Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2008. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-57). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009. / Submitted to the African Centre for Crop Improvement. Full text also available online. Scroll down for electronic link.

This thesis deals with the evaluation of the strategic investment in the waste-to-energy plant development. The central supply of heat and the incineration plant connection can be provided for example by the distribution network. The objective is to find financially feasible solution regarding uncertain development of waste management and energy market. A heat supplies to district heating network significantly influences the strategic decision. A two-stage stochastic programming based on the scenarios and the GAMS software were applied to solve this task. The main contribution of this thesis is decision on crucial parameters of the waste-to-energy plant.

PhD thesis deals with the application of the simulation and optimization methods in the waste-to-energy field. An introduction describes the current state of the waste management in the EU with the focus on the Czech Republic. In the following chapter the evaluation criteria for investment intentions and the basic principles of stochastic programming are discussed. The core of the work lays in the mathematical models for the planning and operation of the process plants as well as in the mathematical models for the waste collection. The transportation problem involves all considered technological elements and therefore it is possible to simulate the waste streams between the producers and processors. This approach is demonstrated with five case studies. In the first three studies the calculations for the potential investor are presented. The main outcome of these case studies is the determination of the level of attractiveness of investment and the identification the greatest risks. Another case study is devoted to an analysis with the focus on perspective of government policies and in the last case study the issue of the waste management is analyzed in detail from the perspective of the waste producers. Developed computational tools are flexible and can be further developed and adapted based on the objectives of the specific tasks.

This thesis is devoted to the construction of new waste-to-energy plants in a territory where is already another fossil-fuel power station in operation. The aim is to create a mathematical model and prove that those two devices are able to cooperate effectively using same technology. Exactly assembled model under real operating have characteristics of a mixed integer nonlinear programming. The optimization software GAMS is used for its calculation. The complexity of the model, however, is at a level that solutions in bad initial conditions ends in local optima, or not found at all. This thesis is devoted to the elimination of non-linearity using binary variables and heuristic so the task was solved with acceptable time limits to guarantee an optimal solution.

The diploma thesis is focused on the evaluation of small-scale waste to energy plants in the Czech Republic. In the first part, there is a survey of the corresponding literature and general evaluation of the specificities of these plants. The next section analyzes the technical and economic indicators of a specific technology by Microsoft Excel model. Finally, recommendations for small-scale waste to energy plants arising from the model are summarized.

The diploma thesis deals with an increasing of utilization of energy during a combustion of waste. The introductory part deals with a presentation of the specific waste to energy unit and its combined heat and power production. In the next part is described a computing tool and the principle of its function. The main part od the thesis deals with a description of cumputing tool testing and with a summary of achieved results.

This master´s thesis deals with an air cooled condenser. The specific attention is focused on the condenser in the Brno´s waste-to-energy plant SAKO. The general process of calculation of the heat transfer coefficient is introduced, which is the base for the calculation of the condenser´s output. This process is later used for the calculation of a specific condenser. A considerable part of the thesis is concentrated on the analysis of behavior of the condenser of SAKO in various conditions from the theoretical point of view and then also in terms of real operation using provided operational data.

The main aim of this thesis is to create a sequence of mathematical optimization models with different levels of complexity for the efficient management and waste energy utilization. Stochastic programming approach was utilized to deal with random demand and uncertain heating values. Hence, more applicable model of the waste-to-energy plant has been developed. As the next step, the model is enhanced by heating plant extension. Computations are realized for real-world data and optimal solution is found by using GAMS implementation.

L’objectif de ce travail est de développer un cadre méthodologique et générique d’éco-conception de procédés chimiques couplant des outils de modélisation et de simulation traditionnels de procédés (HYSYS, COCO, ProSimPlus et Ariane), d’Analyse du Cycle de Vie (ACV), d’optimisation multiobjectif basée sur des Algorithmes Génétiques et enfin des outils d’aide à la décision multicritère (ELECTRE, PROMETHEE, M-TOPSIS). Il s’agit de généraliser, d’automatiser et d’optimiser l’évaluation des impacts environnementaux au stade préliminaire de la conception d’un procédé chimique. L’approche comprend trois étapes principales. Les deux premières correspondent d’une part aux phases d’analyse de l’inventaire par calcul des bilans de matière et d’énergie et d’autre part à l’évaluation environnementale par ACV. Le problème du manque d’information ou de l’imprécision dans les bases de données classiques en ACV pour la production d’énergie notamment sous forme de vapeur largement utilisée dans les procédés a reçu une attention particulière. Une solution proposée consiste à utiliser un simulateur de procédés de production d’utilités (Ariane, ProSim SA) pour contribuer à alimenter la base de données environnementale en tenant compte de variations sur les conditions opératoires ou sur les technologies utilisées. Des sous-modules « énergie » sont ainsi proposés pour calculer les émissions relatives aux impacts liés à l’utilisation de l’énergie dans les procédés. La troisième étape réalise l’interaction entre les deux premières phases et l’optimisation multi-objectif qui met en jeu des critères économiques et environnementaux. Elle conduit à des solutions de compromis le long du front de Pareto à partir desquelles les meilleures sont choisies à l’aide de méthodes d’aide à la décision. L’approche est appliquée à des procédés de production continus : production de benzène par hydrodéalkylation du toluène HDA et production de biodiesel à partir d’huiles végétales. Une stratégie à plusieurs niveaux est mise en oeuvre pour l'analyse de l'optimisation multi-objectif. Elle est utilisée dans les deux cas d'étude afin d'analyser les comportements antagonistes des critères. / The objective of this work is to propose an integrated and generic framework for eco-design coupling traditional modelling and flowsheeting simulation tools (HYSYS, COCO, ProSimPlus and Ariane), Life Cycle Assessment, multi-objective optimization based on Genetic Algorithms and multiple criteria decision-making methods MCDM (Multiple Choice Decision Making, such as ELECTRE, PROMETHEE, M-TOPSIS) that generalizes, automates and optimizes the evaluation of the environmental criteria at earlier design stage. The approach consists of three main stages. The first two steps correspond respectively to process inventory analysis based on mass and energy balances and impact assessment phases of LCA methodology. Specific attention is paid to the main issues that can be encountered with database and impact assessment i.e. incomplete or missing information, or approximate information that does not match exactly the real situation that may introduce a bias in the environmental impact estimation. A process simulation tool dedicated to production utilities, Ariane, ProSim SA is used to fill environmental database gap, by the design of specific energy sub modules, so that the life cycle energy related emissions for any given process can be computed. The third stage of the methodology is based on the interaction of the previous steps with process simulation for environmental impact assessment and cost estimation through a computational framework. The use of multi-objective optimization methods generally leads to a set of efficient solutions, the so-called Pareto front. The next step consists in identifying the best ones through MCDM methods. The approach is applied to two processes operating in continuous mode. The capabilities of the methodology are highlighted through these case studies (benzene production by HDA process and biodiesel production from vegetable oils). A multi-level assessment for multi-objective optimization is implemented for both cases, the explored pathways depending on the analysis and antagonist behaviour of the criteria.