Sharif Digital Repository

A method for simultaneous phase identification and equilibrium calculations is put forward and applied on the highly nonlinear multiphase reactive distillation calculations. The method is based on modifying mole fraction summation equations. In the proposed methodology phase identification, phase equilibrium, and chemical reaction equilibrium calculations can be performed simultaneously and effectively. Simulation and optimization of equilibrium reactive distillation can be done efficiently using this approach. The methodology has been verified with the help of case studies. The method provides phases actually present at equilibrium, their quantities and compositions in each stage of the... 

This paper presents a simultaneous methodology for the optimal design of integrated water and energy networks. Heat transfer coefficients are not constant but are related to the velocity of the streams. Pressure drops in heat exchangers and related power costs are considered. The model is a non-convex MINLP (mixed-integer non-linear program) model, in which the objective is to minimize the total annual costs. To accomplish this task, a new superstructure is proposed that follows the energy and mass streams from sources to sinks, enabling us to consider heat exchange between streams in two separate stages of the HENS before and after mixers. Furthermore, heat recovery from wastewater is... 

The high dependence of the atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions on fossil fuels has led it to increment. Process design along with the economic aspects, improves the technology diffusion of the carbon capturing. In the pressure swing adsorption as a promising carbon capturing technology, increasing the pressure leads to more adsorbed amount of carbon dioxide and energy consumption of compressor, which is a source for carbon dioxide emission. Experimental data shows that for pressures between 3 to 5bar, the avoided CO2 is in maximum rate. The economic analysis reveals that the pressure of 3bar is appropriate. Also, the utilization of CO2 in the aerogel production, as a nano-based thermal... 

Taking into account the ever-increasing consumption of energy in the transportation sector in Iran, a supply chain model is here developed for gasoline as the main energy carrier. The model considers the satisfaction of demand as well as techno-economical constraints of all technologies while minimising the cost and the carbon footprint of the whole supply chain in order to reach sustainability in the Iranian transport sector. The model enables us to depict the optimal pathways from the wells to the end-users. The demand is here estimated using econometric approach in which the elasticity of gasoline price is the least and the GDP growth rate plays an active role. Six scenarios are defined... 

Biodiesel is an attractive renewable energy in Iran. However, the concerns for food security, emissions, and water requirement move us towards developing the analytical framework to study emission-water nexus of biodiesel via the multi objective sustainable planning of biodiesel supply chain. Here, the literature of biodiesel in Iran is comprehensively reviewed and main issues are discussed. Then, a supply chain planning model is applied to depict the optimal path ways to minimize costs, net emission, and water use in Iran during 25 years. The microalgae via open ponds and jatropha cultivation reduce the total costs and improve negative emissions. The jatropha optimizes the water use and... 

The high dependence of the atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions on fossil fuels has led it to increment. Process design along with the economic aspects, improves the technology diffusion of the carbon capturing. In the pressure swing adsorption as a promising carbon capturing technology, increasing the pressure leads to more adsorbed amount of carbon dioxide and energy consumption of compressor, which is a source for carbon dioxide emission. Experimental data shows that for pressures between 3 to 5 bar, the avoided CO2 is in maximum rate. The economic analysis reveals that the pressure of 3 bar is appropriate. Also, the utilization of CO2 in the aerogel production, as a nano-based thermal... 

Biofuels are important alternative fuel in recent years. In this work, the bioethanol supply chain planning is performed by BioEnergy Supply Model to optimally find the best pathways using economic and environmental objective functions in Iran. Then, different sustainability criteria focusing on environmental, economic, and social concerns are assessed for possible routes of the bioethanol production from available resources. Although agriculture residues and wastes, decrease the greenhouse gas emissions but municipal solid wastes are more economic and require less water. The agricultural wastes and residues improve the sustainability. Then, criteria focusing on environmental, economic, and... 

Desiccant-based evaporative cooling systems are considered as an energy efficient alternative to conventional vapor compression systems in humid climates. A novel hybrid desiccant-based ejector cooling (hybrid DEC) system is here presented to utilize low grade heat. In order to evaluate the system performance under subtropical humid climates, a dynamic hourly simulation of the system is performed for a typical building in Sydney. The results indicate that the hybrid DEC system is able to provide comfort conditions in subtropical and humid climates. Hybrid DEC system has a significant higher coefficient of performance compared to the conventional vapor compression system resulting to 84%... 

In the original publication of the article, Table 6 was published with wrong column heads. The correct Table 6 is given in this correction. © 2019, Springer Japan KK, part of Springer Nature  

The sustainable design of the waste-management system is of crucial importance for cities like Tehran, capital of Iran. Tehran’s municipal solid-waste management has adopted modern practices and technologies very slowly. This study proposes the optimum pathway to reach maximum environmental benefits as well as the most cost-effective technologies according to the financial limits. The hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA)–emergy approach is applied to utilize the life cycle emissions as an inventory database to estimate the ecosystem services provided by the natural ecosystem to dilute the emissions and compensate raw material consumption. Among organic waste-treatment options, composting is... 

The aim of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of a combined cooling, heating, and power generation system with a micro turbine using biogas as the fuel to supply the heat and electricity demands in a real wastewater treatment plant. The plant is optimized using the system's total cost rate and the amount of the produced biogas as objective functions. The anaerobic digester is modeled using the ADM1 model. The optimization variables include digester hydraulic retention time, compressor pressure ratio, isentropic compressor efficiency, recuperator pinch time temperature, turbine isentropic efficiency, turbine input temperature, and the number of micro turbines. In the first scenario... 

Nowadays, one of the most important challenges in developing greenhouses is meeting their energy demand. The other challenge is the high water consumption of evaporative-cooling systems in arid and semi-arid regions. In this study, a integrated dynamic model is developed to determine the greenhouse relative humidity, carbon dioxide, and temperature, considering transpiration. The model is applied to a greenhouse utilizing a ground to air heat transfer system, located in the Alborz province of Iran and the results are validated with experimental data. Energy and water performance of the greenhouse are evaluated for the case study greenhouse. Then, the model is applied to a greenhouse (similar... 

This study presents a comprehensive framework for evaluating renewable and non-renewable power plants' performance using the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and emergy analysis. The emergy analysis is used to consider the free ecosystem services in the sustainability of the systems as a supplement to the LCA. The results indicate that the wind and photovoltaic power plants have the best performance in terms of the LCA analysis, while the wind and combined cycle power plants have the highest emergy sustainability index. The best scenario is chosen under a two-objective optimization problem, including the single score and emergy sustainability as objective functions. Here, the wind power plant is... 

This study presents a comprehensive framework for evaluating renewable and non-renewable power plants' performance using the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and emergy analysis. The emergy analysis is used to consider the free ecosystem services in the sustainability of the systems as a supplement to the LCA. The results indicate that the wind and photovoltaic power plants have the best performance in terms of the LCA analysis, while the wind and combined cycle power plants have the highest emergy sustainability index. The best scenario is chosen under a two-objective optimization problem, including the single score and emergy sustainability as objective functions. Here, the wind power plant is... 

Biofuels are important alternative fuel in recent years. In this work, the bioethanol supply chain planning is performed by BioEnergy Supply Model to optimally find the best pathways using economic and environmental objective functions in Iran. Then, different sustainability criteria focusing on environmental, economic, and social concerns are assessed for possible routes of the bioethanol production from available resources. Although agriculture residues and wastes, decrease the greenhouse gas emissions but municipal solid wastes are more economic and require less water. The agricultural wastes and residues improve the sustainability. Then, criteria focusing on environmental, economic, and... 

The sustainable retrofit options may significantly improve the energy consumption and the environmental impacts of the existing buildings. This paper presents a multi objective optimization framework to reach the minimum economic costs and Global Warming Potential (GWP) impact of existing buildings. New energy-efficient technologies for the supply side of the energy system are considered which may minimize life cycle environmental impacts of buildings. Two educational buildings in the campus of Sharif University of Technology are studied. The results show that utilizing reciprocating engine and exhaust-fired absorption chiller reduce the GWP to 133 tons (17.79% of reduction) and 190 tones... 

In recent years, the emission of various pollutants has caused many problems for human life and the ecosystem. The prioritization between different air pollution control scenarios is a challenge between scientists and policy-makers. This study develops an integrated method for sustainable energy planning considering the energy-pollution-health nexus. The paper investigates three main pollutants (i.e., PM2.5, SO2, and NOx) of different emission sources (i.e., industrial, residential, and intra-city and suburban transportations) in twelve scenarios. The American Meteorological Society/Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Model (AERMOD) is applied to model the air pollution dispersion,... 

Consumption of fossil fuels in residential, industrial, and transportation sectors has a significant contribution to air pollution and high attributable premature deaths. To target specific strategies for reducing health effects, the anthropogenic sources and their contributions should be identified. This article provides an integrated modeling approach to evaluate the sector-specific contributions of different PM2.5 sources on air pollution and relevant health impacts. The dispersion of emissions from different sources is modeled by the American Meteorological Society/Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Model (AERMOD), and the health impacts are estimated by the Environmental... 

The aim of this study is to evaluate the sustainability of two actual wastewater treatment plants using the eco-efficiency index based on emergy and life cycle analysis. The life cycle analysis is used for environmental investigation to estimate the eco-efficiency index. Moreover, the emergy theory indicating the input and output flows of the ecosystem are applied to assess the sustainability considering ecosystem services. Two treatment plants are studied in the city of Mashhad in Iran. The potential for sustainability improvement of plants is analyzed in some scenarios including the production of agricultural compost from sludge, 10% reduction of energy consumption, and 10% reduction of... 

Biomass is becoming an increasingly widespread source of energy. Yet land, as one of the most important resources in biomass production, is surprisingly understudied in the literature of biomass supply chain planning. This study proposes a novel framework that combines the literature of bioethanol supply chain design with agricultural land planning to simultaneously address optimal supply chain planning and sustainable land use in a bioethanol supply chain. A bi-objective mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model is proposed to formulate the optimal design and planning of a bioethanol supply chain network considering competition of food and biomass feedstock over the available croplands....