Numerous factors have pushed energy from biomass to the forefront of policy and industry discussions. Large harvests of traditional crops, low farm prices, dependence on foreign energy sources, and environmental problems have increased interest in renewable energy sources. Tools are needed to evaluate and compare different available feedstocks and to identify parameters and modifications for the production of renewable fuels such as biodiesel. The first paper examines the development of a biodiesel process model using commonly available spreadsheet software and process-engineering principles. The basis of the model is a continuous process with two stirred-tank reactors and sodium methoxide catalysis. The process is modeled as 27 units with 51 flows and 18 components. Mass flow rates and compositions of the process input and output streams are quantified using mass and component balances, energy balances, stoichiometric relations, and established process parameters. Oil composition and rate, methanol:triglyceride ratio, and expected transesterification of triglyceride are the user-specified inputs in the model. Based on commonly reported parameters (6: 1 methanol:triglyceride ratio and 98% transesterification) and a basis of 100 kg/h crude soybean oil, the model computes inputs of 13.8, 10.8, and 34.7 (in kg/h) for methanol, 10% sodium methoxide in methanol, and process water, respectively; and outputs of 93.5, 10.3, and 55.6 for soy biodiesel, glycerol, and waste stream, respectively. In the second paper, the mass flow rate data from the developed biodiesel process model are linked to cost data for evaluating the economic feasibility of biodiesel production in North Dakota with canola oil as the feedstock. Estimations of capital investment cost and total annual biodiesel product cost are conducted for two canola biodiesel production plants with 5 and 30 million gallons per year (MGY) capacities. These capacities were selected based on North Dakota and neighboring states' biodiesel demands, respectively. Capital investment cost analysis shows the presence of considerable economies of scale for the biodiesel production process for the two capacities. These cost calculations are based on the purchased equipment cost calculated from the equipment specifications. Total annual biodiesel product cost analysis shows that the major portion (>80%) of the total product cost is the raw material cost, similar to the analysis of previous economic feasibility studies. Cost benefits from the economies of scale are still present for the fixed charges, general expenses, and the manufacturing costs (other than the raw material costs) in the annual product cost calculations for the two production plant capacities. Finally, based on the gross profit evaluation for both plants, this study concludes that it is more worthwhile to invest in the 30 MGY production plant because of the greater cost returns from the economies of scale benefits. The results are more encouraging after the incorporation of the federal biodiesel tax incentive and favor the investment for biodiesel production in North Dakota. / North Dakota. Agricultural Experiment Station / USDA-CSREES (under Agreement No. 2003-34471-13523)

Copper is an essential metal in today’s economy, due to its superior electrical and thermal conductivities, alloying properties, and chemical uses. Most copper is produced viamining and refining, and most copper is found in the earth’s crust as chalcopyrite, CuFeS2. Typically, chalcopyrite is concentrated and fed to a high temperature pyrometallurgical process which produces >99.99% purity copper cathodes. Recently, Freeport-McMoRan Inc. has implemented a hydrometallurgical autoclave-leaching process that takes chalcopyrite concentrate and produces copper cathodes. It is imperative that these pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processes be modeled and compared so that the extraction industry can best decide which technology to apply in the future. This work presents transient, reduced-order models for the comparison of the two processes using exergy balances. Exergy is typically thought of as the maximum work extractable from a system as it spontaneously reacts to the state of the surrounding environment; for extractive processes, it is also helpful to think of exergy as the minimum work required to effect a concentration, e.g. of copper. Exergy balances are thus similar to first law balances, but they comment on the location and magnitude of usefulenergy flows, instead of energy flows in general. For the baseline case, this work found that the pyrometallurgical process up to 99.5% copper anode stored 54% of the fed exergy in product, lost 20% of the fed exergy, and destroyed the remaining 26%. In contrast, the hydrometallurgical process up to 30 grams-per-liter copper pregnant-leach-solution stored 5% of the fed exergy in product, lost 9% of the fed exergy, and destroyed the remaining 86%. The effects of process variations are also looked at. It is recommended that this work be incorporated in whole-plant exergy balances to more precisely examine the tradeoffs between the pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical routes of copper extraction from chalcopyrite concentrates.

Optimized fiber utilization is crucial to the process efficiency and profitability in paper and board making. The fibers can be developed in a refining process in order to reach a desired quality level. Refining causes a variety of simultaneous structural changes to the fibers such as internal fibrillation, external fibrillation and fines formation that contribute in different ways to improve the sheet consolidation and enforce bonding between fibers. This increases the strength, which is one of the quality parameters of paper. Three grades of refining are studied. Microscopy of the pulps shows that the fines are not a homogeneous fraction. However, in analyzing SEM images of the handsheet surfaces, fibrillar fines and their bundles are observed to form links between neighboring fibers which can reinforce the network and the bond regions. The fiber characterization method by FiberLab only captures trends in changed fines content in the pulps and these are underestimations since the instruments optical resolution is limited in characterizing fibrillar fines. SEM images of the cross sections of the sheets along with thickness measurements show that increased grade of refining causes a densification of the sheets. Tensile tests show that refining results in a significant increase in tensile strength and stiffness but a more modest increase in strain at break. A 3D fiber network model is built with a deposition technique according to experimental results. Introducing fines in the same way as fibers and increasing the amount of fibrillar fines does not affect the thickness significantly. The densification is instead captured either by changing the width-to-height ratio of the fiber cross sections or by changing the flexibility of the fibers through the so-called interface angle, both having a large impact on the thickness. But SEM images suggest that the width-height-ratio did not reveal a significant change between the three grades of refining. The effect of refining on the mechanical properties is studied numerically using micromechanical simulations which assist interpretation of experimental results. The FE network simulations show that the thickness change alone cannot explain the increased stiffness observed in physical experiments. The addition of fines fraction modelled to capture the fibrillar fines observed in SEM images proved to have a large impact on stiffness comparable to that of experiments. Thus the increased stiffness is partly due to increased number of contacts after densification and partly due to the addition of fines. / Optimerad användning av fibrerna är avgörande för processeffektivitet och lönsamhet i tillverkningen av papper och kartong. Fibrerna kan vidareutvecklas genom ytterligare mekanisk malning för att nå önskad fiberkvalitet. Malning leder till en mängd simultana strukturförändringar av fibrerna såsom inre fibrillering, yttre fibrillering och bildning av så kallade fines, finare partiklar, som på olika sätt bidrar till att förbättra pappersarkens sammansättning och förstärka bindningen mellan fibrer. Detta förbättrar pappersstyrkan vilken är en av kvalitetsparametrarna hos papper. Tre malgrader har studerats. Mikroskopbilder av pappersmassan visar att de finare partiklarna inte är en homogen sammansättning. Men i analysen av SEM bilder av pappersarkens ytor så kan fibriller och grupper av fibriller observeras bilda länkar mellan angränsande fibrer vilka kan förstärka fibernätverket och fibrernas bindningsregioner. Fiberkarakteriseringsmetoden utförd av FiberLab kan bara fånga trender i mängden fines i pappersmassorna och dessa är underskattningar eftersom instrumentets optiska upplösning är begränsad i karakteriseringen av fibriller. SEM bilder av arkens tvärsnitt tillsammans med tjockleksmätningar visar på att ökad malgrad resulterar i en förtätning av arken. Dragprov visar att ökad malgrad leder till en märkbar ökad styrka och styvhet men en något blygsammare ökning i töjningsgräns. En 3D fibernätverksmodell skapas med en depositionsteknik enligt experimentella resultat. Genom att introducera fines på samma sätt som fibrer och öka antalet visade sig inte ha någon signifikant inverkan på nätverkets tjocklek. Istället fångas förtätningen av arken på två andra sätt i genereringen av fibernätverket, antingen genom ändring av bredd-höjd kvoten av fibrernas tvärsnitt eller genom förändring av fibrernas flexibilitet med användandet av den så kallade interfacevinkeln, vilka båda har stor inverkan på tjockleken. Men SEM bilder av tvärsnitten visade ingen stor skillnad hos bredd-höjd kvoten mellan de tre malgraderna. Malgradens påverkan på de mekaniska egenskaperna studeras numeriskt genom mikromekaniska simuleringar, vilka jämförs med experimentella resultat. Finita element simuleringarna visar att tjockleksändringen inte ensamt kan förklara den ökade styvheten som observerats i dragproven. Tillägget av fines modellerade att fånga fibrillernas egenskaper observerade i SEM bilder visade sig ha en stor inverkan på styvheten, jämförbar med dragproven. Alltså, den ökade styvheten beror dels på ökat antal kontaktpunkter efter förtätning av arken och dels på innehållet av fines.

M.Tech. (Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology), Vaal University of Technology. / This thesis presents a slight on desulphurization process of the commercial diesel fuel using the carbon-based metal oxide nanocomposites such as graphene oxide, ZnO, rGO as a nano-adsorbent, activated carbon (PAC and AC) and charcoal Granular active carbon (GAC) to produce a fuel of less than 10 ppm sulphur content. Due to the high percentage of sulphur compounds in the fuel causing air pollution, acid rain and other problems related to combustion process. The synthesised of sorbents were achieved using incipient impregnation, microwaved-assisted and chemical exfoliation methods. The materials were characterized using Thermogrametric Analyzer (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET). The examination effect of operating conditions on the adsorption capacity with DBT and Sulphur compounds adsorption, the isotherms and the adsorption kinetic models were evaluated. The experimental data for PAC and AC were well suited to Freundlich isotherm and pseudo second-order kinetic models. The results shown that the sulphur feed concentration, the space velocity and the functional groups of the adsorbents have a considerable effect on the adsorption. In addition, it was observed that the temperature in the range of 30 to 80oC has a significant effect on the adsorption of Sulphur compounds from diesel fuel using 20 wt.% of sorbents. The rGO substrate which contained abundant oxygen functional groups was confirmed to promote the dispersion metal oxide and increased the adsorption efficiency of sulphur compounds (H2S and SO2) by providing oxygen ions weakly bound to the sulphur molecules. For the desulfurization process by adsorption, PAC and AC exhibited a better affinity for 80% removal of sulphur compared to the GAC and GO. The effects of metal species such as zinc oxide (ZnO) and reduced graphite oxide (rGO) composite on the adsorption capacity of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) were investigated. It was found that depending on the copper load, the adsorption capacity of H2S increased up to 20 times compared to pure ZnO. To study the oxidation changes on copper and zinc oxides, crystallite analysis by XRD and chemical state analysis by XPS were performed.

Die Relaxation in der Variationsrechnung führt zu Minimierungsaufgaben mit einer quasi-konvexen Energiedichte. In der nichtlinearen Elastizität, Topologieoptimierung, oder bei Mehrphasenmodellen sind solche Energiedichten konvex mit einer zusätzlichen Kontrolle in der dualen Variablen und einem beidseitigem Wachstum der Ordnung $p$. Diese Minimierungsprobleme haben im Allgemeinen mehrere Lösungen, welche dennoch eine eindeutige Spannung $\sigma$ definieren. Die Approximation mit der „hybrid high-order“ (HHO) Methode benutzt eine Rekonstruktion des Gradienten in dem Raum der stückweisen Raviart-Thomas Finiten Elemente ohne Stabilisierung auf einer Triangulierung in Simplexen. Die Anwendung dieser Methode auf die Klasse der degenerierten, konvexen Minimierungsprobleme liefert eine eindeutig bestimmte, $H(\div)$ konforme Approximation $\sigma_h$ der Spannung. Die a priori Abschätzungen in dieser Arbeit gelten für gemischten Randbedingungen ohne weitere Voraussetzung an der primalen Variablen und erlauben es, Konvergenzraten bei glatten Lösungen vorherzusagen. Die a posteriori Analysis führt auf garantierte obere Fehlerschranken, eine berechenbare untere Energieschranke, sowie einen konvergenten adaptiven Algorithmus. Die numerischen Beispiele zeigen höhere Konvergenzraten mit zunehmenden Polynomgrad und bestätigen empirisch die superlineare Konvergenz der unteren Energieschranke. Obwohl der Fokus dieser Arbeit auf die nicht stabilisierte HHO Methode liegt, wird eine detaillierte Fehleranalysis für die stabilisierte Version mit einer Gradientenrekonstruktion im Raum der stückweisen Polynome präsentiert. / The relaxation procedure in the calculus of variations leads to minimization problems with a quasi-convex energy density. In some problems of nonlinear elasticity, topology optimization, and multiphase models, the energy density is convex with some convexity control plus two-sided $p$-growth. The minimizers may be non-unique in the primal variable, but define a unique stress variable $\sigma$. The approximation by hybrid high-order (HHO) methods utilizes a reconstruction of the gradients in the space of piecewise Raviart-Thomas finite element functions without stabilization on a regular triangulation into simplices. The application of the HHO methodology to this class of degenerate convex minimization problems allows for a unique $H(\div)$ conform stress approximation $\sigma_h$. The a priori estimates for the stress error $\sigma - \sigma_h$ in the Lebesgue norm are established for mixed boundary conditions without additional assumptions on the primal variable and lead to convergence rates for smooth solutions. The a posteriori analysis provides guaranteed error control, including a computable lower energy bound, and a convergent adaptive scheme. Numerical benchmarks display higher convergence rates for higher polynomial degrees and provide empirical evidence for the superlinear convergence of the lower energy bound. Although the focus is on the unstabilized HHO method, a detailed error analysis is provided for the stabilized version with a gradient reconstruction in the space of piecewise polynomials.

The thesis is based on two supplements with two major objectives. In the first supplement equilibrium top slag-steel bulk and inclusions-steel bulk were investigated by comparison between calculated and measured oxygen activity values. This was done by applying different oxide activity models for slags combined with thermodynamic calculations. In the second supplement the inclusion composition is studied during the ladle refining process. The inclusion composition is related to top slag composition and other parameters during ladle treatment. The work was carried out by collecting data during well controlled sampling procedures at two different steel plants. Extensive inclusion analyses in Scanning Electron Microscope, SEM, were done. The data was used together with thermodynamics for a description of the interaction between slag-steel-inclusion interaction during ladle treatment. Evaluation of inclusion composition during the ladle refining have revealed that the majority of the inclusions belonged to the system Al2O3-CaO-MgO-SiO2 and showed a continuous composition change throughout the ladle refining process, from high Al2O3, via MgO-spinel to finally complex types rich in CaO and Al2O3. The final composition after vacuum treatment was found to be close to the top slag composition. Small process parameter changes and practical variations during ladle refining were proven to give large differences of the inclusion composition. Finally, it was concluded that equilibrium does not exist between top slag and steel bulk, with respect to oxygen, for the studied conditions. However, the equilibrium does exist between the steel bulk and inclusion. / QC 20101109

The focus of the research is on the problem of ventilation on lead-melting production. The main sources of lead emissions in the refining shop are determined. The primary conditions for convective jet saving for its further removal and cleaning are defined. With COMSOL Multiphysics simulation platform the shop model is created for fluid flow analysis. The results of numerical calculation of air exchange scheme and its comparing with experimental data are shown. An own scheme of air distribution in refining shop is offered. The scheme takes into account all the requirements for saving of convective circulation, initiated by convective jets from melting pots. / Диссертация посвящена проблеме вентиляции свинцово-плавильного производства. Определены основные источники выделения аэрозолей свинца в рафинировочном цехе. Определены основные условия, и параметры сохранения конвективной струи для её дальнейшего удаления и очищения. В программе COMSOL Multiphysics® построена модель цеха для моделирования процессов течения воздуха. Представлены результаты численного моделирования организации схемы воздухообмена и их сравнение с физическим опытом. Предложена собственная схема распределения воздуха в рафинировочном цехе, в которой учитываются все требования, для сохранения естественной циркуляции, инициированной конвективными струями от котлов.

Целью исследования является разработка методических подходов и рекомендаций для процессов разработки и строительства нефтеперерабатывающих предприятий. Предметом исследования является организация и управление проектами строительства нефтеперерабатывающих предприятий в Ираке. В работе использованы основные инструменты проектного управления (структурные декомпозиции, календарный план работ, план управления рисками), а также инструменты определения причинно-следственных связей. Дана оценка эффективности проекта для ключевых участников. / The aim of the study is to develop methodological approaches and recommendations for the development and construction of oil refineries. The subject of the research is the organization and management of projects for the construction of oil refineries in Iraq. The work used the main tools of project management (structural decomposition, work schedule, risk management plan), as well as tools for determining cause-and-effect relationships. An assessment of the effectiveness of the project for key participants is given.

[pt] É constante o desafio das refinarias de petróleo na busca pela maximização da rentabilidade diante da natureza dinâmica das variáveis que afetam seus processos, como: demanda e especificações de produtos, qualidade de carga e preços de matéria-prima e derivados. Com a expectativa de mudanças nestas variáveis, um planejamento estratégico integrado para definir as necessidades de investimento em novas unidades de processo e ampliação de capacidade de unidades existentes pode contribuir para os melhores resultados do negócio de refino. Em face destas oportunidades e desafios, este trabalho propõe uma análise do planejamento de investimentos em refino, considerando o crescimento da demanda de diesel com ultra baixo teor de enxofre (S10) e também o crescimento plurianual da demanda de derivados, tendo como estudo de caso uma das maiores refinarias brasileiras. Como ferramenta de análise, foi utilizado um modelo matemático para planejamento integrado de refino de petróleo, que considera a otimização do planejamento operacional para definir as necessidades de investimento na refinaria, uma integração temporal, resultando em um modelo não linear inteiro misto (MINLP), cuja resolução utiliza uma lógica de decomposição em dois problemas integrados. Foi analisado o planejamento estratégico de refino, no horizonte de 19 anos e foram feitos vários cenários de demanda, com análises de sensibilidade para preços de petróleo e produtos, limite de importação e restrição de investimentos. Os resultados mostraram alinhamento com situação atual do mercado de derivados, com importação favorecida e com a expectativa de investimento mínimo em refino. / [en] It is a constant challenge for oil refineries the profitability maximization considering the dynamic nature of variables that affect their processes, such as demand and product specifications, feed quality and prices of raw materials and products. Expecting changes in such variables, an integrated strategic planning to define the needs for investment in new process units and capacity expansion of existing units can contribute to better results of the refining business. Given these opportunities and challenges, this dissertation proposes an analysis of refining investment planning, considering the increasing demand for ultralow sulfur diesel (S10) and also the multi-year growth of demand for oil products, performing a case study for one of the largest Brazilian refineries. As an analysis tool, it was used a mathematical model for integrated planning of oil refining, which considers the optimization of operational planning to set the investment needs in the refinery, a temporal integration, resulting in a mixed integer nonlinear model (MINLP), which resolution is based on a logic decomposition in two integrated problems. The strategic refining planning was analyzed on the 19 years horizon for different demand scenarios and some sensitivity analyses were carried out for oil and product prices, import limit and investment restrictions. The results were consistent with the current situation of the Brazilian derivatives market, characterized by favorable import and the minimum investment expected for refining.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2012 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Through many years of research, a number of production schemes have been developed for converting lignocellulosic biomass into transport fuels. These technologies have been assessed through a number of techno-economic studies for application in a particular context in terms of the technical and economic feasibility. However, previous studies using these methods have tended to lack vigour in various aspects. Either the energy efficiency of the processes were not maximised through adequate heat integration, or a competing technology which existed was not considered. From an economic perspective, the financial models would often lack the vigour to account for the risk and uncertainty that is inherent in the market prices of the commodities. This phenomenon is especially relevant for the biofuel industry that faces the full fledge of uncertainties experienced by the agricultural sector and the energy sector. Furthermore, from an environmental perspective, the techno-economic studies had often ignored the environmental impacts that are associated with biofuel production. Thus, a comparative study could have favoured an option due to its economic feasibility, while it could have had serious environmental consequences. The aim of this study was to address these issues in a South African context, where biofuels could be produced from sugarcane bagasse. The first step would be to modify an existing simulation model for a bioethanol scenario that operates with a Separate Hydrolysis and Fermentation (SHF process) configuration into a second processing scenario that operates with a Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF process) configuration using reliable experimental data. The second step was to ensure that the maximum energy efficiency of each scenario was realised by carrying out pinch point analysis as a heat integration step. In contrast to these biological models is the thermochemical model that converts bagasse to gasoline and diesel via gasification, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and refining (GFT process). While there were no significant advances in technology concerning this type of process, the energy efficiency was to be maximised with pinch point analysis. The GFT process obtained the highest energy efficiency of 50.6%. Without the affects of pinch point technology, the efficiency dropped to 46%, which thus emphasises the importance of heat integration. The SSF had an efficiency of 42.8%, which was superior to that of the SHF at 39.3%. This resulted from a higher conversion of biomass to ethanol in the SSF scenario. Comparing the SHF model to an identical model found in literature that did not have pinch point retrofits, this study showed lower efficiency. This arose because the previous study did not account for the energy demands of the cold utility systems such as the cooling tower operation, which has been shown in this study to account for 40% of the electrical energy needs. The economic viability of all three processes was assessed with Monte Carlo Simulations to account for the risks that the fluctuations in commodity prices and financial indices pose. This was accomplished by projecting the fluctuations of these parameters from samples of a historical database that has been transformed into a probability distribution function. The consequences were measured in terms of the Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) for a large number of simulations. The results of these variables were aggregated and were then assessed by testing the probability that the NPV<0, and that the IRR recedes below the interest rate of 12.64%. The investment was thus deemed unfeasible if these probabilities were greater than 20%. Both biological models were deemed profitable in terms of this standard. The probabilities were 13% for the SSF and 14% for the SHF. The GFT process however was deemed completely unfeasible because the probability that the NPV<0 was 78%. Given that the GFT process had the highest energy efficiency, this result arises mainly because the capital investment of 140,000USD/MWHHV of biomass energy input is to enormous for any payback to be expected. The environmental footprint of each process was measured using Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs). LCAs are a scientifically intricate way of quantifying and qualifying the effects of a product or process within a specified boundary. The impacts are assessed on a range of environmental issues, such as Global Warming, Acidification, Eutrophication and Human toxicity. Furthermore, if the project under concern has multiple output products, then the impacts are distributed between the output products in proportion to the revenue that each generates. The impacts were either relative to the flow of feedstock, which was 600MW of bagasse, or to the functional unit, which was the amount of fuel required to power a standard vehicle for a distance of 1 kilometre. In either case, the GFT scenario was the least burdening on the environmental. This was expected because the GFT process had the highest energy efficiency and the process itself lacked the use of processing chemicals. Relative to the feedstock flow, the SSF was the most environmentally burdening scenario due to the intensive use of processing chemicals. Relative to the functional unit, the SHF was the most severe due to its low energy efficiency. Thus, the following conclusions were drawn from the study:  The GFT is the most energy and environmentally efficient process, but it showed no sign of economic feasibility. iv  There is no significant difference in the economic and environmental evaluation of the SSF and SHF process, even though the SSF is considered to be a newer and more efficient process. The major cause of this is because the setup of the SSF model was not optimised. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Deur baie jare van navorsing is ‘n aantal produksie-skemas vir die omskakeling van lignosellulose biomassa na vloeibarebrandstof ontwikkel. Hierdie tegnologië is geassesseer ten opsigte van die tegniese en ekonomiese haalbaarheid deur middel van tegno-ekonomiese studies in bepaalde tekste. Tog het hierdie vorige studies besliste beperkings gehad. Of die energie-doeltreffendheid van die proses is nie gemaksimeer deur voldoende hitte-integrasie nie, of 'n mededingende tegnologie wat bestaan is nie oorweeg nie. Vanuit 'n ekonomiese perspektief, was die finansiële modelle dikwels nie die omvattend genoeg om rekening te hou met die risiko en onsekerheid wat inherent is in die markpryse van die kommoditeite nie. Hierdie verskynsel is veral relevant vir die biobrandstof bedryf wat die volle omvang van onsekerhede ervaar waaraan die landbousektor en die energiesektoronderhewig is. Verder het die tegno-ekonomiese studies dikwels die omgewingsimpakte wat verband hou met biobrandstofproduksie geïgnoreer. Dus kon ‘n opsie deur die ekonomiese haalbaarheid bevoordeel word, ten spyte van die ernstige omgewingsimpakte wat dit kon inhou. Die doel van hierdie studie was om hierdie kwessies aan te spreek in 'n Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, waar biobrandstof uit suikerriet bagasse geproduseer kan word. Die eerste stap was om 'n bestaande simulasiemodel vir 'n bio-scenario wat met Afsonderlike Hidroliese en Fermentasie (SHF proses) stappe werk, te modifiseer vir 'n tweede verwerking scenario wat met 'n gelyktydige Versuikering en Fermentasie (SSF proses) konfigurasie werk. Die verandering is gedoen deur die gebruik van betroubare eksperimentele data. Die tweede stap was om te verseker dat elke scenario die maksimum energie-doeltreffendheid het, deur 'n hitte-integrasie stap, wat gebruik maak van “pinch-point” analise. In teenstelling met hierdie biologiese modelle, is daar die thermochemiese roete waar petrol en diesel van bagasse vervaardig word via vergassing, Fischer-Tropsch-sintese en rafinering (GFT proses). Daar was geen betekenisvolle vooruitgang in tegnologie vir hierdie proses nie, maar die energie-doeltreffendheid is gemaksimeer word deur energie-integrasie. Die GFT proses toon die hoogste energie-doeltreffendheid van 50,6%. Sonder die invloed van energie-integrasie het die doeltreffendheid gedaal tot 46%, wat dus die belangrikheid van hitte-integrasie beklemtoon. Die SSF het 'n effektiwiteit van 42,8% gehad, wat beter was as dié 39,3% van die SHF opsie. Hierdie hoër effektiwiteit wasas gevolg van die hoër omskakeling van biomassa na etanol in die SSF scenario. Die energie doeltreffendheid vir die SHF-model was laer as met 'n identiese model (sonder energie-integrasie) wat in die literatuur gevind wat is. Dit het ontstaan omdat die vorige studie nie 'n volledig voorsiening gemaak het met die energie-eise van die verkillingstelselsnie, wat tot 40% van die elektriese energie behoeftes kan uitmaak. Die ekonomiese lewensvatbaarheid van al drie prosesse is bepaal met Monte Carlo simulasies om die risiko's wat die fluktuasies in kommoditeitspryse en finansiële indekse inhou, in berekening te bring. Hierdie is bereik deur die projeksie van die fluktuasies van hierdie parameters aan die hand van 'n historiese databasis wat omskep is in 'n waarskynlikheid verspreiding funksie. Die gevolge is gemeet in terme van die netto huidige waarde (NHW) en Interne Opbrengskoers (IOK) vir 'n groot aantal simulasies. Die resultate van hierdie veranderlikes is saamgevoeg en daarna, deur die toets van die waarskynlikheid dat die NPV <0, en dat die IRR laer as die rentekoers van 12,64% daal, beoordeel. Die belegging is dus nie realiseerbaar geag as die waarskynlikhede meer as 20% was nie. Beide biologieseprosesse kan as winsgewend beskou word in terme van bostaande norme. Die waarskynlikhede was 13% vir die SSF en 14% vir die SHF. Aangesien die NHW van die GFT-proses onder 0 met ‘n waarskynlikheid van 78% is, is die opsie as nie-winsgewend beskou. Gegewe dat die GFT-proses die hoogste energie-doeltreffendheid het, is die resultaat hoofsaaklik omdat die kapitale belegging van 140,000 USD / MWHHV-biomassa energie-inset te groot is, om enige terugbetaling te verwag. Die omgewingsvoetspoor van elke proses is bepaal deur die gebruik van Lewens Siklus Analises (“Life Cycle Assessments”) (LCAS). LCAS is 'n wetenskaplike metodeom die effek van ‘n produk of proses binne bepaalde grense beide kwalitatief en kwantitatief te bepaal. Die impakte word beoordeel vir 'n verskeidenheid van omgewingskwessies, soos aardverwarming, versuring, eutrofikasie en menslike toksisiteit. Voorts, indien die projek onder die saak verskeie afvoer produkte het, word die impakte tussen die afvoer produkte verdeel, in verhouding tot die inkomste wat elkeen genereer. Die impak was met of relatief tot die vloei van roumateriaal (600MW van bagasse), of tot die funksionele eenheid, wat die hoeveelheid van brandstof is om 'n standaard voertuig aan te dryf oor 'n afstand van 1 kilometer. In al die gevalle het die GFT scenario die laagste belading op die omgewing geplaas. Hierdie is te verwagte omdat die GFT proses die hoogste energie-doeltreffendheid het en die proses self nie enige addisionele chemikalieë vereis nie. Relatief tot die roumateriaal vloei, het die SSF die grootse belading op die omgewing geplaas as gevolg van die intensiewe gebruik van verwerkte chemikalieë. Relatief tot die funksionele eenheid, was die SHF die swakste as gevolg van sy lae energie-doeltreffendheid.