(326f) Using Sustainability Footprint in Optimization Framework for Prospective Design of Chemical Processes

Using
sustainability footprint in optimization framework for prospective design of
chemical processes

AIChE Annual
Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, November 8-13, 2015

Debalina
Sengupta¹, Rajib Mukherje2¹, Subhas K. Sikdar³,
Mahmoud M. El-Halwagi¹

1.      
Texas A &M
University, College Station, TX

2.      
Vishwamitra Research Institute, Crystal Lake, IL

3.      
NRMRL, US EPA,
Cincinnati, OH,

Abstract

            A chemical product can be obtained by different
process pathways involving varying amounts and types of resources, utilities, product,
and byproduct formation. Evidently, the sustainability in terms of economic,
environmental and social impacts of these processes will vary relatively. When
such competing process options are presented, and compared to an existing
process pathway, it is necessary to evaluate the most sustainable process among
these competing options. Traditional process design stands on process synthesis
and process analysis as the two pillars determining the technical and economic viability of the process
options. Process integration techniques make use of these syntheses and analyses methods
to arrive at the selection of the best process.

Sustainability
of a chemical process is generally evaluated with indicators that need process
and chemical properties data. These indicators individually reflect the impacts of the process on the
respective areas of sustainability. For example, traditional economic
indicators represent the economic dimension, environmental indicators the
environmental dimension, and human health indicators represent the societal dimension. Process flow
and economic data were used to compute the indicators in these categories.
In order to choose among several
alternative processes an overall comparative analysis is essential. To
make a decision on the most sustainable process, the indicators need to be rationally
aggregated into a single index. We use the sustainability footprint method
(D_e) to evaluate the relative
sustainability of each of the competing processes.

In this paper, we will present
the results of this ongoing research on using the sustainability footprint
method as a measure of overall sustainability of a process. We will also report
on the research challenges faced during the use of the sustainability footprint
method in mixed integer optimization framework for prospective sustainability
analyses.