Sean B. Walker

Strategic analysis of the Kyoto Protocol

Systems methodologies for analyzing independent behavior and coalition formation under conflict are employed to examine the strategic impact of the decision of the United States not to sign the Kyoto Protocol upon the preferences and attitudes of Russia. The reduction of greenhouse gases to control climate change is a complex system of systems problem involving not only environmental factors but also social, economic and political issues among industrial and developing nations. The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 was an attempt to provide economic and political incentives for nations to join a coalition for the reduction of emission levels. The analysis of this conflict demonstrates the influence that the United States had on the Kyoto Protocol and the effects of international relationships in forming a working coalition to combat climate change.

Attitudes and preferences: Approaches to representing decision maker desires

Abstract Informative interrelationships between attitudes and preferences when formally studying a conflict within the framework of the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution are specified through the development of formal theorems. Specifically, the parallel nature of attitudes and preferences is illuminated to show how attitudes can provide a simple way to more effectively represent complex preference structures when decision makers hold concern for other decision makers’ interests. To illustrate this important property of attitudes, the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution is applied to the negotiation over the sale of a brownfield property both with and without attitudes.

Power-to-gas in a demand-response market

Power-to-gas is a versatile and effective form of energy storage by which electrolysis generates hydrogen. The produced hydrogen thus becomes an alternative energy vector, which can be contained within the natural gas energy infrastructure or other storage medium. By means of the rapid response of polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysers, Power-to-Gas can also use natural gas energy storage to offer auxiliary and regulatory power services of high value, as well as energy transformation. A General Algebraic Modelling Simulation illustrates the effectiveness of Power-to-Gas in offering green hydrogen while also performing Demand-Response ancillary services.

A Matrix Representation of Attitudes in Conflicts

A formal matrix representation for analyzing a decision makers (DMs) attitudes in a conflict is defined and applied to the problem of negotiating the acquisition of a brownfield property by a developer from a property owner. A DMs attitudes are expressed in her or his consideration of her own preferences, as well as those of her opponents. Understanding these attitudes is essential to having a grasp on the possible outcomes of a given conflict. However, these attitudes are often difficult to represent and even more difficult to encode effectively within a decision support system. Therefore, a matrix representation, which constitutes a more efficient way of expressing attitudes in a programming environment, is developed in this research.

Power-to-gas to meet transportation demand while providing ancillary services to the electrical grid

Power-to-gas is a versatile and effective form of energy storage by which electrolysis generates hydrogen. The produced hydrogen thus becomes an alternative energy vector, which can be contained within the natural gas infrastructure or other storage medium. By means of the rapid response of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzers, Power-to-Gas is also able to offer important and high value auxiliary and regulatory power services, as well as energy transformation. In this paper, the authors use the General Algebraic Modeling Simulation to develop a simulation of a 2MW Power-to-Gas system that produces hydrogen to meet the demand of a hydrogen fueling station, while providing ancillary service to the electrical grid.

Decarbonizing transportation through the use of power-to-gas for oil refining operations

Power-to-Gas is a technology that generates hydrogen by electrolysis. It can be used to provide a number of energy services including energy storage, ancillary services for the electrical grid and, the production of hydrogen for industrial processes and transportation fuel. Hydrogen has many industrial applications such as in oil refining where it is used primarily in hydrotreating and hydrocracking processes. The purpose of this paper is to provide an incentive for using power-to-gas technology for oil refining processes in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint in refining industry and ultimately the transportation sector. It also highlights the optimal size and operation of the hydrogen production facility that include polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzers to meet the proposed refinery demand. The economic calculations include comparison of the cost of hydrogen (

Attitudes and coalitions within brownfield redevelopment projects

per kg) between electrolysis and steam methane reforming. The carbon pricing is also incorporated in the analysis to show its potential impact in the costing of both technologies.

Coalitions and attitudes in petroleum brownfield decision making

Within the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution, a formal model for attitudes of decision makers is applied to the study of brownfield redevelopment projects. The formation of coalitions is examined in conjunction with attitudes, to illustrate what opportunities for cooperation exist within brownfield redevelopment. Combining attitudes and coalition formation within the graph model allows for a more complete understanding of how cities, developers and the general public affect the success of brownfield renovation projects through their positive and negative interactions.

Attitudes of institutions in brownfield redevelopment projects

A formal conflict methodology is applied to the practical negotiation of a petroleum brownfield transaction to illustrate the usefulness of this novel theoretical development and the inherent need for cooperation and coalition movements in brownfield negotiations. The Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR), a flexible formal conflict model, and associated frameworks used for analyzing coalitions, attitudes and coalitions and attitudes (COAT) are employed and defined formally herein. Using these important approaches, decision analysts can gain insight into what type of strategic decision making will help bring problems, such as the negotiation of liability around a petroleum brownfield, to a win-win resolution.

Comparative safety risk and the use of repurposed EV batteries for stationary energy storage

Systems tools for analyzing the impact of stakeholder attitudes under conflict are utilized to examine the decision of the University of Waterloo to build its new school of pharmacy on a brownfield property in downtown Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. The redevelopment of brownfield properties often has tremendous environmental impacts due to the remediation of the contaminated subsurface. However, there is also a significant increase in the social and financial well-being of the community when a property is redeveloped. Often brownfield redevelopment projects are not undertaken due to the risk of liability that the developer may face. The analysis of this redevelopment project demonstrates the importance of institutional attitudes in the negotiations surrounding brownfield redevelopment projects.