Archive | 2019
Design and Operation of Technoecological Synergy: A No2 Case Study
Abstract
Abstract Over last several decades, engineering design has expanded to not only make processes more profitable but to reduce environmental impact of human activities. Despite these efforts, human impact on nature is still significant as engineering tends to ignore nature’s capacity to provide goods and services which leads to ecological overshoot. Hence, in order to design truly sustainable systems, one should consider alternatives that can help reduce ecological overshoot and avoid unintended consequences. Nature-based solutions like forest, wetlands, etc. can help alleviate ecological capacity and avoid unintended consequences, as nature has always been “sustainable”. In order to use these ecological solutions, traditional large-scale chemical processing facilities have to embrace and respect the intermittent seasonal availability of ecological goods and services. In this work, we consider a chloralkali production with attached utility generator that is located in Freeport Texas, which is a nitrogen dioxide (NO2) non-attainment zone where NO2 emissions are not permitted. Utility generation unit emits nitrogen dioxide and the goal of the operator is to limit emission of NO2 for which we explore two alternatives: 1) a technological unit known as Selective Catalytic Reactor (SCR) 2) an ecological solution in form of forest ecosystem. We use iTree-Eco and Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) to model monthly capacity of forest ecosystem to take up NO2 emissions over a period of 20 years. Combining the technological and ecological models, we solve a stochastic mixed integer design and operation planning problem to find optimal combination of technology and nature. This novel synergistic solution is economically and environmentally superior manufacturing approach compared to traditional systems that ignore nature’s ability to provide goods and services. These results demonstrate the need to shift from traditional engineering paradigm of out pacing nature to adopting the dynamics of nature to get maximum sustainable profitability.