MWh/d and diverted 2 t/d of the waste from the landfill, benefiting both the urban and industrial site. The proposed approach is also capable of minimising the requirement of energy-intensive thermal drying for waste whenever the process allowed, subsequently offer a solution with lower environmental footprint and cost. For future work, a even more comprehensive case study can be conducted by considering the other forms of the waste, recovery process and drying approaches.

Emerging Tools for Energy System Design Increasing Economic and Environmental Sustainability

Energy is a fundamental element supporting societal development, particularly with the increasing dependency on the Internet of Things. It is also the main contributor to environmental impacts and subsequently, a potential sector for mitigation. Sustainable energy system design considers energy savings and energy efficiency, waste and consumption reduction, process efficiency enhancement, waste heat recovery, and integration of renewable energy. Emerging tools range from advanced Process Integration, modelling, simulation, and optimisation, to system analysis and assessment. This review covers selected emerging studies promoting sustainable system design, including the recent developments reported in the Special Issue (SI) of the 22nd Conference on Process Integration, Modelling and Optimisation for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction (PRES’19). The primary emphasis was to enhance the economic and environmental performance. However, social factors were also highlighted as essential for future sustainable development. The discussion and analysis in this review focus on the most recent developments of (a) heat integration and heat transfer; (b) integrated and newly developed heat exchangers, (c) integration of renewables, and (d) roles in economic and environmental sustainability. The key results are highlighted, and future research ideas are suggested according to their links to a broader context.